Flaubert famously declared himself to be Madame Bovary, but with
this intriguing, inventive graphic novel, Posy Simmonds
triumphantly reincarnates his heroine in her very own way. Spoilt
and bored, Gemma sweet talks husband Charlie into moving to
Normandy, where new man rather than new surroundings sets off the
catastrophic chain of events. Mixing diary entries and comment from
chief witness, the obsessive, creepy narrator, Joubert, it's
loosely based on the classic, i.e. themes of adultery and debt
still feature, though Gemma eventually demonstrates some redeeming
qualities. All the characters are dreadfully funny (ineffectual
Charlie, pretentious foodie Patrick), and it's all spiced up with
meticulous, malicious observations de nos jours, pinpointing the
curious behaviour of the English abroad. One complaint only, when
the twists of the splendidly Gallic climax turn into bathos.
Nonetheless, part romance, part thriller, wholly witty, it's
refreshingly different and a joy to behold. (Kirkus UK)
Gemma is the bored, pretty second wife of Charlie Bovery, the reluctant stepmother of his children and the bête-noire of his ex-wife. Gemma' s sudden windfall and distaste for London take them across the Channel to Normandy, where the charms of French country living soon wear off. Is it a coincidence that Gemma Bovery has a name rather like Flaubert 's notorious heroine? Is it by chance that, like Madame Bovary, Gemma is bored, adulterous, and a bad credit risk? Is she inevitably doomed? These questions consume Gemma's neighbour, the intellectual baker, Joubert. Denying voyeurism, but nevertheless noting every change in the fit of her jeans, every addition to Gemma's wardrobe, her love-bites a nd lovers, Joubert, with the help of the heroine's diaries, follows her path towards ruin. Adultery and its consequences. Disappointment and deception. The English in France. Fat and slim. Then and now. Many familiar ingredients of the novel are given new life in Gemma Bovery's unique graphic form. Like Posy Simmond's legendary cartoon strips featu ring the Weber family, Gemma Bovery will be published in weekly parts in the Guardian.
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