Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Excellent practice for those wanting reading skills, 17 Feb 2006
I bought this book on the basis of the review by another Amazon reader. He sounded like he was doing what I wanted to do - acquire reading skills. And he is right - this is an excellent reader. There's a wide range of stories and the translations on the opposite page are excellent. There is also an extensive vocabulary at the back and questions so you don't need a dictionary with you. There are brief introductions to each author, in English. It is excellent value for money and the language is sufficiently difficult to challenge anyone with reasonable skills in French but not so difficult as to make the task impossible. My level was just post O level (I didn't do A level but I had done an extra year of conversation). But I haven't touched French for more years than I care to admit. Along with some grammar books, this has really helped to build my confidence and my vocabulary and it hasn't been painful. Many of the books are geared towards children or people wanting conversations skills so I found this a good way to get the skills I wanted. The stories are short and the styles are varied so even if one particular story doesn't appeal to you, you see a different style of expression and the effort is worth it. I wish there were more like it!

Excellent stories in French with English on opposite page, 25 Jul 1998
First read this book in 1960 in college, cost 75 cents. Now relearning French and enjoying the stories, reading first the French and using the opposite page English to check my understanding and translate words and phases I don't know. This is an excellent way to enjoy interesting stories and enlarge one's French painlessly. Ordering a new copy as mine is disintegrating with age (as is the reviewer).

Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" scandalised French bourgeois society of the time with its shocking depiction of an adulteress, Emma Bovary, and her lascivious liaisons. The 19th-century press denounced both the book and its author as corrupting influences. History has exonerated Flaubert and exposed the hypocrisy of a society that would deny the existence of such women.

Emma Bovary, a young woman, newly married to a provincial doctor, is dazzled when she attends her first ball, attended by high aristocracy. With the culmination of her romantic ideals realised, her head is so filled with fanciful notions that she never re-enters reality, until the damning end:

Before her wedding day, she had thought she was in love; but since she lacked the happiness that should have come from that love, she must have been mistaken, she fancied. And Emma sought to find out exactly what was meant in real life by the words felicity, passion and rapture, which had seemed so fine on the pages of the books.

Frustrated and bored by her marriage, Emma embarks on a brief, rather touching affair with one young man but soon, vulnerable and exposed, she is fitting carrion for Monsieor Rodolphe, a serial womaniser. Soon, Emma has not only ruined her own reputation but destroyed that of her husband in her ruthless bid for wealth and recognition. The cast of characters, from passers-by to the shopkeepers who take her money, act like the chorus in a Greek tragedy. Seen through their eyes and their reactions to her, Emma's downfall is recounted but also society's intolerance.

On the surface, Flaubert provides a melodramatic morality tale. Slyly, underneath it all, he is laughing. Through his voyeuristic tale, with each salacious detail recounted, he is wilfully subversive as he points the finger not only at the guilty but at those who would dare to judge. --Nicola Perry

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Excellent practice for those wanting reading skills, 17 Feb 2006
I bought this book on the basis of the review by another Amazon reader. He sounded like he was doing what I wanted to do - acquire reading skills. And he is right - this is an excellent reader. There's a wide range of stories and the translations on the opposite page are excellent. There is also an extensive vocabulary at the back and questions so you don't need a dictionary with you. There are brief introductions to each author, in English. It is excellent value for money and the language is sufficiently difficult to challenge anyone with reasonable skills in French but not so difficult as to make the task impossible. My level was just post O level (I didn't do A level but I had done an extra year of conversation). But I haven't touched French for more years than I care to admit. Along with some grammar books, this has really helped to build my confidence and my vocabulary and it hasn't been painful. Many of the books are geared towards children or people wanting conversations skills so I found this a good way to get the skills I wanted. The stories are short and the styles are varied so even if one particular story doesn't appeal to you, you see a different style of expression and the effort is worth it. I wish there were more like it!

Excellent stories in French with English on opposite page, 25 Jul 1998
First read this book in 1960 in college, cost 75 cents. Now relearning French and enjoying the stories, reading first the French and using the opposite page English to check my understanding and translate words and phases I don't know. This is an excellent way to enjoy interesting stories and enlarge one's French painlessly. Ordering a new copy as mine is disintegrating with age (as is the reviewer).

Which translation?, 28 Apr 2008
It's pretty much all been said and I gladly add my voice to the chorus of praise but I write to suggest reading the original translation by Eleanor Marx Aveling (daughter of Karl Marx); the more florid victorian prose is apposite for the era and truly spellbinding.

Fabulous, 12 Dec 2005
I have just finished reading Madame Bovary for the first time. I write this with the ripples and textures of the novel fresh in my mind. And what textures!

It is not a particularly considered evaluation then, nor is it a 'literary' perspective, simply the intial reactions of one very ordinary reader. Perhaps some will find it helpful.

I won't detail the plot here, other reviewers have already done so elsewhere. At the most basic level the book relates a simple, almost archetypal tragedy. To briefly outline the plot is to recite a familiar morality tale. Flaubert's brilliance is to subvert the form, subtly but to such a degree, that the morality ebbs away and is replaced by something far more sinister, and far more interesting: humanity. Naturally, the book's power to shock and scandalize has diminished considerably in the century and a half since it was published, but presumably few readers are interested only in what is currently 'groundbreaking'.

The writing is sublime. It must be magical in the original French but alas, my poverty of intellect prevents me from sampling its delights. I have read Mauldoon's English translation and it is gorgeous. Apparently Flaubert did not consider himself the most naturally gifted of writers and spent a huge amount of time and precision over his style. Some passages, presumably as a consequence of this, feel a trifle over-delicate. Some readers might even go so far as to say dull. I wouldn't, but there are certainly moments when Flaubert's passion for what he is writing does appear to flag somewhat. These are small criticisms. The reward for his effort is in the abundance of superbly crafted metaphors, the mouth watering imagery, the hilarious characterization...I would not leave it there but I fear continuing such a list might drive me back into the novel's pages and this review would never be finished!

