A selection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant which includes "Boule de Suif", "The Minuet", "Madame Husson's May King", "A Vendetta", "A Deal", "The Model", "The Olive Grove", "Rose", "At Sea", "The Capture of Walter Schaffs" and "The Piece of String".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Erika Borsos
Never having taken a world literature class, I discovered Guy De Maupassant many years ago on my own ... to my utter delight! I love his insights into human behavior, his writing technique of emphasizing some human conditon, dilemma, or foible, his ability to contrast the behavior of the wealthy respectable class against the more common people, his humor, and his creative writing style. The reader learns about the lives of people during the 19th century, their cares, concerns, their vices and passions ... and their secrets, the subjects are as varied as life itself!
This volume of 30 short stories is an extremely fine selection of his works. I was familiar with three of the stories, "The Jewels", "The Piece of String" and the most well known titled "Boule De Suif" (translated as "Ball of Fat"). In this famous story, the prostitute of the region of Rouen is traveling with upper class companions in a coach as each traveler assesses the other one, making judgements as human beings often do. Eventually the upper class passengers are hungry, as they eye Boule De Suif opening her basket filled with fried chicken and other delicious foods. Boule De Souif takes compassion on her fellow passengers by offering them some of her food, to their embarrassment and pleasure, assuaging their hunger pangs. We learn a little about the character and background of the passengers, as the author builds his plot ... The passengers became more chummy, a most unusual situation that would not occur in normal everyday life between such different classes. The coach stopped for a rest at an inn. Prussians occupied the town and were staying at the same inn. As circumstances developed, the Prussian officer wanted to speak with Boule De Suif (Madame Elisabeth Rousset) ...
... Read more ›4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Alex Magpie
Maupassant is the Prussian War's Roald Dahl. His stories shine with mischief and flawed but totally absorbing human beings. Like Dahl there is a touch of the macabre and twistedness to his writings which, like Dr Hoffmann's Cautionary Tales, can haunt the reader. If you like some darkness and humour then you'll love this book.
Maupassant is definatly a "people" writer- the humanity he observes leaps off the page. Where other author's would have trouble fleshing out characters Maupassant instantly creates believable and interesting 3D characters. The concentration of "real" working class or lower middle class characters in the stories make a welcome change from the aristos populating much of English literatures classic books. There's plenty of fun and frolics in Maupassant's writing along with the darkness and sordidness- a complete contrast to what we learn at school in history lessons of the poor and depressed citizens of Europe in the nineteeth century.
A dark glittering gem of a book. Excellent.
Maupassant is definatly a "people" writer- the humanity he observes leaps off the page. Where other author's would have trouble fleshing out characters Maupassant instantly creates believable and interesting 3D characters. The concentration of "real" working class or lower middle class characters in the stories make a welcome change from the aristos populating much of English literatures classic books. There's plenty of fun and frolics in Maupassant's writing along with the darkness and sordidness- a complete contrast to what we learn at school in history lessons of the poor and depressed citizens of Europe in the nineteeth century.
A dark glittering gem of a book. Excellent.
By Inquisio
Amazon Verified Purchase
I just love short stories and, fortunately I had read two short's of Maupassant in a 1938 collection of authors I have. Intrigued, I purchased this collection, hoping against hope that the two I had read wasn't amongst them, and indeed they were not.
From the very first story, it opens up another world, slightly risque in the text for the time, as indeed are all the stories within. A feast for me, inspirational in content, even for it's age, it has parallels with my own experiences, therefore nothing changes, easily read if one can imagine a time gone by... recommended thoroughly, more will follow for my book collection.
From the very first story, it opens up another world, slightly risque in the text for the time, as indeed are all the stories within. A feast for me, inspirational in content, even for it's age, it has parallels with my own experiences, therefore nothing changes, easily read if one can imagine a time gone by... recommended thoroughly, more will follow for my book collection.
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By "kencur"
No wonder one of the above reviewers thought of Maupassant's work as depressing. Indeed, Guy de Maupassant pertained to a literary movement called Naturalism in France, known as Verismo in Italy (although some attribute Verismo as italy's counterpart to Realism). Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850, a naturalist French writer best known for his satirical short stories. Together with Flaubert (his mentor), and Emile Zola, Maupassant was one of the main exponents of this literary movement. Historic events are amalgamted with personal ongoings to create stories which respect but in the same time scrutinize social laws. The laws which are the basis and pillars of society are held under an objective eye. Antithetical to romantic idealism, naturalism turns, or rather returns, to nature, and brings light to aspects which are usually taken for granted. It is not uncommon in his stories to find conclusions, usually expressed by peasant women, which can only be attributed to common sense, and which are totally different from those derived from social behaviour, thus depicting a society which can be defined as illogical: "Yes it's quite a different thing to defend oneself; but wouldn't it be better to kill all the kings, who make war for their own amusement?" (from Boule de Suif).
The relationship between conquerors and conquered is also given much importance, in some stories more than others.
In his stories, Maupassant tries to portray a world full of vice and virtue, passions which easily transpose to obsessions, prostitution, adultery, trickery, perversion and greed. In a few words, as natural a world as can be, which after all is what naturalism aims at achieving.... Read more ›
The relationship between conquerors and conquered is also given much importance, in some stories more than others.
In his stories, Maupassant tries to portray a world full of vice and virtue, passions which easily transpose to obsessions, prostitution, adultery, trickery, perversion and greed. In a few words, as natural a world as can be, which after all is what naturalism aims at achieving.... Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Just the Stories
Make no mistake, this is not a scholarly edition, the Penguin Popular Classics rarely are. There are two pages of biographical information, and then the rest of the book is the... Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2006 by Mr. J. Featherstone
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Stories but Depressing
This book contains a collection of varied short stories, Guy de Maupassant's best-loved works, as they write in the foreword. They spanning from the tragic, to the light-hearted. Read more
Published on 25 July 2002
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