Maupassant: Short Story Collections
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1rebeccanyc
I read The Necklace and Other Tales, a collection selected by translator Joachim Neurgoschel and puglished by Modern Library.
Surprisingly, since he is considered a master of the short story and one of the earliest "modern" short story writers, I had never read any of Maupassant's stories before. The collection I read includes a varied selection, enough to give an idea of the breadth of his topics and to show Maupassant's ability to briefly but brilliantly depict places and people, including providing deep insight into their psychology. When I read the first two stories, I thought their endings were a little predictable, but I then realized that this is probably because I've read a lot of more recent stories and these endings were likely to have been novel plot twists when Maupassant wrote them.
Although the stories are varied, several themes and situations recur: Maupassant has a fondness for writing about prostitutes and for showing the hypocrisy of bourgeois society; he also often depicts French reactions to their occupation by Prussian soldiers in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war. Most of the tales in this collection take place in the Normandy countryside and towns, although a few take place in Paris, or elsewhere, including one chilling one (in more than one sense) in the Alps. Several of the stories, most notably "The Entity (The Horla)," have what might be called a hint of the supernatural, although I read "The Entity" as a compelling tale of a descent into madness, rather than of a haunting.
Among my favorite stories, in addition to "The Entity (The Horla)," were "Butterball" and "The Tellier House" (both featuring prostitutes and bourgeois hypocrisy), "The Water" (for its wonderful depiction of a fog-shrouded river and a man's reaction to being trapped there), "Mademoiselle Fifi" (more prostitutes and the comeuppance of the Prussian occupiers), "The Inn" (for the snowy setting, another descent into madness, and the inspiration for "The Shining"), "The Hand" (for its utter creepiness), and "A Day in the Country" (for the amazing description of the nightingale singing and what this description is standing in for).
I do have two reservations, one about Maupassant and one about the translation. Despite his fondness for prostitutes (literarilly, that is), Maupassant doesn't seem to like women much; at least, he frequently makes quite disparaging comments about them (although, to be fair, men don't come off so well either). And the translation, although it generally seemed very readable to me, jarred me when the translator used contemporary or near-contemporary slang, like "wow" and "lucky stiff" and more. I realize it's a challenge for a translator when a writer uses slang, but if it's an older work I'd rather he tried to use older expressions even if they're harder to understand.
Surprisingly, since he is considered a master of the short story and one of the earliest "modern" short story writers, I had never read any of Maupassant's stories before. The collection I read includes a varied selection, enough to give an idea of the breadth of his topics and to show Maupassant's ability to briefly but brilliantly depict places and people, including providing deep insight into their psychology. When I read the first two stories, I thought their endings were a little predictable, but I then realized that this is probably because I've read a lot of more recent stories and these endings were likely to have been novel plot twists when Maupassant wrote them.
Although the stories are varied, several themes and situations recur: Maupassant has a fondness for writing about prostitutes and for showing the hypocrisy of bourgeois society; he also often depicts French reactions to their occupation by Prussian soldiers in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war. Most of the tales in this collection take place in the Normandy countryside and towns, although a few take place in Paris, or elsewhere, including one chilling one (in more than one sense) in the Alps. Several of the stories, most notably "The Entity (The Horla)," have what might be called a hint of the supernatural, although I read "The Entity" as a compelling tale of a descent into madness, rather than of a haunting.
Among my favorite stories, in addition to "The Entity (The Horla)," were "Butterball" and "The Tellier House" (both featuring prostitutes and bourgeois hypocrisy), "The Water" (for its wonderful depiction of a fog-shrouded river and a man's reaction to being trapped there), "Mademoiselle Fifi" (more prostitutes and the comeuppance of the Prussian occupiers), "The Inn" (for the snowy setting, another descent into madness, and the inspiration for "The Shining"), "The Hand" (for its utter creepiness), and "A Day in the Country" (for the amazing description of the nightingale singing and what this description is standing in for).
I do have two reservations, one about Maupassant and one about the translation. Despite his fondness for prostitutes (literarilly, that is), Maupassant doesn't seem to like women much; at least, he frequently makes quite disparaging comments about them (although, to be fair, men don't come off so well either). And the translation, although it generally seemed very readable to me, jarred me when the translator used contemporary or near-contemporary slang, like "wow" and "lucky stiff" and more. I realize it's a challenge for a translator when a writer uses slang, but if it's an older work I'd rather he tried to use older expressions even if they're harder to understand.
