Madame Bovary: The Review

Well, I wouldn’t say that I “liked” it, as in I’m going to read it again and again. But I will say that I learned from it (surprise, surprise…), and am grateful that I read it.

I can appreciate Flaubert’s realism. I think we take that for granted in the books we read today. But, if you read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, you can see the stark contrast between the two styles.

There were some descriptions in Stowe’s book that had me rolling my eyes, and made me wonder if she actually wanted me to believe what she was saying. But, you have to take it in context. That was the style then, really flowery and heaps of praise.

And then you read Madame Bovary, as you see why people consider it a seminal work in Realism.

Sure, some of it still made me roll my eyes, but Flaubert was much more true to how things were for people in Doctor Bovary’s station. And just to make sure we realized that, Flaubert contrasted his book with the books Emma Bovary would read—fluffy romantic novels.

What surprised me the most with this book was in how much I identified with Madame Bovary, herself.

(No, I’m not a married woman having affairs.) It’s not her actions I relate to, but the feelings behind her actions.

Emma was unhappy with her life, and she fell for the cosmic “The grass is always greener…”I’ve felt the same way. In fact, up until about June of last year, I lived that way: unhappy, dissatisfied, disappointed, and miserable. Nothing was good enough. Nothing was exciting enough. And I felt trapped.

Me, and Emma.

Now, I went inside to change my life. I used my power to alter my perspective. My life didn’t really change, but I did.

Emma went outside to change her life. She turned to other people (men) to create excitement, to make her feel valued. Her life changed, but she didn’t.

And if YOU don’t change, then you’re just the same person in a different environment, and sooner or later that environment won’t matter, and you’ll be back at square one: unhappy.

I think Flaubert agrees with me. “Emma found again in adultery all the platitudes of marriage.”

Now, in Emma’s case, she made things worse for herself because she broke promises. I find that for most people, when they do something they know to be wrong, eventually it catches up to them and they feel worse about themselves.

Emma thought that breaking her marriage vow and having trysts with other men would make her feel loved. But, it only made her feel used. “Everything, even herself, was now unbearable.”

At the end of the book, I felt sorry for Emma because she only wanted love and meaning in her life, and didn’t realize that SHE was the one that had to open her heart to those who were already there (her husband and daughter), and to the life she was already living.

Madame Bovary confirmed everything I have been thinking about these last 9 months as I’ve been changing my mind, and thereby, changing my life.

And by reading about Emma’s life, I’ve gained greater appreciation for my own.

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Oh, and did you notice the blurry picture (stupid camera) at the top of this post?

It’s a new feature I’m adding to my monthly book review: an original ATC (Artist Trading Card) inspired by the novel!

And it will be sent to you, along with an explanation of its design, free of charge! You only have to be the first person to post a comment saying you want it!

This way I’m combining three of my favorite things: reading, art, and friends!

Yay for me!

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Crime and Punishment is our book for April.

Yippy!

Another uplifting tale!!

Happy reading!

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The Review

I have to say, this was a tough book for me, and for many reasons.

First of all, the topic. Holy moly the tears I shed while reading this book!

Absolutely heartbreaking…

Secondly, the way it was written was a little discombobulated. The skipping around to different characters wasn’t so bad, but the interjections from the author were something I had to get used to.

I totally understand that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s intent was to bring to light the atrocities of slavery by using “fiction” as a means to insight feelings of compassion. But, I didn’t realize what a call to arms it was. I mean the last part of the whole book was a theological discussion on why people should be good Christians and help to eradicate slavery (which I fully agree with, by the way).

I just wasn’t used to the mixing of fiction with a treatise. But, I adjusted, and when the author would digress or chime in with some quote or fact, I’d think to myself “You tell ‘em, Harriet!”

Not surprisingly, I found a number of characters very fascinating.

Tom, as the title character, takes a lot of focus in most reviews. And I feel he’s worth it, especially in one respect: Tom is the greatest example of a follower of Christ that I have ever read in literature. He is truly a model of Christ-like love and forgiveness. I know for a fact that if I was in his similar situation, I wouldn’t have had a tenth of the faith that he had.

