Madame Bovary is a masterpiece. I mean both the BBC film adaptation of Flaubert’s famous novel as well as the story itself. First a few words about the film and then about the story. Especially in the first half, the director moves us quickly through the life of Emma Bovary. The 19th century setting is beautifully staged. Gustave Flaubert’s 1856 book, regarded by many as of the ten best novels ever written, operates on many levels. It is so rich that right after watching the film I am tempted to read the book itself to see how Flaubert communicated the psychological drama with words alone. On one level, Flaubert demolishes the idea so central in Western culture over the past centuries, namely, that romantic love of one other human being and the feelings it creates in our hearts is the only road to happiness.  In her quest to feel the excitement of romantic feelings that she believes are required for meaning and happiness, Emma Bovary dedicates her entire life to escaping what she regards a boring relationship.

When she has ruined her entire existence with two affairs and a mountain of debts, she is driven to poison herself.

If the novel took place not in France but let’s say China, where the idea romantic ideal never came to rule marital choices as it did in the West, there would still be the problem that plagues Madame Bovary and her good natured husband: While she does not experience their relationship as fulfilling, she is passion and love his life.  We may fault Madame Bovary for her unwise dedication to a romantic and unrealistic life as opposed to building meaningful relations with her daughter, with friends, with her servant, etc. But with enough experience, we can all appreciate the painful moment of her wedding night we she realizes after the first minutes of trying to “consume the marriage” that her husband is the wrong sexual partner.  At this moment her husband, who had a barren first wife, tells her that he never thought so much passion was possible. He is in romantic heaven while she is utterly disappointed.  “This cannot be it,” she moans silently to herself and we get the first inkling that this story is not going to have a happy end.