The genius of Flaubert's narrative voice has been noted by other readers here. It is this, principally, that undermines the notion of 'proper morals' that might otherwise inflitrate the novel. It is this that saves Emma the ignominy of becoming just another symbol of woman's capricious follies. It is this that, conversely, fashions of the novel's heroine something of a proto-feminist icon. To suggest that the book lacks sympathetic characters is ludicrous. Emma Bovary is one of the greatest heroines I have come across and I defy anyone who has ever been guilty of a romantic heart not to identify with her. Her husband Charles seems pathetic and weak, perhaps, but he will move every reader to tender pity.

In a great many respects, the irony and detachment of Flaubert's voice gives Madame Bovary a special resonance for modern society. And for those unconvinced, how about a fleeting moment of Flaubert's own splendid romanticism at work, refracted through the caddish Rodolphe:

'and human language is like a cracked kettledrum on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when what we long to do is make music that will move the stars to pity.'

You made music Gustave, you most certainly did. I recommend this book. I hope new readers enjoy it even more than I did.

Dated Period Piece or Classic Tragedy?, 20 May 2004
Depending on your perspective, this book is hopelessly dated and has little relevance to today, is an important step forward in the French novel, or is a classic depiction of tragedy in the Greek tradition. You should decide which perspective is most meaningful to you in determining whether you should read the book or not.

The story of the younger Madame Bovary (her mother-in-law is the other) is presented in the context of people whose illusions exceed their reality. Eventually, reality catches up with them. In the case of Emma Bovary, these illusions are mostly tied up in the notion that romantic relationships will make life wonderful and that love conquers all. She meets a young doctor of limited potential and marries with little thought. Soon, she finds him unbearable. The only time she is happy is when the two attend a ball at a chateaux put on by some of the nobility (the beautiful people of that time). She has a crisis of spirit and becomes depressed. To help, he moves to another town where life may be better for her. She has a daughter, but takes no interest in her. Other men attract her, and she falls for each one who pays attention to her in a romantic style. Clearly, she is in love with romance. Adultery is not rewarded, and she has a breakdown when one lover leaves her. Recovering, she takes on a younger lover she can dominate. This, too, works badly and she becomes reckless in her pursuit of pleasure. In the process, she takes to being reckless in other ways and brings financial ruin to herself and her family. The book ends in tragedy.

Here is the case for this being dated and irrelevant for today. A modern woman would usually not be trapped in such a way. She would separate from or divorce the husband she grew to detest, and make a new life. She would be able to earn a decent living, and would not be discouraged from raising a child alone. So the story would probably not happen now. In addition, the psychological aspects of her dilemma would be portrayed in terms of an inner struggle reflecting our knowledge today of psychology, rather than as a visual struggle followed mostly by a camera lens in this novel. The third difference is that the shallow stultifying people exalted by the society would be of little interest today. You find few novels about boring people in small towns in rural areas.

The case for the book as important in French literature is varied. The writing is very fine, and will continue to attract those who love the French language forever. This is a rare novel for its day in that it focused on a heroine who was neither noble by class nor noble in spirit. The book clearly makes more of an exploration into psychology than all but a few earlier French novels. The story itself was a shocking one in its day, for its focus on immoral behavior and the author's failure to overtly condemn that behavior. Emma pays the price, as Hollywood would require, but there is no sermonizing against her. So this book is a breakthrough in the modern novel in its shift in focus and tone to a personal pedestrian level.

From a third perspective, this book is a modern update of the classic Green tragedy in which all-too human characters struggle against a remorseless fate and are destroyed in the process. But we see their humanity and are moved by it. Emma's character is a hopeless romantic is established early. To be a hopeless romantic in a world where no one else she meets is condemns her to disappointment. She also seems to have some form of mental illness that makes it hard for her to deal with setbacks. But her optimism that somehow things will work out makes her appealing to us, and makes us wish for her success. When she does not succeed, we grieve with her family. Flaubert makes many references to fate in the novel, so it seems likely that this reading was intended.

My own view is that the modern reader who is not a scholar of French literature can only enjoy this book from the third perspective. If you do, there are many subtle ironies relative to the times and places in the novel that you will appreciate, as well. The ultimate ascendence of the careful, unimaginative pharmacist provides many of these. The ultimate fate of Madame Bovary's daughter, Berthe, is another. Be sure to look for these ironies among the details of these prosaic lives. The book positively teems with them.

If you are interested in perspectives two or three, I suggest you read and savor this fine classic. If you want something that keeps pace with modern times, manners, mores and knowledge, avoid this book!

If you do decide to read Madame Bovary, after you are done be sure to consider in what elements of your life you are filled with illusions that do not correspond to reality. We all have vague hopes that "when" we have "it" (whatever "it" is), life will be perfect. These illusions are often doomed to be shattered. Let your joy come from the seeking of worthy goals, instead! What worthy goals speak deeply into your heart and mind? In this way, you can overcome the misconceptions that stall your personal progress.

The Hope Diamond of Novels, 30 Nov 2002
Making a statement like Madame Bovary is the "greatest" novel ever written would be superfluous. It could be argued that it is the most perfectly written novel in the history of letters and that in creating it, Flaubert mastered the genre. What can't be argued is that it is one of the most influential novels ever written. It changed the face of literature as no other novel has, and has been appreciated and acknowledged by virtually every important novelist who was either Flaubert's contemporary or who came after him.

It's interesting to see the range in opinion that still surrounds this novel. Some of the Readers here at Amazon are morally affronted by the novel's central character, viewing her as something sinister and "unlikeable," and panning the novel for this reason. Such a reaction recalls the negative reviews Bovary engendered soon after its initial publication. It was attacked by many of the authorities of French literature at the time for being ugly and perverse, and for the impression that the novel presented no properly moral frame. These readers didn't "like" Emma much either, and they took their dislike out on her creator.

But this is one of the factors making Madame Bovary "modern". One of the hallmarks of modern novels is that they often portray unsympathetic characters, and Emma certainly falls into this category. How can we as readers "like" a woman who elbows her toddler daughter away from her so forcefully that the child "fell against the chest of drawers, and cut her cheek on the brass curtain-holder." After this pernicious behavior, Emma has a few brief moments of self-castigation and maybe even remorse, but very soon is struck by "what an ugly child" Berthe is. Emma's self-centeredness borders on solipsism. For readers looking for maternal instincts in their female characters or for a depiction of a devoted wife, they had better turn to Pearl S. Buck and The Good Earth, perhaps, rather than to Flaubert.

