`She longed to rush into his arms, to take refuge in his strength as in the incarnation of perfect love, to cry aloud to him – `Take me away! Oh, take me away!’’

Flaubert’s daring depiction of adultery and sinfulness caused a national scandal when it was first published, and the author was put on trial for offending public morality. One hundred and fifty years later, this masterpiece of realist literature has lost none of its impact.