Madame Bovary: Gustave Flaubert

The book starts with the characterization of Charles Bovary who is a child in school. He is put in a class with much younger children since his education did not start until he was 12, and then haphazardly. The story starts with him behind others, and he stays behind others his entire life. His mother arranges a marriage for him with a much older woman who is reputedly wealthy. He gets hen picked by both his mother and his wife and is unhappy. She then dies and he finds out she wasn't rich. He then marries a woman he adores. His wife marries him because she wants to get off the farm and he is a traveling vet. The book continues with his wife's discontent as she keeps finding life has more to offer she gets unhappier with what she has because she always wants more. She has a couple affairs and lusts after many things. After her affairs leave her lonely than ever she turns to buying pretty things on credit which they cannot afford. Neither lover is willing to help her out so she tricks someone into giving her rat poison and commits suicide. Charles is distraught and sells all of their possessions. He finds Emma's love letters and looks with envy at the men she showed affection to instead of being angry. He eventually dies and their daughter, Berthe is sent to live with her grandmother. The grandmother eventually dies and Berthe is sent to live with an impoverished aunt who send her to work in a cotton mill. There was no happiness in the book and it was hard to read since you kept hoping for something good to happen, but met with disappointments continuously.