Much has been made of Flaubert's attempts to remove himself from the narrative, that he was searching for some sort of ultimate objectivity. His narrative technique is much more complex than that, however. It is his employment of a shifting narrative, sometimes objective, sometimes subjective, that again is an indicator of the novel's modernity. At times the narrator is merely reporting events or is involved in providing descriptive details. Yet often the authorial voice makes rather plain how the reader is to look at Emma and her plebeian persona. When she finally succumbs to Rodolphe and thinks she is truly in love, Flaubert becomes downright cynical: " 'I've a lover, a lover,' she said to herself again and again, revelling in the thought as if she had attained a second puberty. At last she would know the delights of love, the feverish joys of which she had despaired. She was entering a marvelous world where all was passion, ecstasy, delirium."

Emma is a neurasthenic, in the modern sense, but in the 19th century she would have been said to suffer from hysteria, a mental condition diagnosed primarily in women. When her lovers leave her, she has what amounts to nervous breakdowns. After Rodolphe leaves her she makes herself so sick that she comes near death. Her imagination is much too powerful and too impressionable for her own good. This is part of the reason for Flaubert's oft-repeated quote, "Bovary, c'est moi." Flaubert was a neurasthenic as well and could easily work himself into a swoon as a result of his imaginative flights. There is even conjecture that he may have been, like Dostoevsky, an epileptic, and it is further intimated that this disorder was brought on by nerves, though this may be dubious, medically speaking.

Madame Bovary is not flawless, but it comes awfully close. It is one of the great controlled experiments in the fiction of any era. It even anticipates cinematic technique in many instances, but particularly in the scene at the Agricultural Fair. Note how Flaubert juxtaposes the utterly mundane activities and speeches occurring in the town square with Rodolphe's equally inane seduction of Emma in the empty Council Chamber above the square:

"He took her hand and she did not withdraw it."

"'General Prize!' cried the Chairman.'"

"'Just now, for instance, when I came to call on you...'"

"Monsieur Bizet of Quincampoix."

"'...how could I know that I should escort you here?'"

"Seventy francs!"

"'And I've stayed with you, because I couldn't tear myself away, though I've tried a hundred times.'"

"Manure!"

This is representative Flaubert. With a few deft strokes, he lays the whole absurdity of both the seduction and the provincial's activities bare.

If you have read this book previously and have come away feeling demoralized and even angered, please try reading it again, this time concentrating on the richness of its metaphors, Flaubert's mastery of foreshadowing, symbolism and description. Maybe you will come away with your viewpoint changed. For those who have not yet read this classic of classics, I know that if your mind remains open, you will come away with an appreciation for this master-novelist and for this monumental work.

must read - in French, 28 Nov 2000
I re-read Madame Bovary about once every eighteen months - I read it in French because, in the original (possibly along with Anna Karenina, which I love in English but which I have tried but repeatedly failed at reading in Russian), it is undoubtedly the most insightful and beautifully written novel of the 19th century -- in the original the overall phrasing and the use of individual words is jewel-like & exquisite ("lapidaire" as a French librarian friend once put it). I have no idea of how it reads in English, but if you can't read it in French, it's probably worth a try in English for the content alone.

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Excellent practice for those wanting reading skills, 17 Feb 2006
I bought this book on the basis of the review by another Amazon reader. He sounded like he was doing what I wanted to do - acquire reading skills. And he is right - this is an excellent reader. There's a wide range of stories and the translations on the opposite page are excellent. There is also an extensive vocabulary at the back and questions so you don't need a dictionary with you. There are brief introductions to each author, in English. It is excellent value for money and the language is sufficiently difficult to challenge anyone with reasonable skills in French but not so difficult as to make the task impossible. My level was just post O level (I didn't do A level but I had done an extra year of conversation). But I haven't touched French for more years than I care to admit. Along with some grammar books, this has really helped to build my confidence and my vocabulary and it hasn't been painful. Many of the books are geared towards children or people wanting conversations skills so I found this a good way to get the skills I wanted. The stories are short and the styles are varied so even if one particular story doesn't appeal to you, you see a different style of expression and the effort is worth it. I wish there were more like it!

Excellent stories in French with English on opposite page, 25 Jul 1998
First read this book in 1960 in college, cost 75 cents. Now relearning French and enjoying the stories, reading first the French and using the opposite page English to check my understanding and translate words and phases I don't know. This is an excellent way to enjoy interesting stories and enlarge one's French painlessly. Ordering a new copy as mine is disintegrating with age (as is the reviewer).

Which translation?, 28 Apr 2008
It's pretty much all been said and I gladly add my voice to the chorus of praise but I write to suggest reading the original translation by Eleanor Marx Aveling (daughter of Karl Marx); the more florid victorian prose is apposite for the era and truly spellbinding.

Fabulous, 12 Dec 2005
I have just finished reading Madame Bovary for the first time. I write this with the ripples and textures of the novel fresh in my mind. And what textures!

It is not a particularly considered evaluation then, nor is it a 'literary' perspective, simply the intial reactions of one very ordinary reader. Perhaps some will find it helpful.

I won't detail the plot here, other reviewers have already done so elsewhere. At the most basic level the book relates a simple, almost archetypal tragedy. To briefly outline the plot is to recite a familiar morality tale. Flaubert's brilliance is to subvert the form, subtly but to such a degree, that the morality ebbs away and is replaced by something far more sinister, and far more interesting: humanity. Naturally, the book's power to shock and scandalize has diminished considerably in the century and a half since it was published, but presumably few readers are interested only in what is currently 'groundbreaking'.

The writing is sublime. It must be magical in the original French but alas, my poverty of intellect prevents me from sampling its delights. I have read Mauldoon's English translation and it is gorgeous. Apparently Flaubert did not consider himself the most naturally gifted of writers and spent a huge amount of time and precision over his style. Some passages, presumably as a consequence of this, feel a trifle over-delicate. Some readers might even go so far as to say dull. I wouldn't, but there are certainly moments when Flaubert's passion for what he is writing does appear to flag somewhat. These are small criticisms. The reward for his effort is in the abundance of superbly crafted metaphors, the mouth watering imagery, the hilarious characterization...I would not leave it there but I fear continuing such a list might drive me back into the novel's pages and this review would never be finished!

