Great Writers: Guy de Maupassant

A short-story occasionally appears on the horizon that redefines the world and jars it into focus and  Boule De Suife is one of them.  For any writer seeking to master the short story there is no better beginning to the instruction of this most difficult of forms than this collection.

Guy de Maupassant's classic opening story (also entitled 'Boule de Suif') takes a knife to French society and ruthlessly peels away its many layers. Set during the Franco-Prussian War, Maupassant descends into the mores of the rich and educated and reveals them for what they are.

What is fascinating about Maupassant's tale is how in the confines of the short story form he is able to show how delicate the fabric of human illusions is and how easily it is torn asunder.

Guy de Maupassant

Whether you read it in the original French or otherwise, c'est formidable.

ZHZ.