The setting, the fate, the heroines namethey might ring a belland thats intentional. Posy Simmonds gives Flauberts Emma Bovary a great-granddaughter dressed in jeans, sneakers, and fine lingerie. No one emerges unscathed from this satireneither the middle-class English, thirsty for fine wines and continental exoticism, nor the petty French bourgeoisie with their unbearable quirks. Its about the yearning for greatness and the disillusionment that follows. About the impact of slimming diets on marital fidelity. The splendor and the absurdities of romantic chaos. The great Flaubert would surely recognize his own in it. Good condition overall. A few corners of the book a bit damaged.