Pierre et Jean

Written by Guy de Maupassant

Narrated by John McDonough

A vague jealousy, one of those dormant jealousies which grow up between brothers or sisters and slowly ripen till they burst, on the occasion of a marriage perhaps, or of some good fortune happening to one of them, kept them on the alert in a sort of brotherly and non-aggressive animosity. They were fond of each other, it is true, but they watched each other. Pierre, five years old when Jean was born, had looked with the eyes of a little petted animal at that other little animal which had suddenly come to lie in his father's and mother's arms and to be loved and fondled by them. Jean, from his birth, had always been a pattern of sweetness, gentleness, and good temper, and Pierre had by degrees begun to chafe at ever-lastingly hearing the praises of this great lad, whose sweetness in his eyes was indolence, whose gentleness was stupidity, and whose kindliness was blindness. His parents, whose dream for their sons was some respectable and undistinguished calling, blamed him for so often changing his mind, for his fits of enthusiasm, his abortive beginnings, and all his ineffectual impulses towards generous ideas and the liberal professions. Since he had grown to manhood they no longer said in so many words: "Look at Jean and follow his example," but every time he heard them say "Jean did this -- Jean does that," he understood their meaning and the hint the words conveyed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470351533

Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant was a French writer and poet considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern short story whose best-known works include "Boule de Suif," "Mother Sauvage," and "The Necklace." De Maupassant was heavily influenced by his mother, a divorcée who raised her sons on her own, and whose own love of the written word inspired his passion for writing. While studying poetry in Rouen, de Maupassant made the acquaintance of Gustave Flaubert, who became a supporter and life-long influence for the author. De Maupassant died in 1893 after being committed to an asylum in Paris.

Reviews for Pierre et Jean

[axya_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

an insightful and straightforward psychological, realism novel. the characters are built up effectively, and there's a sufficient and realistic amount of tension. I know it's so unfair but I totally identify w Pierre and simply abhor Jean and the mother. the style, imho, is not the most notable though.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel opens with a family outing. The outing is uneventful, but we learn a lot about the characters. The father is a silly old man, harmless but not to be taken seriously. The mother is serene and kind. Her two adult sons adore her. The sons, Pierre and Jean, also love each other, but are a bit competitive.When the family returns home, they learn that a wealthy family friend, Marechal, has died and has left his entire estate to the younger son, Jean. At first, Pierre is jealous in a way that might be expected in these circumstances, but his feelings soon develop into something much more sinister--he begins to suspect that Jean may have been Marechal's son, the result of an illicit affair between their mother and Marechal. "It was no longer jealousy that made him seek an answer, nor the rather unworthy but natural envy he knew was hidden inside him and that he had been fighting for three days, but a terror of an appalling thing. Terror of believing that his brother Jean was the son of this man."There follows a psychological game of cat and mouse between Pierre and his mother, of which his father and Jean remain blissfully ignorant for the most part. There is very little action, and most of the narration takes place in Pierre's mind. This is a masterful work. De Maupassant is able to convey so much in so view words, and on such a small stage. Highly recommended.

[drfp_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not quite top tier Maupassant, but still very good. Though a brief 130 pages the middle section of the novel lags slightly as the author slightly drags out whether or not Pierre will say what he feels to be true (a slight disappointment from the usually brief Norman). However Maupassant more than makes up for that dip in the middle with an extremely touching ending. Not as good as Bel-Ami or A Life but still a highly recommended novella.

[wendyrey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story about jealousy between two brothers. The younger is left a fortune by a friend of the family who is his natural father. The elder is tortured by envy and more than a bit self righteous about their mother's betrayal of her husband , his father.excellent read

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little gem of a short novel from this author much more renowned for his short stories. It simply concerns the jealousy between two brothers that arises when a friend of their parents dies and leaves all his money to one of the brothers, but is very simply and well told.