In fact, Tom’s attitude towards those who used and abused him in the novel has lead to a lot of criticism. I’m sure you’ve all heard of people accusing others of being an “Uncle Tom” which has come to be a derogatory term instead of the symbol of Christ that I think Stowe meant him to be. And although I have a lot to say about that, I want to focus on another character that the novel spent a lot of time on: Augustine St. Clare.

He is the character that I think Stowe wanted people to see in themselves. His apathy and complaisance with slavery is something Stowe saw all around her. “Good” masters who treated their slaves “well” were a problem. I can’t remember the exact quote (should have written it down) but she has a character say something like that, that the whole slavery system wouldn’t survive if it only had the horrible masters. It was the more decent ones that kept it afloat because they made it seem respectable, and like they were doing their people a favor by owning them.

I think another one of Stowe’s main goals (aside from making people see slaves as real people, with real emotions, real family units, etc.) was to get people to see that by doing nothing, they were participating in a great evil.

Stowe’s says this in a conversation St. Clare has with his cousin Miss Ophelia:

“…said St. Clare stopping, thoughtfully. "I was reading to Tom, this afternoon, that chapter in Matthew that gives an account of it, and I have been quite struck with it. One should have expected some terrible enormities charged to those who are excluded from Heaven, as the reason; but no,--they are condemned for not doing positive good, as if that included every possible harm."

"Perhaps," said Miss Ophelia, "it is impossible for a person who does no good not to do harm."

People who stand by while thinking “That’s not my problem. I don’t do those kinds of things.” are condoning the actions of others by staying silent.

This has really made me think about my own life.

When have I kept my mouth shut when I should have said something?

When have I sat down when I should have taken a stand?

When have I done harm because I did no good?



There were many other quotes in this novel that really struck a chord with me. And while I could write paragraphs on them, I’m afraid that the two of you who read this blog will be bored to tears (if you’re not already) and leave me.

So, I’ll just mention a couple in passing, and let you think on them if you want.

“Because now is the only time there ever is to do a thing in.”

Miss Ophelia said this when she asked St. Clare to give her the ownership of Topsy in writing so she would be able to free her later. Wiser words have never been spoken. How many times do we put things off thinking that “later” will be the better time?

But later is only now when we meet it. Does that make any sense?

“But the blows fell now only on the outer man, and not, as before, on the heart.”

Uncle Tom says these sweet words after he receives another beating from Legree. But instead if it getting him discouraged, his attitude remains peaceful, if not a little chipper! He is full of forgiveness and compassion.

Before, he allowed his outer circumstances to affect his spirit, but during this incident he reaches a higher plain, and realizes that through the strength of Christ, he can endure anything and be a better man for it.

This is something that all of us struggle with to some extent. Often, life gets in the way of our eternal perspective, and it crushes our spirit. “Now” is the only time WE have to do anything, but it is not the only time for the Lord. And if we turn to Him, He can help us see beyond our shed where we lay broken and beaten, and can give us His strength to hold on as He fills our hearts with love and forgiveness.




March is the month of Madame Bovary. So, if you haven’t read it, I hope you’ll give it a try! I’ll be doing an introductory post on it next week. (I’m a week behind schedule.)

And I’ll also be posting on three memoirs that I’ve read recently and need to talk about!

Uncle Tom’s Cabin—Check In

Are your reading it? I am.

But I must say that I was not prepared for what I’d find in it.

And what I mean by that is that I was not prepared for the “N” word.

I knew it was in there, but I didn’t think I’d find it so soon—and so often.

Also, I initially struggled with the slang of some of the characters. I’ve learned to understand it, mostly by reading it quickly and not stopping to analyze every word, or “near word” as the case may be.

Other than those two issues, I’m finding the book fascinating!

Well, I’m also finding it sad. I think I started crying on the second page and pretty much have been in tears since then.

I amazed that this was actually regular life for people. That “good” people truly believed that slavery was the way to go. We are so far removed from that (thankfully) that it seems unbelievable that people could dehumanize our fellow brothers and sisters in such a horrific manner.

And just when I was ready to pat humanity on the back for improving, I read an article about the continued problem of slavery (and indentured servants) that exists in other parts of the world.

I have a feeling that after finishing this book, I’m going to want to join a rally or something. Seriously.

