If someone had likened you to a character from a book, what would you make of it? Madam Bovary?

[earlgrey]

Saw my psychiatrist (not as bad as it seems, honest!) on Monday and he told me I was Madame Bovary. I nodded sagely (not wanting to show my ignorance about classical novels) but have no idea what he was about.

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My first thought was that Emma Bovary is very similar to Anna Karenina. I click on link, and .... ta- dah. I could have written that myself
I don't think I would like to be compared to Madame Bovary. Especially not by a professional. Are you now pleased with this comparisson ?

Blimey. Thanks.

Anna Karenina throws herself on the train line, becasue she can't live with the rejection, and what she has done.
Not good

Oooh. That's quite a weird thing for a psychiatrist to say! She dies quite a miserable death after some futile attempts to rise above her ordinariness. She's attractive too. (Very,very dull book, if I remember.)

Oh yes, she is a dark, total, total beauty. Is that you earlgrey ?

Someone who was trying to chat me up once likened me to a character in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. So thrilled was I with this literary comparison that I rushed out bought the book, read it and ... she's a self absorbed socialite with not much heart.

I didn't bother meeting up with him again to tell him I thought he most resembled Fireman Sam. Looks and depth of character.

LOL Speccie. Am still giggling.

earlgrey - this is intriguing stuff. What context did your psychiatrist say it in? Madam B has weird affairs, but she also develops something of a shopping addiction.

Oblomov - and, anyway, who wants to get rude with a pseud?

I still think it is highly unprofessional to make such a comparison. Sorry. I found her quite superficial, with no depth. She wants to live the high life, never happy with whats she's got. I found her quite unhinged, to be honest. I am sincerely hoping that you are none of these things, Earlgrey.
I wonder how he meant it. You must ask him and let us know. When are you going back ? I'm very impatient, ya know

I would ask him what he meant specifically. She wasn't suicidal altho she did go that way. As I recall, she was utterly self absorbed but Flaubert didn't seem to appreciate that his character was exceptional and wanted exceptional things for herself. These days we call that "motivated." Back then, it was less attractive.

Her rather limited husband is at a loss - he wonders one day if instead of marrying this beautiful bird of paradise, he might not have been better off marrying a nice pigeon or something average.

HTH

Diva, motivated isn't the word I would choose. Self absorbed (or obsessed), yes. And I think it is as unattractive these days, as it was back then.

(On appropriate literary references -

Lol reading the description of Kate Middleton's mother: 'the latter day Mrs Bennett, Carole Middleton'. Apparently, her daughter Pippa is also seeing someone Highly Eligible.)

Speccie, how funny, who described her as that ? I quite 'liked' Mrs Bennett actually. Normally I am iritated by someone who is totally dippy. But not by her. Mind you, I might be, if she was my mum !

I was just talking to some friends last night about how a lot of phsycotherapists that we know in rl are idiots, as would seem to be the case with your EG.

I agree about Mrs Bennett being ok. She didn't seem to me to be as bad as the grabby way she's sometimes portrayed. Think it was in Grazia (my usual high-brow reading). But will now be on the look out for personality lit refs!

Very interested to hear the OP circumstances around Madam Bovary, though...

I always thought that by Madam Bovary personality, people was refering to highly motivated people trying to raise above the "ordinariness" of their own life and/or a constant search for a satisfactor that is soon replaced by another after acomplishment.

It doesn't have to be sexual in nature all the times. Times have changed, and I supose so has the description, women can pursue their own interests without the need of using a man as a ladder to those means.

Would that suit better?

Isabel, I like that.I think it is highly likely that he meant something like that. But we will never know.... da-da-da. Until EG comes back. Come back EG, I can't stand it. Does this apply ?

C'mon Earlgrey, don't be ashamed, if you really had the negative characterists of Mrs Bovary, we would now about it!

Bella from the Beauty and the Beast would be a Madam Bovary too!

I would be glad Its better than being likened to a cartoon like my friends do me Penelope Pitstop!

no I wouldn't be happy with that

she is dissatisfied and escapist

great book though!

Erm - permanently dissatisfied? avaricious?

Hey Noddy, you could hang out with my friend who is the exact spit of Olive Oil - complete with 'Oaw, Pawp-pie' voice.

Sorry - was away for most of yesterday. But he probably meant what Enid said, I think. I'm certainly not suicidal! I do drown myself in romanticism though poetry/fiction - can't put down Wendy Cope at the moment. And I find the banality of day to day living sometimes excrutiating. I think it may have had something to do with the other week when I walked out of an AA meeting, (my first in 2 years after I found the first totally "not me", IYSWIM) a bloke followed me and asked me if I'd like a lift home, and then took me for an (alcoholic!) drink. He then asked me if I'd like an affair

Oblomov, I'm not seeing psychiatrist again for another four weeks, hopefully during which time I'll have managed to finish the book (which I just bought) and ask him about it.

But if truth be told, I do like him a lot, but am fully aware that (thank God) nothing can become of it. He just makes me laugh and seems to understand all the idiosynchrasies (sorry, sp) in my life.

Oblomov, promise to report back!

Good EG. Sorry, sometimes I just get a bit excited