Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary is the story of Emma, a farmer's daughter educated in a convent on romantic novels, who marries a dull country doctor and finds in the small Norman town of Yonville nothing of the passion, luxury and Paris she has read about. Two affairs, a mounting pile of debt and the attentions of a draper bring her to catastrophe. Gustave Flaubert published the novel in 1856 and was prosecuted for it; acquitted, he became famous. His method, exact detail, no comment and a prose polished sentence by sentence, made the book the founding work of the realist novel. This edition presents the first English translation, by Eleanor Marx-Aveling, the daughter of Karl Marx. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, with the first chapter free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Madame Bovary online?
Yes. Madame Bovary opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Madame Bovary free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Madame Bovary is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Madame Bovary in the public domain?
Yes. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a public-domain work, here in the translation by Eleanor Marx-Aveling. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Madame Bovary?
About 7 h 44 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Madame Bovary?
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
