Emma is bored and wants excitement and makes a complete mess of her life. In the process she destroys the life of her very provincial husband who also happens to be a good man. The story is tragic and at times frustrating but well worth reading.

After marrying Charles Bovary, an ordinary country doctor, Emma Rouault hopes to have the adventurous life of passion and intrigue that she reads about in books. However, she is disappointed with her husband and her simple life. It is anything but the romantic excitement she longs for. In her desire to fulfill her dreams she travels down a winding path of adultery and deception.