As posted in Goodreads
Ah what a tragic book. I guess because it's a very old book, no one would care about spoiler, right? Anyways, I would just spill any thoughts about this book. So, in terms of writing style, I just finished reading The Portrait of A Lady by Henry James which was, for me personally, more engaging. This book was rather difficult at first to get into, but as one hawks further into the life of Emma Bovary, and the people around her, OOH THE PEOPLE!!, it kept your attention to keep on going.
I wanted to read the book especially because people kept on saying that it was so hard to adapt the book into a movie. I've watched the one with Mia Wasikowska as Emma Bovary, and came into a conclusion that Emma was displayed as a little girl who cannot grasp reality. I thought to myself, well, maybe there's more to it, but apparently, that's how it actually displayed in the book. Poor Emma grew up dreaming of happiness which can only be fulfilled by passionate burning love which will last forever. She loved everything fancy and elegant with no means to reach any of it, she barely had a sense of how the economy works, and she couldn't understand the meaning of being grateful for what you got. But then again, I guess, the very first mistake, that both Charles and Emma took was for not understanding truly who each other was before getting married. But of course, it's also not the time when people can get to know each other by dating each other and so on and so on before deciding on a marriage! (and still, really, how many of us still made such mistakes when we enter a marriage?).
Sometimes I thought, maybe, Emma's problem is being born at the wrong time. Maybe if she was born in a modern time, she would be able to be happy. But then I remember reading things, listening to stories of friends, of failed marriages, that their problem starts when they were disappointed with the person they got married to, because they turn out to be someone else who they didn't recognize. It's such a creepy thought, really. And all the other things, like thinking that finding your true love or getting married to the man of your dreams, it means that you have got your ultimate happiness! Fairy tale endings! Unstoppable floating romantic words and passion! And it crushed you when reality is the opposite.
I guess this book is a great reminder of how one should put one step on the air, to keep the magic around, while putting the other step on solid ground, that marriage requires for the couple to work on getting through life together. And also, maybe, don't force yourself to marry the first guy/girl you are crazy about if that person's done nothing but breaking your heart, move on, be more realistic, be grateful, take care of the people you love because nothing lasts for forever. If you can, date before you got married! Don't marry when you're too young! And because women no longer live in the time when the only occupation they got is TO BE MARRIED TO A GUY, find out your interest, go to school, do things you like most, and find a person who share your vision, and maybe if you love him or her, spend a life together! Don't get married because of peer pressure! Be happy for yourself before you enter to a marriage! Not everyone needs the same thing in life!!
Other notes, I mean, poor Charles really. He was so kind, and so in love with Emma that her betrayal broke him completely. I can imagine if he's married to a more down to earth person, he would have a sufficiently happy live, a practical woman who can help him with their life! And not even his kindness can help him to understand even a little about his wife when she was still alive! It's just crazy! For Emma, I don't know, I first thought, maybe it's best if she read Jane Austen's books, maybe she'll see herself in Marianne Dashwood and how foolish she was at the beginning! Maybe Marianne will bring her to her senses! But oh well, if not we won't be reading any of this story.
One other thing that creeps me out was about Monsieur Homais. Somehow he reminded me of today's social media. When Emma is upstairs painfully losing the bits of her soul, little by little, he cared only to lick the ass of the famous doctor, and even DARE to ask him to make a check up on himself and his family! I don't know, I guess it reminds me of how social media seems to make us all care, when truly, do we even bother? When we read news about children killed in war, cities bombed in pieces, and we say our pity etc, etc, tweet it, re-share it, do we really care, or are we just doing it because it's the popular thing to do, and then we go on living our life as if nothing wrong just happened. Oh God this book made me depressed. Maybe I should read an Austen again.
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