The genius of Flaubert's narrative voice has been noted by other readers here. It is this, principally, that undermines the notion of 'proper morals' that might otherwise inflitrate the novel. It is this that saves Emma the ignominy of becoming just another symbol of woman's capricious follies. It is this that, conversely, fashions of the novel's heroine something of a proto-feminist icon. To suggest that the book lacks sympathetic characters is ludicrous. Emma Bovary is one of the greatest heroines I have come across and I defy anyone who has ever been guilty of a romantic heart not to identify with her. Her husband Charles seems pathetic and weak, perhaps, but he will move every reader to tender pity.

In a great many respects, the irony and detachment of Flaubert's voice gives Madame Bovary a special resonance for modern society. And for those unconvinced, how about a fleeting moment of Flaubert's own splendid romanticism at work, refracted through the caddish Rodolphe:

'and human language is like a cracked kettledrum on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when what we long to do is make music that will move the stars to pity.'

You made music Gustave, you most certainly did. I recommend this book. I hope new readers enjoy it even more than I did.

Dated Period Piece or Classic Tragedy?, 20 May 2004
Depending on your perspective, this book is hopelessly dated and has little relevance to today, is an important step forward in the French novel, or is a classic depiction of tragedy in the Greek tradition. You should decide which perspective is most meaningful to you in determining whether you should read the book or not.

The story of the younger Madame Bovary (her mother-in-law is the other) is presented in the context of people whose illusions exceed their reality. Eventually, reality catches up with them. In the case of Emma Bovary, these illusions are mostly tied up in the notion that romantic relationships will make life wonderful and that love conquers all. She meets a young doctor of limited potential and marries with little thought. Soon, she finds him unbearable. The only time she is happy is when the two attend a ball at a chateaux put on by some of the nobility (the beautiful people of that time). She has a crisis of spirit and becomes depressed. To help, he moves to another town where life may be better for her. She has a daughter, but takes no interest in her. Other men attract her, and she falls for each one who pays attention to her in a romantic style. Clearly, she is in love with romance. Adultery is not rewarded, and she has a breakdown when one lover leaves her. Recovering, she takes on a younger lover she can dominate. This, too, works badly and she becomes reckless in her pursuit of pleasure. In the process, she takes to being reckless in other ways and brings financial ruin to herself and her family. The book ends in tragedy.

Here is the case for this being dated and irrelevant for today. A modern woman would usually not be trapped in such a way. She would separate from or divorce the husband she grew to detest, and make a new life. She would be able to earn a decent living, and would not be discouraged from raising a child alone. So the story would probably not happen now. In addition, the psychological aspects of her dilemma would be portrayed in terms of an inner struggle reflecting our knowledge today of psychology, rather than as a visual struggle followed mostly by a camera lens in this novel. The third difference is that the shallow stultifying people exalted by the society would be of little interest today. You find few novels about boring people in small towns in rural areas.

The case for the book as important in French literature is varied. The writing is very fine, and will continue to attract those who love the French language forever. This is a rare novel for its day in that it focused on a heroine who was neither noble by class nor noble in spirit. The book clearly makes more of an exploration into psychology than all but a few earlier French novels. The story itself was a shocking one in its day, for its focus on immoral behavior and the author's failure to overtly condemn that behavior. Emma pays the price, as Hollywood would require, but there is no sermonizing against her. So this book is a breakthrough in the modern novel in its shift in focus and tone to a personal pedestrian level.

From a third perspective, this book is a modern update of the classic Green tragedy in which all-too human characters struggle against a remorseless fate and are destroyed in the process. But we see their humanity and are moved by it. Emma's character is a hopeless romantic is established early. To be a hopeless romantic in a world where no one else she meets is condemns her to disappointment. She also seems to have some form of mental illness that makes it hard for her to deal with setbacks. But her optimism that somehow things will work out makes her appealing to us, and makes us wish for her success. When she does not succeed, we grieve with her family. Flaubert makes many references to fate in the novel, so it seems likely that this reading was intended.

My own view is that the modern reader who is not a scholar of French literature can only enjoy this book from the third perspective. If you do, there are many subtle ironies relative to the times and places in the novel that you will appreciate, as well. The ultimate ascendence of the careful, unimaginative pharmacist provides many of these. The ultimate fate of Madame Bovary's daughter, Berthe, is another. Be sure to look for these ironies among the details of these prosaic lives. The book positively teems with them.

If you are interested in perspectives two or three, I suggest you read and savor this fine classic. If you want something that keeps pace with modern times, manners, mores and knowledge, avoid this book!

If you do decide to read Madame Bovary, after you are done be sure to consider in what elements of your life you are filled with illusions that do not correspond to reality. We all have vague hopes that "when" we have "it" (whatever "it" is), life will be perfect. These illusions are often doomed to be shattered. Let your joy come from the seeking of worthy goals, instead! What worthy goals speak deeply into your heart and mind? In this way, you can overcome the misconceptions that stall your personal progress.

The Hope Diamond of Novels, 30 Nov 2002
Making a statement like Madame Bovary is the "greatest" novel ever written would be superfluous. It could be argued that it is the most perfectly written novel in the history of letters and that in creating it, Flaubert mastered the genre. What can't be argued is that it is one of the most influential novels ever written. It changed the face of literature as no other novel has, and has been appreciated and acknowledged by virtually every important novelist who was either Flaubert's contemporary or who came after him.

It's interesting to see the range in opinion that still surrounds this novel. Some of the Readers here at Amazon are morally affronted by the novel's central character, viewing her as something sinister and "unlikeable," and panning the novel for this reason. Such a reaction recalls the negative reviews Bovary engendered soon after its initial publication. It was attacked by many of the authorities of French literature at the time for being ugly and perverse, and for the impression that the novel presented no properly moral frame. These readers didn't "like" Emma much either, and they took their dislike out on her creator.

