or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from £3.35
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Bel-ami (Classics)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Bel-ami (Classics) (Paperback)

by Guy Maupassant (Author), Douglas Parmee (Translator)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.47 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.52 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
19 new from £4.39 12 used from £3.50 1 collectible from £3.35
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £26.95 £25.60 16 used & new from £17.95
Paperback £14.95 £14.20 14 used & new from £7.55
Hardcover (Large Print) £19.99 £18.99 12 used & new from £16.08

Frequently Bought Together

Bel-ami (Classics) + Pierre et Jean (Oxford World's Classics) + The Best Short Stories (Wordsworth Classics)
Price For All Three: £13.25

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Pierre et Jean (Oxford World's Classics)

Pierre et Jean (Oxford World's Classics)

by Guy de Maupassant
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £4.79
Le Coq de Bruyere (Folio Ser; No. 1229))

Le Coq de Bruyere (Folio Ser; No. 1229))

by Michel Tournier
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.75
Nana (Classics)

Nana (Classics)

by Emile Zola
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £5.73
The Best Short Stories (Wordsworth Classics)

The Best Short Stories (Wordsworth Classics)

by Guy de Maupassant
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  £1.99
A Parisian Affair and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

A Parisian Affair and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

by Guy De Maupassant
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.67
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (29 Jul 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140443150
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140443158
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.2 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Fiction > The Classics > Maupassant, Guy de
    #3 in  Books > Fiction > Short Stories > Classic Short Story Authors
    #4 in  Books > Fiction > World > French

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description

Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his friends as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie francaise and soon makes a great success of his new career. But he also comes face to face with the realities of the corrupt society in which he lives – the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses and wily financiers – and swiftly learns to become an arch-seducer, blackmailer and social climber in a world where love is only a means to an end. Written when Maupassant was at the height of his powers, Bel-Ami is a novel of great frankness and cynicism, but it is also infused with the sheer joy of life – depicting the scenes and characters of Paris in the belle epoque with wit, sensitivity and humanity.


About the Author

Guy de Maupassant was born in Normandy in 1850. By the late 1870s, the first signs of syphilis had appeared, and Maupassant had become Flaubert's pupil in the art of prose. He led a hectic social life, and in 1891, having tried to commit suicide, he was committed to an asylum in Paris, where he died two years later. Douglas Parmee is a well-known French translator.

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 8 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Bel-ami (Classics)
70% buy the item featured on this page:
Bel-ami (Classics) 4.9 out of 5 stars (7)
£6.47
Bel-Ami (Oxford World's Classics)
11% buy
Bel-Ami (Oxford World's Classics)
£4.93
Bel-Ami
7% buy
Bel-Ami 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£5.25
The Best Short Stories (Wordsworth Classics)
7% buy
The Best Short Stories (Wordsworth Classics) 5.0 out of 5 stars (5)
£1.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dashing Hero Cuts a Comic Swathe through Paris Society, 1 Sep 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: Bel-Ami (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)
Guy de Maupassant does not suffer fools or the hipocrisy of (usually bourgoise) society gladly, and thus this, his romping satire that lifts the lid on Parisian society, is a comic tale with rapier wit, sly mocking, and a wonderful appetite for the absurd. Live vicariously through our vain and dashing hero on the make as he cuts a swathe through high society, wowing and wooing all in his path.
Frank descriptions of the sexual desires and all-so-often-acted-upon indiscretions of the book's characters - in spite of the social refinements and etiquette of the age - adds to its contemporary or timeless feel.
Warning: this could not be much further from the likes of Jane Austen. This is no romantic stroll through the picturesque, but a highly intelligent, constantly amsuing, dare I say it rock'n'roll swagger through the offices, nightclubs, parlours and boudoirs of 19th century Paris. And yet, it should be noted, that this book is not without moving moments and depth. Its characters are not merely caricatures, its (not always but often subtle) satire is not at the expense of reader empathy and real emotion.
If I was to read any book one more time, it would probably be A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway, and halfway through I'm pretty sure I would be wishing I'd chosen this instead. Quite simply brilliant.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Bel Ami- An opinion, 29 Jul 2005
A stark and vivd picture of one man's ruthless ascendancy through the social ranks. A rise that really erases all other thoughts within the young Georges as he throws aside the feelings and emotions of all others around him in persuit of his goals. It is in essence a story of success but manages at the same time to demonstrate the negative side effects that success can produce on others who find themselves in the way of that determined and efficient rise. A wonderful story and really one that may find its place far more readily in our society today than one may first think.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book - the absolute business, 30 April 2002
By Kentspur - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This book is just fantastic.

You can read this on the bus and people think you're some sort of intellectual because of the 'Penguin Classic' cover, but actually it's like Jackie Collins. I love the central character. What a rat !!

Best book I've read this year.

(And it does have serious points to make about the media, death, marrying your best friend's wife....)

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A rivetting read!
I absolutely loved this book. It is a great read from start to end.

It is difficult to explain why it's so good, without spoiling the story, but its hero's utter lack... Read more
Published 2 months ago by SEC

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, unforgettable 19th-century French classic
It's no surprise that "Bel-Ami" figures in many people's Top Ten French novels of all time. First, it is a wonderfully smooth and well-paced story that never risks becoming dull... Read more
Published 18 months ago by A. J. Barber

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Gripping
I don't really care about all that social criticism stuff people keep harping on about: if you want to know about France in the 19thC just read a history book. Read more
Published 22 months ago by R. Ahmed

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
This story is as good today, and as true, as it was a hundred years ago. Love and betrayal, rivalry and sharing, the fickelty of men, a gripping tale which fascinated me! Read more
Published on 1 Sep 1999

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject


















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.