As an F.Y.I for my fellow readers, there’s a lot of interesting facts about Uncle Tom’s Cabin and its author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

I, of course, being an English major, knew all about it and am well-versed in the theories used to analyze the story. (Just kidding, the only reference I had to U.T.C. was the re-enactment as seen in the classic movie The King and I. To find out more, I looked it up on Wikipedia.)

Something that intrigued me about this book is the reception it received when it was published in 1852. It was a HUGE success!

People up North loved that is decried slavery and showed it for what it really was: an abomination. But, decades later, people complained that it enforced stereotypes that we still have floating around today. Hmm…

All in all, I’m enjoying it (if you can say that about a book with such an appalling topic).

It’s made me very grateful to live in a time when slavery is a painful part of our past, and not an acceptable part of our present.

Keep reading…

Ah, Jane

I first read Jane Eyre when… well, I can’t remember when.

I’m pretty sure I did at some point, though—a very long time ago, probably in my teens.

And nothing seemed more romantic to me then being a governess in an old English manor, and falling in love with the master of the house, who in turn, became deeply devoted to me. (This romantic view was also reinforced by the classic movie “The Sound of Music.” Sure, it took place in a different time and country then Jane Eyre, but it still had the same effect, albeit with more singing.)

Yes, Jane Eyre was something to aspire to (sans the horrible children’s orphanage-type place she grew up in and the lack of indoor plumbing). And I dreamed of my own Mr. Rochester…

Now, 15 or more years later, I’ve re-read Jane Eyre, and I have to say, my feelings are a little different.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love the book! (Even though, at times, I cringed at some of the scenes—similarly to how I react when Ricky tells Lucy that she needs a spankin’).

And I’m still a big fan of Jane and her chutzpa. In fact, whereas before I focused on the theme of romance in the book, (the remote and injured hero meeting the innocent and open heroine, and how she magically transforms him by her love), I now recognized the theme of re-birth through forgiveness.

The magic of the book was not how Jane changed Mr. Edward Rochester, but how Jane continued to renew herself—no matter what life threw at her—by forgiving those who hurt her: her aunt, her cousins, Rochester, and even God.

I also loved how Jane had a true picture of herself and what she could accomplish. She didn’t wait around for someone to save her! She knew that she could save herself by changing how she interpreted life events, (even when those events didn’t change). Her perspective was the key.

This book really got me thinking about my own life (which I think is the hallmark of most great books) and I’ve been asking myself some questions:

Is there someone in my past that I need to forgive?

Am I holding on to any injustice and blaming that for my failures?

Am I in a current situation that I need to re-evaluate from another perspective?

So, I say “thank you” to Charlotte Brontë! You gave me hope of a wealthy benefactor, AND the realization that I don’t really need one.*

Now, one last thing that I wanted to mention: Did anyone else find it interesting that the book ends with Jane quoting someone else’s words and thoughts?**






*Although, now that I’ve been enlightened through forgiveness and all, I wouldn’t mind a Mr. Rochester of my own (hideously scarred though he may be)…


**If I were in my Feminist Theory class, we’d probably talk about how it speaks to the repression of the time and the authority of the male voice, or something like that. But, to be honest, even though I consider myself a conservative feminist, I’ve never been a fan of feminist exegesis. So, I'm not sure what I think about it. I assume that it has more to do with God and faith. But, I don't know about that either.

Are you a Romance gal?

I mean in regards to books, not to romance in general. (I think most women like romance in general.) But, not all women like romance in books. And I’m one of them.

In fact, I don’t really like books with ANY sort of boy/girl “I like you—no I don’t”-type situations.

I used to, though. I read them all the time when I was younger. But, then I kind of got bored with them. Any book I read that had this kind of conflict seemed trite. And so I thought that, for me, romance in novels was dead.

But, I was wrong!

What I was looking for was a different type of romance. A witty, mostly not-romance romance. A real kind. And I found this in two completely different books.

The first is The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery.

This book was recommend (and loaned) to me about a million years ago by Katie. She and Rachel promised me that it was a wonderful book, and that I would LOVE it. I believed them, but because of my “I don’t read romance books” attitude, I put off reading it until a couple of weeks ago.

And they were right! (Inner Letter: Dear Katie and Rachel, you are always right. I won’t forget this again. Love, Liz)

In this book, we meet Valancy, a spinster. She has a stifling, repressed life. And then something happens to her and she decides to change. No, not because of romance. (And this is why I loved the book.) But, because of her willingness to step outside her comfort zone and help someone else.

