Which 1857 French realism novel by Gustave Flaubert was prosecuted for public obscenity and immorality due to its frank depiction of the romantic delusions and adultery of a provincial doctor's wife?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Madame Bovary

  1. Step 1: Celebrated for his tireless pursuit of 'le mot juste' (the exact right word), Flaubert spent five years meticulously crafting his debut novel.
  2. Step 2: Gustave Flaubert's 'Madame Bovary' recounts the tragic trajectory of Emma Bovary, who seeks to escape the mundane boredom of provincial marriage through romantic fantasies, reckless extramarital affairs, and ruinous debt.
Answer
Madame Bovary
Why not the others: 'Nana' Nana is Émile Zola's 1880 naturalistic novel tracing the rise and fall of a Parisian high-class courtesan; 'Thérèse Raquin' Thérèse Raquin is Émile Zola's 1867 naturalistic novel depicting murder and psychological torment in a Paris haberdashery; 'Cousin Bette' Cousin Bette is Honoré de Balzac's 1846 novel illustrating revenge and social ruin in the Parisian middle class.

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