Guy de Maupassant

A new selection and translation of the best of de Maupassant's short stories. Set in the Paris of society women, prostitutes, and small-minded bourgeoisie, as well as the isolated villages of rural Normandy that de Maupassant knew as a child, the thirty-three tales in this volume are among the most darkly humorous and brilliant short stories in nineteenth-century literature. They...

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics — irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Often described as the father of the modern short story, there is perhaps no other writer more closely associated with the form than Guy de Maupassant. Included here is his most famous story, Boule de...

The rise of a scoundrel. The anatomy of a world. In Bel Ami, Guy de Maupassant delivers a razor-sharp portrait of a man who climbs the social ladder not by virtue, talent, or labour—but by charm, seduction, and sheer opportunism. Georges Duroy begins with nothing: a handsome face, a military past, and the hunger to rise. What follows is a...

Femme Fatale by Guy de Maupassant is part of the Little Black Classics series, a new collection launched to celebrate Penguin's 80th anniversary. “They trailed in all their vulgar glory over the fresh green grass...” This evocative phrase captures the essence of de Maupassant's exploration of human nature and societal norms, which are deftly woven throughout the narrative.