1
of
1
Guy de Maupassant
Series: Critical Lives
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Guy de Maupassant. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This biography is ideal for readers interested in literary history, French literature, and those seeking an authoritative yet readable introduction to Guy de Maupassant's life and work.
Latest News
The Books That Made Us Readers
The book hero team are sharing the books that made them readers!
The Making of an Accounts Hero
From childhood loans and dishwasher money to tax returns, Excel and Book Heroβs accounts, Marnie...
Play to Screen Report 13/08/26
From major casting rumours and long-awaited adaptations to new family favourites heading to the big...
Welcome Piece House to Book Hero!
Meet Piece House, a New Zealand-owned puzzle company creating stunning jigsaw puzzles featuring beautiful artwork...
Gotta catch 'em all! Pokemon Tonies Now Up For Pre-Order
Pokemon tonies have just been announced & are up for pre-order. Official release date is...
See moreAn insightful and compelling biography of celebrated French storyteller Guy de Maupassant.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The most celebrated French storyteller of the nineteenth century, Guy de Maupassant was a master of the modern short story. Offering an intriguing picture of French life, the enduring appeal of his stories derives from understated artistry, extreme craftsmanship and the universality of his characters and their aspirations and misfortunes.
In this insightful and compelling biography, the only one in English currently available, Christopher Lloyd situates Maupassant's life and work in the literary and social context of nineteenth-century France. Lloyd skilfully introduces the reader to Maupassant's most famous works, such as Boule de suif, Bel-Ami and Pierre et Jean, as well as highlighting the important stages and achievements of his life and legacy.
Series: Critical Lives
View all-
Antoni GaudΓ
The celebrated art nouveau architect Antoni GaudΓ was a contradictory figure: a deeply religious, politically right-wing man who nevertheless created revolutionary, lyrical buildings. This book explores GaudΓ's life, work, and influences, from Catalan nationalism to the Industrial Revolution. Michael Eaude expertly guides readers through GaudΓ's dozen great works, including the Sagrada Familia, which attracts millions of tourists to Barcelona each...Paperback$5600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas, the author of some of the century's greatest poetry, stories, and film scriptsβas well as one of the greatest radio features ever broadcast, Under Milk Woodβis often characterised as self-indulgent. This concise and up-to-date biography challenges this depiction with a fresh portrait of the artist as a consummate professional. John Goodby and Chris Wigginton locate the source of...Paperback$5800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt is one of the most renowned political thinkers of the twentieth century and her work has never been more relevant than it is today. Born in Germany in 1906, Arendt published her first book at the age of 23, before turning away from the world of academic philosophy to reckon with the rise of the Third Reich. After...Paperback$6200Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Fernando Pessoa
As a young man, Fernando Pessoa wrote 'be plural like the universe'. Staying true to this, he went on to invent over 100 fictional alter-egos, which he called heteronyms. This philosophical biography navigates Pessoa's early days in Lisbon and South Africa, reveals a philosopher-poet and pioneer of Portuguese modernism, and delves into the birth of Pessoa's heteronymic universe. Bartholomew Ryan...Paperback$5700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford (1873β1939) lived among several of the most important artists and writers of his time. Raised by Pre-Raphaelites and friends with Henry James, H. G. Wells, and Joseph Conrad, Ford was a leading figure of the avant-garde in pre-WWI London, responsible for publishing Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis, and D. H. Lawrence. After the war, he moved to Paris,...Paperback$6300Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood began writing modernist novels before evolving into a pioneer of autofiction, which mingles fiction and autobiography. His novel Goodbye to Berlin inspired the hit musical Cabaret. Everything changed when Isherwood emigrated to America in 1939. He had become a pacifist and was studying to be a Hindu monk. Although Isherwood resumed his career as a writer, the novels...Paperback$5800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
D. H. Lawrence
This book offers a concise yet comprehensive look at D. H. Lawrence's turbulent life and writing career. Tracing his journey from a mining village outside Nottingham to his death at 44 years old in the South of France, it provides fresh perspectives on his major works. David Ellis covers all essential aspects of Lawrence's life and work and presents a...Paperback$5800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Sergei Prokofiev
This wide-ranging and incisive biography unfolds the life and work of the much-loved twentieth-century composer Sergei Prokofiev. In it, Christina Guillaumier reveals Prokofiev's surprisingly optimistic spirit amidst a tumultuous backdrop of geopolitical chaos and ever-shifting musical landscapes. Guillaumier breathes life into the people and worlds that shaped Prokofiev's complicated life, capturing the unwavering passion of a musical genius whose love...Paperback$5800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
E.T.A. Hoffmann
E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) is celebrated for his supernatural fiction such as The Sandman as well as his musical achievements, notably the opera Undine. This book offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to Hoffmann as a Romantic writer, composer, and public figure. It follows his life as a lawyer, theatre director, and senior judge in Berlin, where he clashed with authorities...Paperback$5600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Jean Baudrillard
Jean Baudrillard, once hailed as a 'historian of the future', remains a vital figure for understanding modern life. Famous for ideas like 'simulation' and the 'hyperreal', linked to postmodernism and The Matrix, Baudrillard was both celebrated and controversial, known for bold pronouncements about events like the Gulf War and 9/11. Yet the man himself was enigmatic, leading a public life...Paperback$5600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel is one of the twentieth century's most intriguing and contradictory composers. This timely new biography, published for the 150th anniversary of his birth, describes Ravel's journey from Parisian apprentice to global musical icon. Drawing on fresh research, Emily Kilpatrick reveals Ravel as both a daring provocateur and a reflective elder, his lifelong quest for originality driven by his...Paperback$5700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Robert Louis Stevenson
This concise biography offers a fresh portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson: frail Edinburgh child turned globe-trotting author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It charts his remarkable literary range from fiction and poetry to essays and letters crafted across three continents, often in poor health. Stevenson's adventurous life and memorable characters captured both...Paperback$5700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Critical acclaim highlights Lloyd's clear and precise narrative style, reflecting Maupassant's own literary craftsmanship. Reviewers praise the biography's balance, depth, and comprehensive coverage within a concise format. It is noted as both a valuable teaching resource and an accessible introduction to Maupassant, bringing fresh insight even to well-read audiences.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781789141979
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 February 2020
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Illustration: 30 illustrations
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 200.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 216
About the Author
Christopher Lloyd is Emeritus Professor of French at Durham University. His publications on Maupassant include Maupassant: Bel-Ami (1988) and Maupassant Conteur et Romancier (1994).
