“I have an edition translated by Lydia Davis. It seems to be a fine translation but I still find the story dull and dragging. Am I missing something? I feel compelled to carry on but I am a third in and am not hooked. Normally I would just put it down, but I really want to finish it. Any thoughts for me?”
“I found this edition (Norton Critical Edition) at the local library sale. I last read it when I was in my twenties. This particular edition has "Essays in Criticism" in the appendix that I thought would be interesting to read. However this does not seem to be a very good translation (Paul De Man). Some of the prose strikes me as a bit clumsy. I'm hoping someone will be able to suggest a better translation. However, I am looking forward to reading the essays which include ones by Henry James, Charles Baudelaire and others.”
“I have always been an avid reader and when I was a teenager I read translations of Greek plays, dramas and musicals from broadway, non-fiction books, fiction books and lots of classics. Of the many classics I read and enjoyed Madam Bovary by Flaubert and Washington Square by Henry James are my all time favorites.”
“What does everyone think of the Flaubert's writing? He spent hours on finding the right word for every sentence, and rewrote like a madman. Do you think his writing is a little forced, or do you feel it's natural? (I myself had a bit of an issue with all his semicolons; end your damn sentence already, man!) ”
“A group I admin called Classical Re-education is reading this book right now! Come and discuss with us:http://www.shelfari.com/groups/32384/discussions/148024/Madame-Bovary---Flaubert”
“Another example of how sinful are the humans....”
“It is a book about growing up and learning how the real life is not that passionate as one may think. Unfortunatly, emma didn't get the point. She is in a continuous search for passion. She is compared with don qiujote.”
