Madame Bovary is a novel written by Gustave Flaubert, first published in 1856. The book tells the story of Emma Bovary, a young woman who marries a doctor in the hopes of escaping her provincial life. However, Emma soon becomes disillusioned with her marriage and her mundane existence, and she begins to seek excitement and passion through a series of affairs. As Emma's debts pile up and her romantic fantasies go unfulfilled, she becomes increasingly desperate and delusional. The novel is a powerful critique of the societal constraints placed on women in Flaubert's time and the consequences...