About
Guy de Maupassant, born in 1850 in Normandy, is a major French writer of the 19th century. A protégé of Gustave Flaubert, he gained fame with the short story 'Boule de Suif' (1880). In a decade, he produced about 300 short stories, six novels, including 'Une vie' and 'Bel-Ami', as well as travel books. His realist style and pessimistic vision marked literature. Suffering from syphilis, he descended into madness and died in 1893 in Paris.
* 1850-08-05 — † 1893-07-06
Major works
- Boule de Suif (1880)short story
- Une vie (1883)novel
- Bel-Ami (1885)novel
- Le Horla (1887)short story
- Pierre et Jean (1888)novel
Key milestones
- 1870Served in the Franco-Prussian War, an experience that influenced his work.
- 1880Publication of 'Boule de Suif' in the collective anthology 'Les Soirées de Médan', which made him famous.
- 1892Attempted suicide and was institutionalized in a private asylum in Paris.
Themes
realismpessimismmadnesscondition of womenwar
Sources: britannica.com · europeana.eu