Stuff You Missed in History Class · March 11, 2026 · 45 min

Gustave Flaubert and the ‘Madame Bovary’ Trial

When Madame Bovary was written in the 1850s, it fell under the accusing eye of the French government for its perceived immorality. Flaubert recognized that the trial would only stoke interest, and that it would set the tone for his career.

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