HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Guy de Maupassant, born 5 August 1792
“Our memory is a more perfect world than the universe: it gives back life to those who no longer exist.”
Guy de Maupassant in 1888
Guy de Maupassant is one of the greatest short story writers of all time. His story The Necklace is often spoken of as the finest short story ever written – a perfect example of the genre. Another great favourite of mine is La Ficelle (The Piece of String) which is incredibly moving and pathetic. He could be wonderfully comic, as in The Maison Tellier about a brothel, or frightening as in Le Horla and he recounts French history as in Ball of Fat which is about the Prussian soldiers who invaded France. He was also a fine novelist – A Life was based on his adored mother’s life, and Bel-Ami has recently been turned into a movie.
Guy de Maupassant’s life was short and fascinating. He died aged 42 in 1893 from tertiary syphilis, shut away in an insane asylum. However, he hugely enriched French literature with his incredible stories and novels and travel books.
Have you read his work? Tell me in the comment area below.
The Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
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julia
Thanks to you (and google) for letting me know what story of his this quote on memory is from! I can remember many moons ago reading, The Necklace in freshman english, tho I cannot remember something from this morning! What a writer. Makes me want to read more now.
Susannah Fullerton
He is a brilliant writer. Try his short story ‘A Piece of String’ – also superb.