Dr. Mark Schenker: Madame Bovary (1856)

1821 was the date Flaubert was born. And so this December marks his 201st birthday. We will explore his masterpiece Madame Bovary. 

Madame Bovary, originally published as Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life.

When the novel was first serialized in Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the story notorious. After Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was published in two volumes. A seminal work of literary realism, the novel is now considered Flaubert's masterpiece, and one of the most influential literary works in history.

A gifted teacher and speaker, Dr. Mark Schenker has led book and film discussions in Connecticut for more than 30 years and has given numerous lectures on writers and their works. He is a Senior Associate Dean at Yale College and Dean of Academic Affairs, as well as being a lecturer in in the English Department.

**************************************************

There are several ways to access Madame Bovary through Fairfield Public Library:

- Print copies are available to check out in the Book Club Collection at the Main Library.
- E-book version from hoopla (no holds, always available)
- Digital audiobooks from hoopla (no holds, always available) - there are eleven audio versions available including two fantastic readings by Glenda Jackson (abridged) and Juliet Stevenson (unabridged) - there are four English language editions, plus several in French and Spanish
- E-book version from The Palace Project app

If you need assistance placing print copies on hold or accessing our digital resources hoopla and The Palace Project, please call us:
203-256-3160