Author: Guy de
Maupassant
ISBN-13: 978-81-7992-834-9
Binding:
Paperback
Publisher: Jaico
Publishing House
Number of pages: 264
Genre: Fiction
Language: English
Price: Rs.195
(Got a review copy from publishers)
About
the book
The collection The Great Short Stories Guy de Maupassant reflects
his remarkable diversity, with stories that vary in theme and tone, and range from
tragedy and satire to comedy and farce. With a simplicity of style that masks
complex philosophy, Maupassant can illuminate an entire code of values by means
of a few telling details. He exposes the brutality of war and the hypocrisy it
spawns, and depicts the petty limitations, the dissimulations and the vanities
inherent at different levels of society. His stories are linked by a trenchant
irony and by a preoccupation with the frailty of human nature and the futility
of so many lives.
About
the Author
Henri
René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born
on August 5, 1850 in a Norman chateau of Miromesnil, northern France. Under Flaubert’s
tutelage, the young Maupassant underwent a strict course of training in the
craft of literature, at the same time as he was earning his living in the civil
service. He was considered insane in 1891 and died two years later, a month
short of his 43rd birthday, on July 6, 1893.
Guy de Maupassant penned his own epitaph: “I have
coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing.” He is buried in the Cimetière du
Montparnasse, Paris.
Shimanti
says
The best remedy to dispel boredom and depression that,
more often than not, creep into our befuddled existence is a refreshing short
story. The collection of “The Great Short Stories” by Henri René Albert Guy de
Maupassant by Jaico Publishing House is
a truly delectable possession. Besides containing some of the choicest stories, the book also
includes Maupassant’s first ever
published story Boule de Suif , which is often considered to be his
masterpiece. However, I did come across some typographical errors without which
the read would have been an exceedingly pleasant one.
The style of Maupassant is an intricate amalgamation
of elegance and naivety. He faithfully brings alive the cultures and
predominant colours of his settings. Considered to be the father of modern
short story, Maupassant’s compositions form an assorted lot. The anthology
commences with the brilliant story of Mademoiselle Pearl where the true
identity of the protagonist is revealed through the narration of another
principal character whereby the readers are transported to a Romantic world of
mystery and passion.
While the stories like Madame Husson’s ‘Rosier’
, The Piece of String and Two Little Soldiers exhibit tales of unspoken emotions, stifled
by the fetters of civilised society, the ones like The Olive Orchard
plunge the reader into doleful retrospection and strike a dominant chord. Despite
using lucid language, Maupassant manages to charm his readers with his
dexterous handling of characters and situations. We, as readers, are never
disappointed by the denouement of his stories which are crafted with impeccable
sincerity and justness.
Reviewed by Shimanti Mitra for Dreams and Drama :)
