Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
📚 Genre
Literary Fiction, Realism
🏢 Publisher
International Collectors Library (an imprint of Doubleday)
📅 Publication Year
c. 1950s - 1970s
🔢 ISBN
None (Pre-ISBN design style/Book Club Edition)
About This Book
A seminal work of literary realism, the novel tells the story of Emma Bovary, a doctor's wife who engages in adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. The book features a faux-leather burgundy binding with intricate 24k gold stamping in a floral and crested pattern typical of the 'Louis XIV' design used by this publisher.
Book Details
Language
English (Translated from the original French)
Pages
Approximately 300-400 pages
Edition
International Collectors Library Edition (Hardcover)
Series
Part of the International Collectors Library series (standalone classic)
Target Audience
Adult, Academic, General Audience
Collector Information
Condition
Very Good. The gold gilding on the spine and front cover is bright and intact. Minor shelf wear is visible at the head and foot of the spine and the corners. The binding appears tight.
Estimated Value
$10-$20
Rarity
Common. The International Collectors Library produced mass quantities of these 'instant library' editions through mail-order subscriptions. While they look high-end, they were produced in large numbers and are easily found in used bookstores and online.
Historical Significance
Flaubert's masterpiece is considered one of the most influential novels in history, establishing the school of realism. Upon its release in 1856, it was attacked by public prosecutors for obscenity, leading to a famous trial that only served to increase its popularity and legendary status.
Collector Notes
These editions are valued more for მათი aesthetic appeal on a bookshelf than for their investment potential. Collectors should look for copies with perfectly intact gold gilding and no 'stinking' (musty odors) common to these materials. Since they were often sold without dust jackets (using the decorative binding as the selling point), the lack of one does not hurt the value, but the inclusion of the original 'insert note' about the book's history can add small interest.
Similar Books
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Middlemarch by George Eliot, Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert
Notable Features
Faux-leather binding, 24k gold leaf decorative stamping, integrated ribbon marker, ornate endpapers typical of the publisher.