A Selection from the Writings of Guy de Maupassant

Author: Guy de Maupassant

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Boule de Suif and Other Stories

Guy de Maupassant

Boule de SuifIt is the story that made the French author famous, who uses subtle irony to tell his story. Published in 1880, it takes place during the occupation of France in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.

Fleeing from Rouen, a stagecoach is organized for 10 people who obtain a safe-conduct to go to Le Havre; in them go three rich married couples fleeing from the Prussian occupation while preserving their fortune. With them travel two nuns, a fierce revolutionary named Cornudet and a well-known lady of the gallant life known as Boule de Suif.

What is expected to be a quick trip is hindered by the passage of troops and other unforeseen events, that day the only one who carries food is Boule de Suif who shares it with the other travelers, despite having felt their criticism and contempt.

Famous Modern Ghost Stories

Guy de Maupassant

Famous Modern Ghost Stories is a collection of fourteen stories from the 1920s. It was writer and editor Dorothy Scarborough who set about the task of compiling what she considered to be the best ghost stories of her time. It should be noted that the style of writing is very different from today's, yet the influence these works have had on contemporary authors of horror fiction is undeniable.

The stories included are from the late 19th and early 20th century, which for many is the perfect setting for ghosts, death and its mysteries. Among the authors we can mention Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood and, of course, Guy de Maupassant, with his story "A Ghost".

In "A Ghost", the Marquis de la Tour-Samuel recounts a ghostly encounter he had in his youth that marked him forever.

Maupassant Original Short Stories

Guy de Maupassant

It is safe to say that anyone with a passion for fiction will enjoy this 13-volume series of more than 110 works. Maupassant Original Short Stories brings together great stories that capture the reader's interest from the very first pages and often end with an unexpected surprise.

Among the short stories we can mention: "Two Friends", from 1882, set in Paris during the Franco-Prussian war. "Mother Savage", first published in March 1884, which, like the previous work, is set during the Franco-Prussian war, in the winter of 1871.

Then there is "Little Louise Roque”, a work from the 1880s with a rather strong theme. It deals with the unsolved murder of a girl of about 13, which touches on the themes of evil, impunity and abuse of power.

Monsieur Parent and Other Stories

Guy de Maupassant

"Monsieur Parent" is a short story published in 1885 in which Guy de Maupassant takes up and expands on the story of "Le Petit" from 1883. Here Monsieur Parent finds his wife Henriette with his best friend Limousin, so he decides to send her and "their" son Georges away.

Monsieur Parent and Other Stories also include: "The Father", from 1881, which is about a man who meets a charming young woman on a Paris omnibus on his way to his job as a clergyman, meeting every day. Progressively, they strike up a friendship that later develops into a relationship.

In "Useless Beauty", we have the Countess de Mascaret and her husband, the Count de Mascaret who have been married for 11 years and have 7 children, but the Countess harbors a secret, one of the children is not the Count's. After confessing her indiscretion, the Count repeatedly asks to know which of the children is not his, but the Countess refuses to tell him.

Original Short Stories

Guy de Maupassant

This collection comprises volume 10 of Guy de Maupassant's Original Short Stories. It consists of 15 short stories, including "The Christening", from 1885, whose story is about an old navy doctor whose gardener has asked him to be the godfather of his son.

In "The Devil", a farmer hires a woman to care for his mother on her deathbed while he harvests the corn. Before accepting the job, the woman predicts that in two or three days the old woman will die and stipulates that the man pay her 6 francs for her services. After those days have passed, the impatient woman becomes angry because the old woman shows no sign of being about to die..

This story highlights the themes of greed, as the woman demands a high price for her work from the farmer, and ingratitude, as the man prefers to go and harvest the corn rather than keep his mother company during her last moments.