But this is one of the factors making Madame Bovary "modern". One of the hallmarks of modern novels is that they often portray unsympathetic characters, and Emma certainly falls into this category. How can we as readers "like" a woman who elbows her toddler daughter away from her so forcefully that the child "fell against the chest of drawers, and cut her cheek on the brass curtain-holder." After this pernicious behavior, Emma has a few brief moments of self-castigation and maybe even remorse, but very soon is struck by "what an ugly child" Berthe is. Emma's self-centeredness borders on solipsism. For readers looking for maternal instincts in their female characters or for a depiction of a devoted wife, they had better turn to Pearl S. Buck and The Good Earth, perhaps, rather than to Flaubert.

Much has been made of Flaubert's attempts to remove himself from the narrative, that he was searching for some sort of ultimate objectivity. His narrative technique is much more complex than that, however. It is his employment of a shifting narrative, sometimes objective, sometimes subjective, that again is an indicator of the novel's modernity. At times the narrator is merely reporting events or is involved in providing descriptive details. Yet often the authorial voice makes rather plain how the reader is to look at Emma and her plebeian persona. When she finally succumbs to Rodolphe and thinks she is truly in love, Flaubert becomes downright cynical: " 'I've a lover, a lover,' she said to herself again and again, revelling in the thought as if she had attained a second puberty. At last she would know the delights of love, the feverish joys of which she had despaired. She was entering a marvelous world where all was passion, ecstasy, delirium."

Emma is a neurasthenic, in the modern sense, but in the 19th century she would have been said to suffer from hysteria, a mental condition diagnosed primarily in women. When her lovers leave her, she has what amounts to nervous breakdowns. After Rodolphe leaves her she makes herself so sick that she comes near death. Her imagination is much too powerful and too impressionable for her own good. This is part of the reason for Flaubert's oft-repeated quote, "Bovary, c'est moi." Flaubert was a neurasthenic as well and could easily work himself into a swoon as a result of his imaginative flights. There is even conjecture that he may have been, like Dostoevsky, an epileptic, and it is further intimated that this disorder was brought on by nerves, though this may be dubious, medically speaking.

Madame Bovary is not flawless, but it comes awfully close. It is one of the great controlled experiments in the fiction of any era. It even anticipates cinematic technique in many instances, but particularly in the scene at the Agricultural Fair. Note how Flaubert juxtaposes the utterly mundane activities and speeches occurring in the town square with Rodolphe's equally inane seduction of Emma in the empty Council Chamber above the square:

"He took her hand and she did not withdraw it."

"'General Prize!' cried the Chairman.'"

"'Just now, for instance, when I came to call on you...'"

"Monsieur Bizet of Quincampoix."

"'...how could I know that I should escort you here?'"

"Seventy francs!"

"'And I've stayed with you, because I couldn't tear myself away, though I've tried a hundred times.'"

"Manure!"

This is representative Flaubert. With a few deft strokes, he lays the whole absurdity of both the seduction and the provincial's activities bare.

If you have read this book previously and have come away feeling demoralized and even angered, please try reading it again, this time concentrating on the richness of its metaphors, Flaubert's mastery of foreshadowing, symbolism and description. Maybe you will come away with your viewpoint changed. For those who have not yet read this classic of classics, I know that if your mind remains open, you will come away with an appreciation for this master-novelist and for this monumental work.

must read - in French, 28 Nov 2000
I re-read Madame Bovary about once every eighteen months - I read it in French because, in the original (possibly along with Anna Karenina, which I love in English but which I have tried but repeatedly failed at reading in Russian), it is undoubtedly the most insightful and beautifully written novel of the 19th century -- in the original the overall phrasing and the use of individual words is jewel-like & exquisite ("lapidaire" as a French librarian friend once put it). I have no idea of how it reads in English, but if you can't read it in French, it's probably worth a try in English for the content alone.

a quick language boost, 21 Oct 2006
Not having learnt french since school (GCSE/GCE) I found the stories easy enough to get the general story line but complex enough to challenge and revise my knowledge of the language - and extend it. The parallel text is just fantastic you don't lose interest constantly having to look words up in a dictionary. Would strongly recomend this book for intermediates.

Interesting selection of varying levels of difficulty, 30 Aug 2006
This isn't a book for beginners. My French is post O level and taken more years ago than I intend to disclose. I started re-learning it by teaching myself 10 months ago. I can now read most of these stories using the parallel text to check my understanding and to argue with the translations - yes I'm that confident now. For some stories I needed more help than others... 'Apprendre à vie' and 'David' gave me no trouble at all but 'Tous Feux Éteints' was a struggle. I enjoy the fact that some stories are easy and others are difficult because I'm trying now to get used to different styles and pick up vocabulary so this collection of stories has really appealed to me. I love the parallel texts because I don't need a dictionary and I can use the translation for reassurance and as I say to argue with. I really recommend these short stories - I have several parallel texts and am always looking out for more. But this isn't for beginners - you do need a reasonable reading age in French - I think mine is about 12 or 13! So most of the time I know what's going on but complex structures and vocabulary do still confuse me. If you want to increase vocabulary and immerse yourself in the culture then these short stories are ideal. I love to read them on the train because I don't have to juggle with a dictionary and the prices are very good. Yes, I recommend this collection. Ahhh some extra words - there are no exercises with this selection and no vocabulary list - some parallel texts do have those. But this does have a very good introduction. As the editor hints at the denouements on some of the stories I would advise reading it *after* you've read the stories! There are twelve in all and of varying lengths... `David' is very long but some of the stories are just a few pages. I repeat - this isn't for beginners... you need to have studied to the equivalent of GCSE or O level to be able to cope with these. But they really are an enjoyable and varied collection. Actually, they're worth reading in English but the translation lacks that je ne sais quoi! ;->

French short stories, 10 Sep 2004
The stories are very varied, interesting, rich and, in some cases, moving. But unless the reader is at an advanced level they are quite difficult to read and are "heavy going". So the book's description that it is suitable for students of French at all levels is misleading. For me it will be a long time before I can easily read it and that is if I don't sell it beforehand.