2edwinbcn
In January, I bought several collections of short stories by Guy de Maupassant which usually consist of a novella (or long short story) followed by a number of short stories.
Tthe volume you read, Rebecca, is a collection of specifically those novellas, such as The Horla, Butterball, The Tellier House and Mademoiselle Fifi, probably supplemented with a number of short stories, as you mentioned in your review.
It seems, therefore, that The Necklace and Other Tales, a collection selected by translator Joachim Neurgoschel and published by Modern Library, is a very good and comprehensive introduction to the shorter fiction of Guy de Maupassant.
Tthe volume you read, Rebecca, is a collection of specifically those novellas, such as The Horla, Butterball, The Tellier House and Mademoiselle Fifi, probably supplemented with a number of short stories, as you mentioned in your review.
It seems, therefore, that The Necklace and Other Tales, a collection selected by translator Joachim Neurgoschel and published by Modern Library, is a very good and comprehensive introduction to the shorter fiction of Guy de Maupassant.
3edwinbcn
Yvette et autres nouvelles
Finished reading: 5 July 2013
Yvette et autres nouvelles is a collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant consisting of one novella or "long short story", Yvette and seven short stories. Like many other novellas by De Maupassant, Yvette is about the world of courtesans. The Marquise Obardi organises balls and soirees at her house, frequented by princes, marquesses and aristocrats. Some of these young men, particularly the Duke de Servigny and the Baron Saval eye the daughter of the Marquise, Yvette, who is pretty and voluptuous, and has just turned 18. Yvette speculates about her unknown father, thinking she might be the natural daughter of a prince or king, perhaps King Victor Emmanuel, or whether she is the child of some noble and illustrious family, but taken in and adopted by the Marquise Obardi. Her musings and dreams are thoroughly destroyed, when she discovers that Madame Obardi is a courtesan. This shatters Yvette's idea of herself and in the following identity crisis the drama of the novella unfolds.
The other short stories are quite varied and different. The short story "Le Retour" ("The Return") shows profound humanity and sincerity. This is a very impressive short tale, about a mariner who returns home after many years. The most surprising, perhaps, is the short story "Mohammed-Fripouille" set in French colonial Africa relating a story that reads like an anecdote about the capture of some bandits.
The short stories are mostly told in anecdotal fashion, remembered over decades involving remarkable, and stunning events in the life of common people living in the countryside.
Finished reading: 5 July 2013
Yvette et autres nouvelles is a collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant consisting of one novella or "long short story", Yvette and seven short stories. Like many other novellas by De Maupassant, Yvette is about the world of courtesans. The Marquise Obardi organises balls and soirees at her house, frequented by princes, marquesses and aristocrats. Some of these young men, particularly the Duke de Servigny and the Baron Saval eye the daughter of the Marquise, Yvette, who is pretty and voluptuous, and has just turned 18. Yvette speculates about her unknown father, thinking she might be the natural daughter of a prince or king, perhaps King Victor Emmanuel, or whether she is the child of some noble and illustrious family, but taken in and adopted by the Marquise Obardi. Her musings and dreams are thoroughly destroyed, when she discovers that Madame Obardi is a courtesan. This shatters Yvette's idea of herself and in the following identity crisis the drama of the novella unfolds.
The other short stories are quite varied and different. The short story "Le Retour" ("The Return") shows profound humanity and sincerity. This is a very impressive short tale, about a mariner who returns home after many years. The most surprising, perhaps, is the short story "Mohammed-Fripouille" set in French colonial Africa relating a story that reads like an anecdote about the capture of some bandits.
The short stories are mostly told in anecdotal fashion, remembered over decades involving remarkable, and stunning events in the life of common people living in the countryside.
4rebeccanyc
Glad to know that the edition I read made a good selection of Maupassant's work. I would not have necessarily called those longer stories novellas; they seemed more like long short stories to me than Alien Hearts, a Maupassant novella I also read. I will probably read more Maupassant stories, eventually.
