Guy de Maupassant
Full Name and Common Aliases
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant, commonly known as Guy de Maupassant, was a renowned French writer whose mastery of the short story form has left an indelible mark on literature. Often referred to simply as Maupassant, he is celebrated for his keen observation of human nature and his ability to convey complex emotions with clarity and precision.
Birth and Death Dates
Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850, in the picturesque Château de Miromesnil, near Dieppe, France. His life, though prolific in literary output, was tragically short, ending on July 6, 1893, in Paris, France.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Maupassant was a French national, and his professional life was dedicated to the craft of writing. He was a novelist, short story writer, and journalist, whose works have been translated into numerous languages, ensuring his place in the pantheon of great literary figures.
Early Life and Background
Guy de Maupassant was born into a family of minor aristocracy. His parents, Laure Le Poittevin and Gustave de Maupassant, separated when he was young, which had a profound impact on his upbringing. Maupassant was primarily raised by his mother, who was a significant influence on his literary interests. He attended a seminary school briefly before transferring to a lycée in Rouen, where he developed a love for literature and poetry.
After completing his education, Maupassant served in the Franco-Prussian War, an experience that deeply influenced his writing. Following the war, he moved to Paris, where he worked as a civil servant while honing his craft under the mentorship of Gustave Flaubert, a family friend and esteemed novelist.
Major Accomplishments
Maupassant's literary career was marked by his prolific output and the critical acclaim he received during his lifetime. He published over 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. His ability to depict the intricacies of human behavior and the societal norms of his time with both wit and empathy earned him widespread recognition.
His first published story, "Boule de Suif" (1880), was an immediate success and established him as a formidable talent in the literary world. This story, along with others, was included in the anthology "Les Soirées de Médan," which featured works by other prominent writers of the time.
Notable Works or Actions
Among Maupassant's most notable works are his novels "Bel-Ami" (1885) and "Pierre et Jean" (1888), both of which explore themes of ambition, social climbing, and the complexities of human relationships. However, it is his short stories that have cemented his legacy. Stories such as "The Necklace," "The Horla," and "The Piece of String" are celebrated for their narrative economy, psychological depth, and often ironic twists.
Maupassant's writing is characterized by its realism and his ability to capture the essence of everyday life. His stories often reflect the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people, making them relatable and timeless.
Impact and Legacy
Guy de Maupassant's impact on literature is profound. He is often credited with perfecting the short story form, influencing countless writers who followed. His works are studied in schools and universities around the world, and his storytelling techniques continue to inspire modern authors.
Maupassant's exploration of themes such as the futility of war, the hypocrisy of society, and the complexities of human nature resonate with readers to this day. His ability to convey deep truths with simplicity and elegance has ensured that his stories remain relevant and engaging.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Maupassant is widely quoted and remembered for his incisive observations on life and human nature. His quotes often reflect his understanding of the human condition, offering insights that are both profound and accessible. His ability to distill complex emotions and situations into memorable phrases has made his work a rich source of quotes that continue to resonate with readers.
His legacy as a master storyteller and his contributions to the development of the short story genre have ensured that Guy de Maupassant remains a significant figure in literary history. His works continue to be celebrated for their narrative brilliance and their enduring relevance, making him a timeless voice in the world of literature.
Quotes by Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant's insights on:
To contest an author’s right to create a poetic or realistic work is to want to force him to change his temperament, challenge his originality, refuse to allow him to use the eye and the intelligence nature has given him.
But she shook with rage, and got up one of those conjugal scenes which make a peaceable man dread the domestic hearth more than a battlefield where bullets are raining.
She hardly gave a thought to Julien; nothing in him surprised her any longer. But the double treachery of the Countess, her friend, disgusted her. Everyone in the world was a traitor, a liar, a deceiver, and tears came into her eyes. One sometimes weeps over one’s illusions with as much bitterness as over a death.
He was a fat little man with short arms, short legs, a short neck, short nose, short everything in fact.
I reason everything out, and usually analyze my tastes too well to succumb to them blindly. And that’s my chief defect, the real cause of my weakness. But this woman has taken possession of me in spite of myself, in spite of my fear and my knowledge of her; and she possesses me as if she had plucked out, one after the other, my every last aspiration.
I told myself ‘Everything is a being! The shout that passes into the air is an entity like an animal, since it is born, produces a movement, and is again transformed, in order to die. So the fearful mind that believes in incorporeal beings is not wrong. What are they?
She danced with rapture, with passion, intoxicated by pleasure, forgetting all in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness comprised of all this homage, admiration, these awakened desires and of that sense of triumph which is so sweet to woman’s heart.
Horrible, this love to which he was now chained, a love without purpose and without aim, without joy and without triumph, a love that sickened, weakened, laid waste to everything, a love without sweetness and without intoxication, breeding nothing but regret and foreboding, tears and pain, hinting at the ecstasy of shared caresses only by some intolerable longing for kisses not to be wakened on cold lips, sterile and dry as dead leaves.