A must for a-level, degree or pleasure!, 07 May 2003
The parallel text is fantastic for all those who want to practise tranlation of "unseens", for a-level or degree level. I've certainly found this book invaluabe for both these purposes! However, this book is also great if you just want to read some short modern French language works, and is accessible to all levels from lower-intermediate and up. My particular favourite is "David", which is so beautifully and bizarrely French. If you just want to practise unseens (and take photocopies, or scrawl on your text), the spacing and size of text is not ideal, the font is a little small and double line spacing would make life a lot easier. Other than that, a really good book for most levels and good value for money too (which is very important for impoverished students like myself!).

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Excellent practice for those wanting reading skills, 17 Feb 2006
I bought this book on the basis of the review by another Amazon reader. He sounded like he was doing what I wanted to do - acquire reading skills. And he is right - this is an excellent reader. There's a wide range of stories and the translations on the opposite page are excellent. There is also an extensive vocabulary at the back and questions so you don't need a dictionary with you. There are brief introductions to each author, in English. It is excellent value for money and the language is sufficiently difficult to challenge anyone with reasonable skills in French but not so difficult as to make the task impossible. My level was just post O level (I didn't do A level but I had done an extra year of conversation). But I haven't touched French for more years than I care to admit. Along with some grammar books, this has really helped to build my confidence and my vocabulary and it hasn't been painful. Many of the books are geared towards children or people wanting conversations skills so I found this a good way to get the skills I wanted. The stories are short and the styles are varied so even if one particular story doesn't appeal to you, you see a different style of expression and the effort is worth it. I wish there were more like it!

Excellent stories in French with English on opposite page, 25 Jul 1998
First read this book in 1960 in college, cost 75 cents. Now relearning French and enjoying the stories, reading first the French and using the opposite page English to check my understanding and translate words and phases I don't know. This is an excellent way to enjoy interesting stories and enlarge one's French painlessly. Ordering a new copy as mine is disintegrating with age (as is the reviewer).

Which translation?, 28 Apr 2008
It's pretty much all been said and I gladly add my voice to the chorus of praise but I write to suggest reading the original translation by Eleanor Marx Aveling (daughter of Karl Marx); the more florid victorian prose is apposite for the era and truly spellbinding.

Fabulous, 12 Dec 2005
I have just finished reading Madame Bovary for the first time. I write this with the ripples and textures of the novel fresh in my mind. And what textures!

It is not a particularly considered evaluation then, nor is it a 'literary' perspective, simply the intial reactions of one very ordinary reader. Perhaps some will find it helpful.

I won't detail the plot here, other reviewers have already done so elsewhere. At the most basic level the book relates a simple, almost archetypal tragedy. To briefly outline the plot is to recite a familiar morality tale. Flaubert's brilliance is to subvert the form, subtly but to such a degree, that the morality ebbs away and is replaced by something far more sinister, and far more interesting: humanity. Naturally, the book's power to shock and scandalize has diminished considerably in the century and a half since it was published, but presumably few readers are interested only in what is currently 'groundbreaking'.

The writing is sublime. It must be magical in the original French but alas, my poverty of intellect prevents me from sampling its delights. I have read Mauldoon's English translation and it is gorgeous. Apparently Flaubert did not consider himself the most naturally gifted of writers and spent a huge amount of time and precision over his style. Some passages, presumably as a consequence of this, feel a trifle over-delicate. Some readers might even go so far as to say dull. I wouldn't, but there are certainly moments when Flaubert's passion for what he is writing does appear to flag somewhat. These are small criticisms. The reward for his effort is in the abundance of superbly crafted metaphors, the mouth watering imagery, the hilarious characterization...I would not leave it there but I fear continuing such a list might drive me back into the novel's pages and this review would never be finished!

The genius of Flaubert's narrative voice has been noted by other readers here. It is this, principally, that undermines the notion of 'proper morals' that might otherwise inflitrate the novel. It is this that saves Emma the ignominy of becoming just another symbol of woman's capricious follies. It is this that, conversely, fashions of the novel's heroine something of a proto-feminist icon. To suggest that the book lacks sympathetic characters is ludicrous. Emma Bovary is one of the greatest heroines I have come across and I defy anyone who has ever been guilty of a romantic heart not to identify with her. Her husband Charles seems pathetic and weak, perhaps, but he will move every reader to tender pity.

In a great many respects, the irony and detachment of Flaubert's voice gives Madame Bovary a special resonance for modern society. And for those unconvinced, how about a fleeting moment of Flaubert's own splendid romanticism at work, refracted through the caddish Rodolphe:

'and human language is like a cracked kettledrum on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when what we long to do is make music that will move the stars to pity.'

You made music Gustave, you most certainly did. I recommend this book. I hope new readers enjoy it even more than I did.

Dated Period Piece or Classic Tragedy?, 20 May 2004
Depending on your perspective, this book is hopelessly dated and has little relevance to today, is an important step forward in the French novel, or is a classic depiction of tragedy in the Greek tradition. You should decide which perspective is most meaningful to you in determining whether you should read the book or not.

The story of the younger Madame Bovary (her mother-in-law is the other) is presented in the context of people whose illusions exceed their reality. Eventually, reality catches up with them. In the case of Emma Bovary, these illusions are mostly tied up in the notion that romantic relationships will make life wonderful and that love conquers all. She meets a young doctor of limited potential and marries with little thought. Soon, she finds him unbearable. The only time she is happy is when the two attend a ball at a chateaux put on by some of the nobility (the beautiful people of that time). She has a crisis of spirit and becomes depressed. To help, he moves to another town where life may be better for her. She has a daughter, but takes no interest in her. Other men attract her, and she falls for each one who pays attention to her in a romantic style. Clearly, she is in love with romance. Adultery is not rewarded, and she has a breakdown when one lover leaves her. Recovering, she takes on a younger lover she can dominate. This, too, works badly and she becomes reckless in her pursuit of pleasure. In the process, she takes to being reckless in other ways and brings financial ruin to herself and her family. The book ends in tragedy.

