Maupassant's keenly observed short stories reveal a world of vice and virtue, passions and obsessions.
Adultery, prostitution, the Franco-Prussian War, the pleasures of river and countryside, the cunning and greed of the Norman peasantry - these are familiar themes throughout his work, yet they are treated differently each time, producing stories of a dazzling originality. Boule de Suif, Maupassant's earliest triumph, and the opening story in this selection, exposes the smug complacency of a group of travellers towards the prostitute in their midst. The Piece of Stringand The Devilcentre on avarice, while tales of humour such as A Dealand Madame Husson's May King, form a rich contrast to the gentle pathos of Two Friends.
Masterly, vividly atmospheric, his stories lay bare the realities of life and confirm his status as one of the greatest and most popular exponents of his art.
About the Author
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a prolific French writer best remembered as a master of the short story and a father of the genre. He delighted in clever plotting and served as a model for later short story practitioners through favorites such as "The Necklace," "The Horla," "The False Gems," and "Useless Beauty." Maupassant wrote some 300 short stories, as well as six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse.
