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Bel Ami
Bel Ami
Bel Ami
Ebook210 pages3 hours

Bel Ami

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Guy de Maupassant, one of the 19th century’s most admired French writers, is considered to be one of the fathers of the modern short story. Maupassant’s stories are characterized by their wealth of style, clever plotting and effortless resolutions. Many of his stories are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s, describing the futility of war and the innocent civilians who, caught in the conflict, emerge from catastrophe and change. “Bel Ami”, written at the height of Maupassant’s career, is his second novel, published in 1885. The story chronicles Georges Duroy’s corrupt rise to power. Georges, a down-and-out journalist, comes from a humble background yet concocts a spectacular rise to the top of Parisian society, most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent ,and wealthy mistresses. “Bel Ami” is not only a vivid portrait of a glamorously crooked and long-vanished Paris, but also a strikingly modern depiction of the destructiveness of unconstrained ambition, sex, and power. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 24, 2020
ISBN9781420970418
Author

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.

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Rating: 3.8447036642728905 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A cynic book about unlimited ambition, lust, manipulation and greediness. But also full of sensitivity and psychological analysis. A formidable fresco of belle époque Parisian life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A dark book about ambition, money, sex and power set in 19th century Paris. Still very resonant in this day and age. It is a gripping book that I could not stop reading. The characters are not good or likeable but they are entirely believable and also not so loathsome that I felt like just putting down the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Here's to scalawags; I loved this tale of triumph about an absolute bastard who quickly understands how the world works. I thought at times that Bel-Ami was an almost self-conscious pastiche of sorts, including the better bits from previous hallmark novels of Parisian decadence. Apparently, such wasn't exclusively the case. The novel remains an incredible joy, a vibrant pulse of narrative curiosity and folly.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An illustration of how easy it is justify to yourself the little steps needed to get what you want even when those 'little steps' have undesirable consequences for others. It's okay, it's their own fault. They deserve it. Etc., etc...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved the writing in this but the story was ultimately depressing. The nineteenth century French realism always seems to be about unattractive people -- were there no nice people in Paris during the 1800s?

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Bel Ami - Guy de Maupassant

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