Here is the case for this being dated and irrelevant for today. A modern woman would usually not be trapped in such a way. She would separate from or divorce the husband she grew to detest, and make a new life. She would be able to earn a decent living, and would not be discouraged from raising a child alone. So the story would probably not happen now. In addition, the psychological aspects of her dilemma would be portrayed in terms of an inner struggle reflecting our knowledge today of psychology, rather than as a visual struggle followed mostly by a camera lens in this novel. The third difference is that the shallow stultifying people exalted by the society would be of little interest today. You find few novels about boring people in small towns in rural areas.

The case for the book as important in French literature is varied. The writing is very fine, and will continue to attract those who love the French language forever. This is a rare novel for its day in that it focused on a heroine who was neither noble by class nor noble in spirit. The book clearly makes more of an exploration into psychology than all but a few earlier French novels. The story itself was a shocking one in its day, for its focus on immoral behavior and the author's failure to overtly condemn that behavior. Emma pays the price, as Hollywood would require, but there is no sermonizing against her. So this book is a breakthrough in the modern novel in its shift in focus and tone to a personal pedestrian level.

From a third perspective, this book is a modern update of the classic Green tragedy in which all-too human characters struggle against a remorseless fate and are destroyed in the process. But we see their humanity and are moved by it. Emma's character is a hopeless romantic is established early. To be a hopeless romantic in a world where no one else she meets is condemns her to disappointment. She also seems to have some form of mental illness that makes it hard for her to deal with setbacks. But her optimism that somehow things will work out makes her appealing to us, and makes us wish for her success. When she does not succeed, we grieve with her family. Flaubert makes many references to fate in the novel, so it seems likely that this reading was intended.

My own view is that the modern reader who is not a scholar of French literature can only enjoy this book from the third perspective. If you do, there are many subtle ironies relative to the times and places in the novel that you will appreciate, as well. The ultimate ascendence of the careful, unimaginative pharmacist provides many of these. The ultimate fate of Madame Bovary's daughter, Berthe, is another. Be sure to look for these ironies among the details of these prosaic lives. The book positively teems with them.

If you are interested in perspectives two or three, I suggest you read and savor this fine classic. If you want something that keeps pace with modern times, manners, mores and knowledge, avoid this book!

If you do decide to read Madame Bovary, after you are done be sure to consider in what elements of your life you are filled with illusions that do not correspond to reality. We all have vague hopes that "when" we have "it" (whatever "it" is), life will be perfect. These illusions are often doomed to be shattered. Let your joy come from the seeking of worthy goals, instead! What worthy goals speak deeply into your heart and mind? In this way, you can overcome the misconceptions that stall your personal progress.

The Hope Diamond of Novels, 30 Nov 2002
Making a statement like Madame Bovary is the "greatest" novel ever written would be superfluous. It could be argued that it is the most perfectly written novel in the history of letters and that in creating it, Flaubert mastered the genre. What can't be argued is that it is one of the most influential novels ever written. It changed the face of literature as no other novel has, and has been appreciated and acknowledged by virtually every important novelist who was either Flaubert's contemporary or who came after him.

It's interesting to see the range in opinion that still surrounds this novel. Some of the Readers here at Amazon are morally affronted by the novel's central character, viewing her as something sinister and "unlikeable," and panning the novel for this reason. Such a reaction recalls the negative reviews Bovary engendered soon after its initial publication. It was attacked by many of the authorities of French literature at the time for being ugly and perverse, and for the impression that the novel presented no properly moral frame. These readers didn't "like" Emma much either, and they took their dislike out on her creator.

But this is one of the factors making Madame Bovary "modern". One of the hallmarks of modern novels is that they often portray unsympathetic characters, and Emma certainly falls into this category. How can we as readers "like" a woman who elbows her toddler daughter away from her so forcefully that the child "fell against the chest of drawers, and cut her cheek on the brass curtain-holder." After this pernicious behavior, Emma has a few brief moments of self-castigation and maybe even remorse, but very soon is struck by "what an ugly child" Berthe is. Emma's self-centeredness borders on solipsism. For readers looking for maternal instincts in their female characters or for a depiction of a devoted wife, they had better turn to Pearl S. Buck and The Good Earth, perhaps, rather than to Flaubert.

Much has been made of Flaubert's attempts to remove himself from the narrative, that he was searching for some sort of ultimate objectivity. His narrative technique is much more complex than that, however. It is his employment of a shifting narrative, sometimes objective, sometimes subjective, that again is an indicator of the novel's modernity. At times the narrator is merely reporting events or is involved in providing descriptive details. Yet often the authorial voice makes rather plain how the reader is to look at Emma and her plebeian persona. When she finally succumbs to Rodolphe and thinks she is truly in love, Flaubert becomes downright cynical: " 'I've a lover, a lover,' she said to herself again and again, revelling in the thought as if she had attained a second puberty. At last she would know the delights of love, the feverish joys of which she had despaired. She was entering a marvelous world where all was passion, ecstasy, delirium."

Emma is a neurasthenic, in the modern sense, but in the 19th century she would have been said to suffer from hysteria, a mental condition diagnosed primarily in women. When her lovers leave her, she has what amounts to nervous breakdowns. After Rodolphe leaves her she makes herself so sick that she comes near death. Her imagination is much too powerful and too impressionable for her own good. This is part of the reason for Flaubert's oft-repeated quote, "Bovary, c'est moi." Flaubert was a neurasthenic as well and could easily work himself into a swoon as a result of his imaginative flights. There is even conjecture that he may have been, like Dostoevsky, an epileptic, and it is further intimated that this disorder was brought on by nerves, though this may be dubious, medically speaking.

Madame Bovary is not flawless, but it comes awfully close. It is one of the great controlled experiments in the fiction of any era. It even anticipates cinematic technique in many instances, but particularly in the scene at the Agricultural Fair. Note how Flaubert juxtaposes the utterly mundane activities and speeches occurring in the town square with Rodolphe's equally inane seduction of Emma in the empty Council Chamber above the square:

"He took her hand and she did not withdraw it."

"'General Prize!' cried the Chairman.'"

"'Just now, for instance, when I came to call on you...'"

"Monsieur Bizet of Quincampoix."

"'...how could I know that I should escort you here?'"

"Seventy francs!"

"'And I've stayed with you, because I couldn't tear myself away, though I've tried a hundred times.'"

"Manure!"

This is representative Flaubert. With a few deft strokes, he lays the whole absurdity of both the seduction and the provincial's activities bare.

