The Dr. Bovary Syndrome (DBS)

Excerpt

Gustave Flaubert wrote a controversial, sensational novel, Madame Bovary. It was published in 1856 in serial form and created such a sensation that Flaubert was publicly attacked and put on trial in January 1857. After he was acquitted in February 1857, the book eventually was recognized to be a masterpiece of writing, perhaps one of the finest novels ever written. Flaubert became famous and was accepted as a gifted novelist, one who struggled over finding “le mot juste,” with a great ability to describe the human condition and its foibles. His novel was scandalous in its day because it dealt with the adulterous relationships of the wife of a small-town surgeon, Dr. Bovary. Buried in its pages, as a minor part of the story, is the account of some of the challenges faced by Dr. Bovary [1]. …