🎧 Audiobook Excerpt from Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary. Read by Chapter Breaks – Short Literary Escapes. Classic audio pills for your commute, bedtime unwind, or a break anytime. At Chapter Breaks, we carefully select and curate iconic passages from classic novels — timeless opening chapters, dramatic turning points, or unforgettable finales. Each episode is around 20–30 minutes, designed to let you dip into great literature without the commitment of a full audiobook. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert – Chapter 8 | The Ball at La Vaubyessard. A glittering night of luxury and illusion — where Emma Bovary’s dreams begin to eclipse her reality. In this luminous and unforgettable chapter, Emma and Charles Bovary are invited to the grand ball at the Marquis d’Andervilliers’ château. Surrounded by opulence, fine gowns, and the intoxicating air of aristocratic grace, Emma’s imagination catches fire. The shimmering world of the nobility — its elegance, its ease, its promise of beauty — stirs a longing that ordinary provincial life will never satisfy. Flaubert’s descriptions of the ball are dazzling and precise, capturing both the splendor of the evening and the silent ache of Emma’s awakening discontent. It is here that Madame Bovary’s tragedy truly begins: in the space between what she dreams and what she lives. Now let’s open the page together, settle in and enjoy Flaubert’s mesmerizing portrayal of illusion, desire, and the first spark of restlessness that will define Emma’s fate. New episodes every week. Listen, Follow and Share to help us bring more classics to life! Music and visuals are in the public domain or licensed via Pictory – full licence available on their website.