It is clear that Flaubert's aim was not to exalt or condemn any behavior; but rather to create a genuine and real experience that is felt in the reader, that intrigues and horrifies the mind. Henry James praises Madame Bovary for its perfection, claiming that it "both excites and defies judgment. ... In his letters to Louise Colet, he explains his plans for Madame Bovary: "What seems beautiful to me, what I should like to write, is a book about nothing, a book dependent on nothing external, which would be held together by the strength of its style, just as the earth, suspended in the void...

• Word Count: 943
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate