The story in one page
Emma Rouault marries Charles Bovary, a country doctor who mistakes her desire for a grand life for simple domestic affection. Living in the tedious town of Yonville, Emma grows increasingly alienated from her husband’s pedestrian interests. She attempts to escape her reality through illicit romances, extravagant shopping sprees, and desperate social climbing, all of which only deepen her mounting financial debts. As creditors close in and her lovers inevitably abandon her, Emma consumes arsenic to escape her ruin. After her agonizing death, Charles finds evidence of her betrayal, descends into total decay, and dies clutching a lock of her hair, while their daughter is left to support herself in a factory.
Who's who
- Emma Bovary
A woman bored by her husband and limited social standing.
- Charles Bovary
An unimaginative country doctor with deep, unrequited devotion.
- Rodolphe Boulanger
A wealthy neighbor who treats Emma as a temporary amusement.
- Homais
A pompous, self-important local pharmacist who survives everyone else.
What it's really about
- Romantic Delusion
- Expectation versus the harsh reality of middle-class life.
- Materialism
- Financial ruin through the pursuit of luxury and prestige.
Why it's memorable
- The hideous, multi-layered cap worn by young Charles.
- A pharmacist who shakes a book out of his apprentice's pocket.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Charles dies of grief in his arbor, leaving his daughter orphaned and penniless, while the insufferable Homais is finally awarded the Legion of Honour.
For your book club
- Why does a doctor’s wife find the local pharmacy a center of danger?
- How does the town of Yonville kill enthusiasm as effectively as any illness?