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Bel-ami

By Guy Maupassant
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3.86 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 47,784 ratings, 2,556 reviews)
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
Bel-Ami by Guy Maupassant is a captivating tale set in 19th-century Paris, following a young, charming man named Georges Duroy. He rises from poverty to power by navigating the complex world of journalism and society through seductive manipulation and strategic alliances. As he climbs the social ladder, Duroy becomes a master of persuasion, revealing the interplay of ambition, love, and deceit.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 book may appeal to you if you enjoy tales of ambition, seduction, and power in 19th-century Paris. Following the rise of a charming but morally ambiguous journalist, the narrative explores themes of social climbing and the manipulation of relationships, making it a gripping read for those interested in character-driven stories set against a richly detailed backdrop.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his admirers as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie francaise and soon makes a great success of his new career.

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

Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his friends as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie française and soon makes a great success of his new career. But he also comes face to face with the realities of the corrupt society in which he lives—the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses, and wily financiers—and swiftly learns to become an arch-seducer, blackmailer, and social climber in a world where love is only a means to an end.

Written when Maupassant was at the height of his powers, Bel-Ami is a novel of great frankness and cynicism, but it is also infused with the sheer joy of life, depicting the scenes and characters of Paris in the belle époque with wit, sensitivity, and humanity.

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?

Bel-Ami by Guy Maupassant is often praised for its vivid portrayal of ambition and social climbing in 19th-century Paris. Reviewers highlight its complex protagonist, Georges Duroy, who uses his charm and manipulation to rise in society. The novel's exploration of morality and power, along with its detailed depiction of Parisian life, receives commendation for how it reflects the societal issues of the time.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780140443158

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 August 1975

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Douglas Parmee

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 285g

Pages: 416

Collections

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About the Author

Guy de Maupassant was born in Normandy in 1850. By the late 1870s, the first signs of syphilis had appeared, and Maupassant had become Flaubert's pupil in the art of prose. He led a hectic social life, and in 1891, having tried to commit suicide, he was committed to an asylum in Paris, where he died two years later. Douglas Parmee is a well-known French translator.

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