What we’re about
With a focus on provocative, influential, and inspirational literature, we’ll aim to tackle Don Quixote (1604) to post-WWII (~1960s). We’ll work through our own version of the canon, inclusive of the traditionally acclaimed, the neglected, the popular, and the undiscovered. To keep it fresh, we’ll jump around a lot, by writer, by time period, by country of origin. This is a group for passionate readers who find themselves thirsting for more.
We’ll do the literature meetings on Zoom, short story discussions in Elizabeth Street Garden, and our share of drinks/merriment all over.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert; Part 1 & 2Link visible for attendees
Madame Bovary was attacked by French public prosecutors in 1856 for obscenity. The trial that followed created a sensation, and the story was a bestseller when released in April 1857. Madame Bovary is a seminal work of literary realism and often finds its way into many lists of the best literature ever written. Gustave Flaubert strived for perfect description and a neutral presentation of reality. Flaubert’s style is encapsulated by his attempt to find “le mot juste” (the right word) in every sentence. Flaubert only wrote 4 novels; we’ll dive in with his masterpiece.
Madame Bovary is the story of Charles Bovary’s marriage to Emma Rouault in a small town in Normandy, France. Many of us know the plot so we’ll leave it at this for any first-time readers.
There are several translations of Madame Bovary, so read what you can get a hold of. Lydia Davis, one of the Proust translators, did a translation, but apparently, she confessed that she didn’t feel the same attachment to Flaubert as Proust. There is also a translation by British poet Adam Thorpe which seems to be well-reviewed.
Here is a link to the Lydia Davis translation:
https://a.co/d/8cIxcmTAnd the Adam Thorpe translation:
https://a.co/d/feKlIGKThere is also a version on Gutenberg translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2413/2413-h/2413-h.htm - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert; Part 3Link visible for attendees
Madame Bovary was attacked by French public prosecutors in 1856 for obscenity. The trial that followed created a sensation, and the story was a bestseller when released in April 1857. Madame Bovary is a seminal work of literary realism and often finds its way into many lists of the best literature ever written. Gustave Flaubert strived for perfect description and a neutral presentation of reality. Flaubert’s style is encapsulated by his attempt to find “le mot juste” (the right word) in every sentence. Flaubert only wrote 4 novels; we’ll dive in with his masterpiece.
Madame Bovary is the story of Charles Bovary’s marriage to Emma Rouault in a small town in Normandy, France. Many of us know the plot so we’ll leave it at this for any first-time readers.
There are several translations of Madame Bovary, so read what you can get a hold of. Lydia Davis, one of the Proust translators, did a translation, but apparently, she confessed that she didn’t feel the same attachment to Flaubert as Proust. There is also a translation by British poet Adam Thorpe which seems to be well-reviewed.
Here is a link to the Lydia Davis translation:
https://a.co/d/8cIxcmTAnd the Adam Thorpe translation:
https://a.co/d/feKlIGKThere is also a version on Gutenberg translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2413/2413-h/2413-h.htm
