Although best-known for his short stories, Guy de Maupassant was a prolific writer of both short fiction and novels of the French naturalist school. Born Henry-Rene-Albert Guy de Maupassant on August 5, 1850, in Chateau de Miromesnil*, near Dieppe, France, Maupassant's mother, Laure, was from the cultivated Norman bourgeoisie, and his father, Gustave, though having private wealth, was, after financial hardships, forced to take work as a bank cashier in 1859. Maupassant's parents separated when he was eleven years of age, and he was raised by his mother. At age 19, Maupassant began studying law in Paris, although his studies were cut short by the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. At age 20, Maupassant volunteered to serve in the army, and much of his experience during this time inspired several of his finest stories. The famous French novelist, Gustave Flaubert, was a close friend of Maupassant's uncle, Alfred de Poittevin. And, when Maupassant returned to Paris in 1871, he was introduced into Flaubert's literary circle, which included such luminaries as Emile Zola, Ivan Turgenev, Edmund de Goncourt, and Henry James. Maupassant wrote poetry, including some erotic poems and published short stories under a pseudonym in various literary publications. In 1878, he also became a contributing editor for several newspapers, including Le Figaro, L'Echo de Paris, and Gil Blas.
It wasn't until April of 1880, however, that a turning point presented itself. Maupassant's story, Boul de Suif ("Ball of Fat") was included among six stories about the war in a volume entitled Les Soirees de Medan. This story, which centers around an honest prostitute's corruption on an interrupted train ride from Roeun to La Havre, was ostensibly the best of the six in the collection. Moreover, it is generally considered to be
Maupassant's unequalled masterpiece. Following the publication of this consummate piece of fiction, Maupassant devoted all his energies to professional writing. The proficiency of his output is astonishing. Within the next eleven years, Maupassant wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, a volume of verse, and a gallimaufry of miscellaneous writing. His first novel, Une Vie (A Woman's Life), which remains one of my personal favorites, tells the story of Jeanne de Lamare, a young, innocent, convent-educated woman who ends up in a marriage that leads her down a path of betrayal, grief, and utter disillusionment. It is a haunting book, and, at a mere 202 pages, remains a remarkable achievement. His other novels include Bel-Ami, Mont Oriel, and the renowned Pierre et Jean.
Maupassant's personal life was filled with adventure. Since his early years in Paris, he had a penchant for promiscuity. Although he appeared to be robust, his personal letters indicate that he suffered many health difficulties. While in his early 20s, he found out that he had contracted syphilis. In spite of continued womanizing, he fought the disease and traveled extensively. However, by 1889, he began having severe attacks of paranoia, and, on January 2, 1892, he attempted suicide by cutting his throat. Shortly after this, he was committed to an asylum, where he died on July 6, 1893. Maupassant was just one month shy of his 43rd birthday.
Guy de Maupassant will always be remembered as a master of the short story genre, whose precise, exquisite style has influenced such writers as Anton Chekhov, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), and W. Somerset Maugham. His short story, "Le Horla" (1887), was made into the macabre 1963 film, "Diary of a Madman," starring the indomitable Vincent Price. Another story served as the basis for one of director Max Ophuls' most noteworthy masterpieces, the incandescent "Le Plasir."
For more on Maupassant, try the Wikipedia entry. There is an extensive bibliography at this site:
Guy de Maupassant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also:
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maupassa.htm
More? But of course!
There's a short, but wonderfully concise, bio here:
Guy de Maupassant - Biography and Works
I would love to hear thoughts from those at the forum who have read and been impressed by Maupassant's luminous oeuvre of work!
Best,
Titania
"One sometimes weeps over one's illusions with
as much bitterness as over a death."
~Guy de Maupassant, Une Vie (A Woman's Life)
* also spelled (Chateau de) Miromesneil
It wasn't until April of 1880, however, that a turning point presented itself. Maupassant's story, Boul de Suif ("Ball of Fat") was included among six stories about the war in a volume entitled Les Soirees de Medan. This story, which centers around an honest prostitute's corruption on an interrupted train ride from Roeun to La Havre, was ostensibly the best of the six in the collection. Moreover, it is generally considered to be
Maupassant's unequalled masterpiece. Following the publication of this consummate piece of fiction, Maupassant devoted all his energies to professional writing. The proficiency of his output is astonishing. Within the next eleven years, Maupassant wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, a volume of verse, and a gallimaufry of miscellaneous writing. His first novel, Une Vie (A Woman's Life), which remains one of my personal favorites, tells the story of Jeanne de Lamare, a young, innocent, convent-educated woman who ends up in a marriage that leads her down a path of betrayal, grief, and utter disillusionment. It is a haunting book, and, at a mere 202 pages, remains a remarkable achievement. His other novels include Bel-Ami, Mont Oriel, and the renowned Pierre et Jean.
Maupassant's personal life was filled with adventure. Since his early years in Paris, he had a penchant for promiscuity. Although he appeared to be robust, his personal letters indicate that he suffered many health difficulties. While in his early 20s, he found out that he had contracted syphilis. In spite of continued womanizing, he fought the disease and traveled extensively. However, by 1889, he began having severe attacks of paranoia, and, on January 2, 1892, he attempted suicide by cutting his throat. Shortly after this, he was committed to an asylum, where he died on July 6, 1893. Maupassant was just one month shy of his 43rd birthday.
Guy de Maupassant will always be remembered as a master of the short story genre, whose precise, exquisite style has influenced such writers as Anton Chekhov, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), and W. Somerset Maugham. His short story, "Le Horla" (1887), was made into the macabre 1963 film, "Diary of a Madman," starring the indomitable Vincent Price. Another story served as the basis for one of director Max Ophuls' most noteworthy masterpieces, the incandescent "Le Plasir."
For more on Maupassant, try the Wikipedia entry. There is an extensive bibliography at this site:
Guy de Maupassant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also:
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maupassa.htm
More? But of course!
There's a short, but wonderfully concise, bio here:Guy de Maupassant - Biography and Works
I would love to hear thoughts from those at the forum who have read and been impressed by Maupassant's luminous oeuvre of work!
Best,
Titania
"One sometimes weeps over one's illusions with
as much bitterness as over a death."
~Guy de Maupassant, Une Vie (A Woman's Life)
* also spelled (Chateau de) Miromesneil
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