Ball of Fat. Selected Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant (Popular Edition of World Literary Classics)

Author: Guy de Maupassant, translated by Hao Yun, Wang Zhensun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: In addition to his fame in the literary world for his novels, Maupassant was also renowned for his short stories, which numbered over three hundred, earning him a place alongside Chekhov and O. Henry as one of the three great masters of the short story. This book selects fifty outstanding works from The Complete Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant, including "Boule de Suif," "The Necklace," "The Prisoner," "The Umbrella," "Horseback," and "The Rope." It reflects the broad range of Maupassant's short story subjects, covering all aspects of French social life at the time, allowing readers to appreciate the master's exceptional artistic skills. Maupassant's literary achievements were particularly prominent in the short story genre, earning him the title of a world-renowned giant of the short story. He excelled at capturing vivid and typical fragments from ordinary and trivial matters, summarizing the truth of life in a small scale. His short stories focus on depicting human relationships and social customs, fully showcasing his talent as a painter of social scenes. The brilliance of his short story techniques is especially evident in his ingenious plot construction, meticulous detail descriptions, vivid character dialogues, and thought-provoking endings. His concise, simple, and elegant style is particularly striking in his short stories. "Boule de Suif" tells the story of a carriage allowed to pass by the Prussian army but stopped midway by a Prussian officer, who demands that the prostitute Boule de Suif accompany him in exchange for passage. Out of national sentiment, Boule de Suif scolds the shameless officer. However, the wealthy merchants, industrialists, nobles, and their wives in the carriage try to persuade her to make a sacrifice, and Boule de Suif is forced to comply. After the carriage is allowed to pass, she is despised by those inside. In the end, the carriage races through the streets accompanied by the sound of "La Marseillaise" and the cries of Boule de Suif.