Madame Bovary- Bowie's top 100 Group Read

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Madame Bovary- Bowie's top 100 Group Read

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1LovingLit
Redigerat: sep 1, 2016, 6:08 pm

Because Flaubert's Parrot from August was such a hit, we are reading Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert from Bowie's top 100 books list for September.

"For this novel of French bourgeois life in all its inglorious banality, Flaubert invented a paradoxically original and wholly modern style." (from Amazon.com)



2LovingLit
Redigerat: sep 28, 2016, 5:09 am

DAVID BOWIE'S TOP 100

January As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
February In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
March Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
April The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea by Yukio Mishima
May The Bird Artist by Howard Norman
June White Noise by Don DeLillo
July Last Exit To Brooklyn By Hubert Selby, Jr.
August Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
September Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Interviews With Francis Bacon by David Sylvester
Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse
Room At The Top by John Braine
On Having No Head by Douglass Harding
Kafka Was The Rage by Anatole Broyard
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
City Of Night by John Rechy
The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Iliad by Homer
Tadanori Yokoo by Tadanori Yokoo
Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin
Inside The Whale And Other Essays by George Orwell
Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood
Halls Dictionary Of Subjects And Symbols In Art by James A. Hall
David Bomberg by Richard Cork
Blast by Wyndham Lewis
Passing by Nella Larson
Beyond The Brillo Box by Arthur C. Danto
The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes
In Bluebeard’s Castle by George Steiner
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
The Divided Self by R. D. Laing
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Infants Of The Spring by Wallace Thurman
The Quest For Christa T by Christa Wolf
The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin
Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter
The Master And Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Herzog by Saul Bellow
Puckoon by Spike Milligan
Black Boy by Richard Wright
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler
The Waste Land by T.S. Elliot
McTeague by Frank Norris
Money by Martin Amis
The Outsider by Colin Wilson
Strange People by Frank Edwards
English Journey by J.B. Priestley
A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Day Of The Locust by Nathanael West
1984 by George Orwell
The Life And Times Of Little Richard by Charles White
Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock by Nik Cohn
Mystery Train by Greil Marcus
Beano (comic, ’50s)
Raw (comic, ’80s)
Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm And Blues And The Southern Dream Of Freedom by Peter Guralnick
Silence: Lectures And Writing by John Cage
Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews edited by Malcolm Cowley
The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll by Charlie Gillete
Octobriana And The Russian Underground by Peter Sadecky
The Street by Ann Petry
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
A People’s History Of The United States by Howard Zinn
The Age Of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby
Metropolitan Life by Fran Lebowitz
The Coast Of Utopia by Tom Stoppard
The Bridge by Hart Crane
All The Emperor’s Horses by David Kidd
Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess
The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos
Tales Of Beatnik Glory by Ed Saunders
Nowhere To Run The Story Of Soul Music by Gerri Hirshey
Before The Deluge by Otto Friedrich
Sexual Personae: Art And Decadence From Nefertiti To Emily Dickinson by Camille Paglia
The American Way Of Death by Jessica Mitford
Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Teenage by Jon Savage
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Viz (comic, early ’80s)
Private Eye (satirical magazine, ’60s – ’80s)
Selected Poems by Frank O’Hara
The Trial Of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens
Maldoror by Comte de Lautréamont
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler
Zanoni by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Transcendental Magic, Its Doctrine and Ritual by Eliphas Lévi
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
The Leopard by Giusseppe Di Lampedusa
Inferno by Dante Alighieri
A Grave For A Dolphin by Alberto Denti di Pirajno
The Insult by Rupert Thomson
In Between The Sheets by Ian McEwan
A People’s Tragedy by Orlando Figes
Journey Into The Whirlwind by Eugenia Ginzburg

3Crazymamie
sep 2, 2016, 8:50 am

I'm in - I've had this on the shelf for years, and I also have the audio.

4LovingLit
sep 2, 2016, 9:47 pm

I thought I had it on the shelf, but the library did, so I have it my hands now.
I have the Penguin classic (black spine) edition.

5LovingLit
sep 6, 2016, 2:27 am

*twiddles thumbs*
Still haven't started!
Finishing off the (other) spin-off from Augusts Bowie read...A History of the World in 10.5 Chapters by Julian Barnes. Couldn't help it....it was in the same edition!

6LovingLit
sep 12, 2016, 4:25 am

I started!
I started last night, and so far so good. I like the descriptive story telling, and am looking forward to hitting the hay now to get stuck in.

7msf59
sep 18, 2016, 12:46 pm



"“The rain had stopped, day was breaking, and on the branches of the leafless trees birds roosted motionless, and their little feathers bristling in the cold morning wind. The flat country stretched as far as eye could see, and the tufts of trees round the farms at long intervals seemed like dark violet stains on the cast grey surface, that on the horizon faded into the gloom of the sky.”