And through that initial step, romance evolves. Yes, evolves! And this makes it so much richer than the I-saw-him-and-knew-he-was-the-one type stories. And I think this more perfectly reflects how it works in real life.

I’ve known plenty of people, (probably you) who married someone they initially didn’t like in that way. He (or she) grew on ya, so to speak. You had a friendship first, then came the flowers and candy.

The same thing happens for Valancy. And when it does: Pow! Her world shifts.

L. M. Montgomery’s book made me realize how much power I have to change my own life. And it’s more than I thought of before. I just have to step outside my box a little, make one choice, and everything can alter.

The second book is The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel.

This book was recommended by none other than Rachel. (Again, impeccable taste.) You can read her review here.

Now to be honest, I had no idea that this book even had romance in it. In fact, I wasn’t 100% sure until the last few chapters of the book.

It was so much more than that! Not only was there continual reference to Christian theology, philosophy, and literature, but there was also the layer of small town-ish-ness (I know, not a word) and incapacitating inner turmoil.

The reader is only let into two minds, and through them you not only see their outward and inward personas, but realize that you have the same dichotomy within.

You can see how Amos and Langston talk to themselves, and how they talk to others. And they are almost like two different people. And that is the way it is with all of us.

You also notice how what they think influences (for good or bad) how they act. Now, you’re thinking “Duh, Liz, that’s how it works. We think, and then act upon what we think.” But, what I found interesting was seeing this in written form. And witnessing how what Amos and Langston think (of themselves, and others) completely misdirects their actions.

And as in the first book, their relationship evolves, and then BANG!—romance.



With that, let me give two warnings to those who decide to read one or both of these:

First of all, in both of these stories how they’re written can be a hindrance to some readers. The Blue Castle was written a long time ago, and it sounds like it. The phrases are old fashioned and behaviors are as well. And as I mentioned earlier, The Solace of Leaving Early has a lot of big words and esoteric references if you’re not a theology, philosophy, or literature student. But don’t let you that stop you from reading. It’s worth it!!! And in both cases, you’ll grow accustomed to the style.

Secondly, there is a moment in both books where all the tissues in the world won’t seem like enough to mop up your tears.

So, there you go.

And if you know of any other books that are not-romance romances—pass it along!

The Resurrection…

So, as some of you may know, I’ve been on a reading spree, and it’s made me think nostalgically of this little blog site we started.

Do you remember that? All those months ago when we were going to read the classics together and expand our horizons?

And so we got Don Quixote, the first “novel” ever written, and promptly wanted to beat ourselves to death with it!

Yah, the good ‘ole days.

We pressed on as best we could, but momentum was lost and by July, buzzards were flying around this blog picking at our good intentions.

Well, that’s all about to change!!!!!!

Yes, I am resurrecting the book blog. And if you look over to the right, you will see that I picked up Jane Eyre and plowed my way through it for the month of January. (With a post on Jane to follow at the end of this week.)

And, you can also see what our selection for February is: Uncle Tom’s Cabin! (Which I feel is appropriate since it is Black History Month and all—it’s kismet!)

So, come on, read with me!

I’ve found this handy dandy site that will send you Uncle Tom’s Cabin, (mini sections at a time), free, to your email address. So sign up! You don’t even have to get the book!!

I’ll be posting a monthly review of each book (along with other books I read throughout the month). And you can, too, if you want.

Or, you can comment on my review.

Or, you can read my review and not comment.

Or, well, you can do whatever you want. I’m not a book Nazi.

I’m just glad you stopped by!

Happy Reading…

An Administrative Decision

So, I've decided that instead of reading two books within the same month, we'll just read one at a time which means we are reading Gulliver's Travels for the month of July.

Maybe this will help people feel like they can keep up, while still reading other books that capture their interest.

And, maybe this will help others feel like they could make a post.

On a personal note, I like having a place to record what I think about the books I'm reading or have read.

In fact, I'm going to be making another post next week about a book I've read that's not on the list, but that I found fascinating.

With that being said, I'm instituting another new rule: if you've read a book, any book, and would like to post your opinion on it, feel free! (Or email it to me and I'll post it!)

And no matter what, just keep reading...