Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

Emma Bovary, a farmer’s daughter married to a dull country doctor, yearns for romance and luxury beyond her provincial life. Her dissatisfaction drives her into a series of passionate affairs and reckless spending. As her fantasies clash with reality, her debts and despair spiral out of control. The novel offers a piercing critique of romantic idealism and the emptiness of material desire.