I started Madam Bovary, which I have never read. Thanks to the Bowie 100, for finally getting me to read this classic. I like the way it begins too. Much smoother than I expected for 1857.

8LovingLit
sep 18, 2016, 6:53 pm

^ wahay, we have a group :)
Mark, I feel the same way. I generally don't feel drawn to "old books", but feel that to broaden my reading I at least ought to read some of the classics.
I was happily surprised by this too (I am into the second section, about 100 pages maybe?). It is very descriptive and I am feeling myself pulled in by each characters story. I wonder if it was considered a new style, or revolutionary for its time? I will read the introduction of the book after, as I don't want any spoilers, but it'll be interesting to get some context.

9FAMeulstee
sep 20, 2016, 1:20 pm

Found a copy (Dutch translation) at the library today, I will join soon :-)

10LovingLit
sep 20, 2016, 5:53 pm

>9 FAMeulstee: sounds good to me. I would love to read more than one language, and be able to compare different versions of books. There has to be a different flavour to the books depending on the language used, surely.

11FAMeulstee
Redigerat: sep 22, 2016, 3:51 am

>10 LovingLit: There are very few books I read in English, but I do remember reading The Lord of the Rings (after at least three reads in Dutch) in English was even better.

12LovingLit
sep 22, 2016, 4:10 am

Quick observation.
This book was banned at the time.....but by today's standards the 'indiscretions' are so tentatively stated! It's almost a non-entity! Those were the days huh?

13pgmcc
sep 22, 2016, 7:09 am

I read Madame Bovary last year. I found it wonderful. Since reading it I picked up his novel, Sentimental Education, which appears to be a telling of the same story but from the viewpoint of another character in "Madame Bovary".

I will follow this thread with interest and hope I will be able to contribute a useful comment or two along the way.

14FAMeulstee
sep 24, 2016, 6:04 am

I finished Madame Bovary, I am glad I read Flaubert's Parrot first, as I would not have noticed the color of Emma's eyes changing :-)

15Berly
sep 25, 2016, 11:49 pm

>12 LovingLit: The indiscretions may be subtly revealed, but two affairs in a marriage is deplorable no matter what. Maybe it should still be banned! ; )

>13 pgmcc: I read this one a long time ago, but as I recall, I had no love for Mme Bovary or her quest for the perfect romance. She did not love her child or her husband and continually sought love elsewhere. She kinda left me cold. I would love to hear why you found this so wonderful and how you enjoyed Sentimental Education. Whose viewpoint is it told from?

16pgmcc
sep 26, 2016, 10:14 am

>15 Berly:

Mme Bovary does not come out as a paragon of society. My enjoyment of the story was in the telling of the story, the portrayal of the time, and the detail of the prevailing social order. The morality of the characters was not something I would judge the book on. Books telling a story in what is supposed to be the real world will, if they are not to leave gaps, include behavior that some people will find objectionable. Given that the novel was about Mme Bovary's life it could not but have included details of her dalliances.

From another viewpoint the book could be considered to be a commentary on the treatment of woman and the conditions in which the found themselves at the time. We have the young girl becoming the wife of an older man who is set in his ways. He is devoted to her but does not know how to keep her happy other than financing her wishes. She is full of energy, curiosity and the joie de vivre. The options open to her are limited and she opts to seek excitement in fine things and flamboyant behavior. Is she the product of her experience or is she simply an evil person? Had she opted to be the quiet, supportive wife, Gustave Flaubert would have written the story about somebody else and Mme Bovary would have been sad and disappointed. :-)

I have not read Sentimental Education yet. Having read the overview on the cover it would appear to be from the viewpoint of the young student who was besotted by Mme Bovary.

I wonder how much of Flaubert's work is autobiographical and how much observation of the world around him.

In a collection of short stories by Guy De Maupassant I found an afterword that explained that Maupassant had been helped by Flaubert in his attempts to write and have his stories accepted into the literary world of the time. Apparently Flaubert was a good friend of Maupassant's mother who requested that he help the young Guy. The author of the afterword was at pains to state that there was no question of a romantic involvement between Flaubert and Maupassant's mother. Despite this non-romantic involvement, Flaubert's mentoring of his young protégé endured.