If you have read this book previously and have come away feeling demoralized and even angered, please try reading it again, this time concentrating on the richness of its metaphors, Flaubert's mastery of foreshadowing, symbolism and description. Maybe you will come away with your viewpoint changed. For those who have not yet read this classic of classics, I know that if your mind remains open, you will come away with an appreciation for this master-novelist and for this monumental work.

must read - in French, 28 Nov 2000
I re-read Madame Bovary about once every eighteen months - I read it in French because, in the original (possibly along with Anna Karenina, which I love in English but which I have tried but repeatedly failed at reading in Russian), it is undoubtedly the most insightful and beautifully written novel of the 19th century -- in the original the overall phrasing and the use of individual words is jewel-like & exquisite ("lapidaire" as a French librarian friend once put it). I have no idea of how it reads in English, but if you can't read it in French, it's probably worth a try in English for the content alone.

a quick language boost, 21 Oct 2006
Not having learnt french since school (GCSE/GCE) I found the stories easy enough to get the general story line but complex enough to challenge and revise my knowledge of the language - and extend it. The parallel text is just fantastic you don't lose interest constantly having to look words up in a dictionary. Would strongly recomend this book for intermediates.

Interesting selection of varying levels of difficulty, 30 Aug 2006
This isn't a book for beginners. My French is post O level and taken more years ago than I intend to disclose. I started re-learning it by teaching myself 10 months ago. I can now read most of these stories using the parallel text to check my understanding and to argue with the translations - yes I'm that confident now. For some stories I needed more help than others... 'Apprendre à vie' and 'David' gave me no trouble at all but 'Tous Feux Éteints' was a struggle. I enjoy the fact that some stories are easy and others are difficult because I'm trying now to get used to different styles and pick up vocabulary so this collection of stories has really appealed to me. I love the parallel texts because I don't need a dictionary and I can use the translation for reassurance and as I say to argue with. I really recommend these short stories - I have several parallel texts and am always looking out for more. But this isn't for beginners - you do need a reasonable reading age in French - I think mine is about 12 or 13! So most of the time I know what's going on but complex structures and vocabulary do still confuse me. If you want to increase vocabulary and immerse yourself in the culture then these short stories are ideal. I love to read them on the train because I don't have to juggle with a dictionary and the prices are very good. Yes, I recommend this collection. Ahhh some extra words - there are no exercises with this selection and no vocabulary list - some parallel texts do have those. But this does have a very good introduction. As the editor hints at the denouements on some of the stories I would advise reading it *after* you've read the stories! There are twelve in all and of varying lengths... `David' is very long but some of the stories are just a few pages. I repeat - this isn't for beginners... you need to have studied to the equivalent of GCSE or O level to be able to cope with these. But they really are an enjoyable and varied collection. Actually, they're worth reading in English but the translation lacks that je ne sais quoi! ;->

French short stories, 10 Sep 2004
The stories are very varied, interesting, rich and, in some cases, moving. But unless the reader is at an advanced level they are quite difficult to read and are "heavy going". So the book's description that it is suitable for students of French at all levels is misleading. For me it will be a long time before I can easily read it and that is if I don't sell it beforehand.

A must for a-level, degree or pleasure!, 07 May 2003
The parallel text is fantastic for all those who want to practise tranlation of "unseens", for a-level or degree level. I've certainly found this book invaluabe for both these purposes! However, this book is also great if you just want to read some short modern French language works, and is accessible to all levels from lower-intermediate and up. My particular favourite is "David", which is so beautifully and bizarrely French. If you just want to practise unseens (and take photocopies, or scrawl on your text), the spacing and size of text is not ideal, the font is a little small and double line spacing would make life a lot easier. Other than that, a really good book for most levels and good value for money too (which is very important for impoverished students like myself!).

Depth required to set up brilliant ending, 11 Apr 2008
A few reviews here have said the majority of the book is needlessly detailled and long and drawn out. I whole heartedly disagree with them.

Yes, the first two thirds of the book are detailled and cover the events and characters thoroughly but this is essential in setting up the magnificent finale. Without the in-depth back story, the ending would lose all of its power. Granted, while reading this detail you do not realise it is so important (hence maybe the feelings of indifference towards this part of the book) but without it you would not be so invested in the characters. You would not care about what happens to them and would not understand why the events of the past impact so heavily on what is happening to them. I'm not saying I did not require patience to get to the end, i did, but it was thoroughly worth it, and Dickens masterful writing keeps you engaged all the way through, especially in his description of the condition of France during the Revolution, which was a real eye-opener.

This was the first Dickens book I had read and will most definitely be reading every other novel he wrote! Highly recommended.

The best of times, the best of endings, 19 Mar 2008
Yes, its difficult to get into, but the payoff at the end makes it worthwhile. Its the best ending in British literature, also the most uplifting, and the saddest ... Read it and weep, and read it again and again

A Stunning Read, 21 May 2005
I had to read this for a course on Dickens at University and I found it an absolutely wonderful read. The start may seem slow but Dickens inevitably and necessarily takes time to paint his characters in intricate detail. The story progresses with Dickens' inimitable style and the ending moved me to tears. A must for any Dickens fan but perhaps not an ideal first read for a new-comer to Dickens (I would suggest Nicholas Nickleby for that).

A Tale of Two Citys, 24 Oct 2001
Although I do agree that the beginning of this all time classic is a bit slow, I would not confine it to the first 150 pages, indeed all but the last 100 could have been taken out and, substituted for something a little less dull. However, for the last 100 pages it is well worth ploughing through the slow opening. Also this book is an incredible, and (for the last 100 pages) interesting way to increase your knowledge of the French Revolution.

Worth reading, but patience is required, 02 May 1999
If you can make it past the first 150 pages of the book then you're on your way to enjoying it, it's a good story, but the beginning is torture. If during the first 150 pages some freak had stolen the book from me, I would have been quite happy, and read a box of cereal instead. This box of cereal would have quite impressed me with its entertainment value. So if you like brief suffering followed by a long term pay off, then I recommend this book. The story eventually takes off, and happily you discover that 25 hours of your life have not been lost in vain.