Moorlock reviewed Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Review of 'Madame Bovary' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This novel frequently shows up near the top of various "best ever" lists. I can see why it earned its reputation, but from the perspective of now it ain't all that. There's some admirable writing, and some clever (for its time) experimentation with forms of storytelling, and the occasional psychological insight. But there's also a lot of crank-turning plot and melodrama-style characters. Madame Bovary herself is a very uninteresting character, and she dominates most of the book.
It's also dreadfully dark and cynical about people: we're either repulsively self-serving and wicked and petty, or, much more rarely, we're dull-witted innocents victimized by the vicious. I didn't enjoy being dragged through such a worldview.