Madame Bovary is a novel by Gustave Flaubert . It was published in 1857. It is the story of an unhappy middle class French housewife . She longs for the kind of romance and glamor that life in the country does not provide. After a few unfulfilling adulteries , she kills herself .

The story was first published in parts (serialization) in a magazine . It was thought obscene . Flaubert and his publisher were charged with immorality , but were acquitted .

The story was a great success when published in book form in 1857. It is thought one of the greatest novels ever written. It has been adapted to different media . An American movie starring Jennifer Jones is perhaps the best known adaptation to Americans.

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