Customer Reviews
A Review - By: Jamie Beckwith, 21 Sep 2008 
I've not read Flaubert so I'm not qualified to judge how good this works as a modern day retelling. Nonetheless on its own merit it's a pretty good story.
Part text, part graphic novel, it tells the tragic story of Gemma Bovery, a British woman who moves to France with her new husband seeking to escape her past. The story is narrated by her French neighbour who is at first amused by the coincidencein the name but then starts to worry as her life begins to mirror that of Flaubert's heroine & rushes headlong towards the grisly end. He becomes almost something of a benign stalker & obssessed with the novel sends her photocopies pages as warnings.
The layout of the book is interesting, comic book frames nestledin prose. As the story is toldin flashback there is much use of irony as we know Gemma's fate from the very beginning & can laugh as the narrator recalls his own actions. The art is simple but effective,in particular there's a lot of focus on characters eyes which sometimes betray an emotion at odds with the look plastered on their face.
I enjoyed it enough that I have now subsequently bought Madam Bovary & it's towards the top of my Next To Read Pile
Cult - By: Scottishnutjob, 27 Feb 2008 
The one thing I respect more than anything else is originality & this is the most original work I have readin yonks.
I really wish sometimes that picture stories like this would get their due & that Posy Simmonds was a household name. This is a really outstanding book & if there was any justicein this world it would be rated higherin the mainstream media but so few know about it.
Will pass it on to everyone I know & start saving for Tamara Drewe.
Great story & so much better than the superhero bilge.
A Comic with Class - By: Pliny, 27 Dec 2007 If you want to know roughly what happensin "Madame Bovary" without the hassle of reading it & get a lot of laughs along the way this book/comic/graphic novel/work of art will suit you perfectly. If you know a little French then your ego will be flattered by understanding some of the dialogue without needing the footnotes. It's a very good read & I'd like to see the theme expanded - with Alan Moore doing "Wuthering Heights" perhaps?
Superb - By: a reader, 23 Jul 2006 Well-observed, well-drawn, well-written. I have not read many graphic novels, but this one is fantastic.
I was introduced to Posy Simmonds by the serialisation of Tamara Drewin the Guardian. Tamara Drew is also a compelling tale.
Joubert is a little too creepy for my tastes, but Gemma & Charlie just seem so real. A great read, highly recommended.
(F, 31)
Down to a T - By: , 23 Nov 2000 Posy Simmonds has taken the graphic novel into new territory. Brilliant narrative, outstanding illustrations. And she has people down to a T. Especially French people. Especially French women. Anyone who's ever livedin France will recognise people they've met & shiver at the memory. The beauty of this book is thatin addition to the characters' words, the author is also able to show us how they look, & she does it with an accuracy that can only come from hours of observation. The attention to detailin the drawings is such that it's worth going back to the book time & time again. I wish I could meet Joubert & have him ask me what I like & dislike about France. As long as his wife wasn't hovering.