Also by Christopher Lloyd
View all-
Absolutely Everything! Revised and Expanded
The most remarkable true stories of all time and around the world brought vividly to life β from the Big Bang right up to the present day. Embark on a journey across millennia and around the world, from the latest understanding of the origins of the universe, the birth of the Earth, the very first life, the age of dinosaurs,...Hardback$4400Elsewhere:$4799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
It's Up to Us
Children have a unique curiosity for Nature and for this amazing planet we call home. So writes HRH The Prince of Wales in his introduction to Itβs Up to Us: A Childrenβs Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet. Join His Royal Highness, author Christopher Lloyd and 33 amazing award-winning artists from around the world on a beautiful, lyrical and...Hardback$4299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Picasso and the Art of Drawing
In this generously illustrated and lively book, Christopher Lloyd sets out and interprets the lifelong achievement of Picasso (1881β1973) as a draftsman. Although there have been many publications about his drawings that have tended to focus on particular periods of his career, this stunning volume specifically examines how drawing serves as the vital thread connecting all of Picassoβs art, just...Hardback$5999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
Britannica All New Childrenβs Encyclopedia β Updated Edition
Fully updated edition of Britannicaβs landmark childrenβs encyclopedia, with up-to-the-minute facts, figures, and images, featuring everything from supernovas to Taylor Swift, and from ancient Egypt to artificial intelligence. Earth, Space, Animals, History, STEM: this landmark encyclopedia from Britannica has them all! With more than 400 pages of up-to-the-minute information, including the very latest facts and figures, cutting-edge expert insights, and...Hardback$6799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
We are All Animals
Find out how similar you are to your favourite animal and how.Did you know that most animals (including us) are shaped like tubes? That animals get a lot of the same diseases (and medical treatments) we do? Or that we are distant cousins to every animal on Earth, including jellyfish! We Are All Animals celebrates our whole furry, scaly, slimy,...Hardback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Drawings
An authoritative analysis of the drawings (including watercolours and pastels) of twenty leading Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists in one magnificent volume. Manet, Pissarro, Morisot, CΓ©zanne, Seurat, Gauguin, Van Gogh and their colleagues made some of the most beautiful drawings in the history of art. This book sets drawings by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists in the context of late 19th-century France...Paperback$6499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh
A compelling and authoritative overview of the drawings of Vincent van Gogh, one of the most celebrated and intriguing figures in the history of art. Vincent van Gogh's (1853-1890) drawings are some of the most familiar and expressive in the history of art. Van Gogh believed that drawing was the 'root of everything', and this was reflected in his remarkable...Hardback$8500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was one of the outstanding draughtsmen of the 19th century: drawing was not only a central tenet of his art but essential to his existence. Through an examination of the artist's drawings and pastels, Christopher Lloyd reveals the development of Degas's style as well as the story of his life, including his complicated relationship with the Impressionists....Paperback$4699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Dear Friend and Gardener
In this exchange of personal letters, two of Britain's leading gardeners, Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto, share their successes and failures, and learn from each other's experiences in their two very different gardens.Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
CΓ©zanne
Drawing was central to CΓ©zanne's indefatigable search for solutions to the problems posed by the depiction of reality. Many of his watercolours are equal to his paintings, and he himself made no real distinction between painting and drawing. This book's six chapters are arranged thematically, covering the whole range of CΓ©zanne's Εuvre: works after the Old Masters such as Michelangelo...Paperback$4699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Michael Andrews
Michael Andrews (1928-1995) is probably one of the least known but one of the most important British artists of the twentieth century, and his aptitude for painting only masterpieces has been noted on more than one occasion. Andrews' friendship from early in his career with Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, and Leon Kossoff led to his identification as an...Hardback$13700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh
A compelling and authoritative overview of the drawings of Vincent van Gogh, one of the most celebrated and intriguing figures in the history of art. The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh is a comprehensive account celebrating the genius and singularity of the artist's achievements in this field. Arranged by theme - from drawings of humble harvesters to beautifully rendered depictions...Hardback$5999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from Biography & Memoir
View all-
This Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$7299Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Famesick
Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgunΒ wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through herΒ journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Stakes
Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the authorβs bestselling memoirΒ Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampireβs badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram StokerβsΒ Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseBuilt for This
Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Even the Good Girls Will Cry
Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseAn Ocean and a Day
An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseA Place to Stand
A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clareβs thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseRule of Lies
Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel β¦ An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyerβs brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rory
TheΒ New York TimesΒ bestseller The #1Β Irish TimesΒ bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera β author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider β decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te WΔnanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo MΔori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year...Paperback$3500Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseThis Is Me: A Reckoning
This is a searingly honest and moving memoir from double Golden Globe-nominatedactress Hayden Panettiere. Hayden Panettiere has been in front of the camera since before she could talk. She roseto stardom typecasted as Hollywood's blonde girl next door. As a young celebrity,naysayers were certain she would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.Hayden Panettiere's irreverent memoir satisfies our...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