17Berly
sep 26, 2016, 10:41 am

>16 pgmcc: Thanks for answering my question and nicely so! I don't remember hating the book by any means, but it obviously did not leave a rich enough memory for me to embark on a re-read. Obviously authors chose to have characters that cross the line in order to explore the constraints and rules of society, so I must forgive Mme Bovary and Flaubert, as evidenced by how hard you made me laugh when you said, "Had she opted to be the quiet, supportive wife, Gustave Flaubert would have written the story about somebody else and Mme Bovary would have been sad and disappointed." Well played! Now, if you had to choose your top 100, would this be amongst them? I am finding Bowie's selections varied and interesting, but not necessarily my all-time favorites.

PS--Thanks for the tidbit about Maupassant.

18pgmcc
Redigerat: sep 26, 2016, 11:36 am

>17 Berly: if you had to choose your top 100, would this be amongst them?

I will require some time to consider this question. If pressed for an answer now I would probably say "Yes!", but then I am not as well read as many people on LT so I will have a smaller pool of favourites from which to draw 100.

I am finding Bowie's selections varied and interesting, but not necessarily my all-time favorites.

I have not spent a lot of time looking at the list but will review it soon and get back to you.

Thanks for the tidbit about Maupassant.

I found that bit of information quite titillating. The author of the afterword appeared to protest too much for there not to be some fire beneath the smoke.

By the way, differences between American English and English English can cause me some amusement. On this side of the Atlantic "titbit" is the equivalent of "tidbit". That appears to be one of the differences that is not as well known as some others, such as the absence of u in many of my favourite/favorite words.

19Berly
sep 26, 2016, 11:16 am

Of the Bowies I have read, I am pretty sure these would make my top 100.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (maybe)
1984 by George Orwell
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Herzog by Saul Bellow
Iliad by Homer
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Stranger by Albert Camus

20Berly
sep 26, 2016, 11:18 am

>18 pgmcc: I am not sure I could say "titbit" with a straight face. ; )

21pgmcc
sep 26, 2016, 11:24 am

>19 Berly:

Having reviewed the list I realize I am very poorly read. Of those that I have read the following would make my top 100:

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Iliad by Homer
The Stranger by Albert Camus
A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
In cold blood by Truman Capote
1984 by George Orwell

I must find the time to construct my top 100 list.

I find that A Confederacy of Dunces divides people. My reading of it was that Toole was highlighting the prejudices of the world and used an overweight, slightly odd, person to demonstrate this. I believe the main character was the victor in the battle between himself and the prejudiced others. I was laughing with him all the time.

22Berly
sep 26, 2016, 11:26 am

Oooh! Now I want to read A Confederacy of Dunces!!

23pgmcc
sep 26, 2016, 11:26 am

>20 Berly: I have often wondered if the difference in spelling is a result of some embarrassment with the "titbit" spelling. I always spell it the English English way, probably more out of mischief than pedantry.

24pgmcc
sep 26, 2016, 11:27 am

>22 Berly: My work here is done!

;-)

25LovingLit
sep 28, 2016, 5:08 am

I'm into part III now, and admit to finding it more appealing than part II. It's a bit more interesting, as far as plot goes.
I am liking the book though, I can tell as I always want to read it and feel frustrated when I can't make the time. I need to speed-read to get it done and dusted before my birthday the end of the month! (hint: they are one and the same date!)

26LovingLit
sep 28, 2016, 5:10 am

Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter for October, anyone?

27Berly
sep 29, 2016, 2:08 am

Me! Me!!

28LovingLit
sep 29, 2016, 4:49 am

^ lol, it must have been your bright idea then? ;)

29Crazymamie
sep 29, 2016, 10:14 am

Bowing out of this one because it is reminding me too much of Anna Karenina, and I have my plate full. But, I will join in with next month's pick if I can get it from the library.

30Berly
sep 29, 2016, 4:54 pm

>28 LovingLit: Smiling innocently. : )

31LovingLit
okt 1, 2016, 12:46 am

I finished it! On time too! (if I am on US time, which I will be just to say that I finished in on time).
Aaah, the joys of an international community ;)

32LovingLit
okt 1, 2016, 4:54 am

>16 pgmcc: now that I have finished, I can read your post and get it.
I like your take on it, and the idea that as a woman of her time, with no outlet for her 'self', she was in a pickle any which way. As I read the final pages in bed this morning, while chomping on a birthday chocolate (the sleep in was part of my birthday treat as well), I felt very decadent and appreciative of the experience. I get the feeling Mme Bovary wanted the dizzying heights of excitement constantly, and when she realised this was unattainable, she felt somewhat at a loss. Hope-wise.

I also appreciated that no spoilers spoiled my reading experience. I had no idea how that book was going to turn out. Nice thread etiquette, people! :)

33pgmcc
okt 1, 2016, 4:59 am

>32 LovingLit: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I am glad you enjoyed the book and finished it in a style I am sure Madame Bovary would approve of; eating chocolates in bed.