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Bel-Ami - Douglas Parmée, Guy de Maupassant
Bel-Ami
by: (author) (author)
3.85 260
Guy de Maupassant's scandalous tale of an opportunistic young man corrupted by the allure of power, "Bel-Ami" is translated with an introduction by Douglas Parmee in "Penguin Classics". Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his admirers as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a... show more
Guy de Maupassant's scandalous tale of an opportunistic young man corrupted by the allure of power, "Bel-Ami" is translated with an introduction by Douglas Parmee in "Penguin Classics". Young, attractive and very ambitious, George Duroy, known to his admirers as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie francaise and soon makes a great success of his new career. But he also comes face to face with the realities of the corrupt society in which he lives - the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses and wily financiers - and swiftly learns to become an arch-seducer, blackmailer and social climber in a world where love is only a means to an end. Written when Maupassant was at the height of his powers, "Bel-Ami" is a novel of great frankness and cynicism, but it is also infused with the sheer joy of life - depicting the scenes and characters of Paris in the belle epoque with wit, sensitivity and humanity. Douglas Parmee's translation captures all the vigour and vitality of Maupassant's novel. His introduction explores the similarities between Bel-Ami and Maupassant himself and demonstrates the skill with which the author depicts his large cast of characters and the French society of the Third Republic. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was born in Normandy. By the late 1870s, the first signs of syphilis had appeared, and Maupassant had become Flaubert's pupil in the art of prose. He led a hectic social life, and in 1891, having tried to commit suicide, he was committed to an asylum in Paris, where he died two years later. If you enjoyed "Bel-Ami", you might like William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair", also available in "Penguin Classics".
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Format: paperback
ISBN: 9780140443158 (0140443150)
ASIN: 140443150
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Pages no: 435
Edition language: English
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Community Reviews
Blackbird's Book Blog
Blackbird's Book Blog rated it
4.0 Bel-Ami
A sign of a really good writer is if you end up hating a character as much as I hate the protagonist of this novel. I wanted to see him broke and broken at the end. However, I am wondering about the translation. There were some sentences and phrases that were just too awkward to be anything other...
kneubeck
kneubeck rated it
5.0 Franzosen können doch was ;)
George Duroy kommt aus ärmlichen Bauernverhältnissen, war bei der Armee und will jetzt sein Glück in Paris suchen. So richtig will ihm das aber nicht gelingen. Jeden Monat muss er hungern, bis er einen alten Freund wiedersieht. Charles Forestier besorgt ihm einen Job bei der Zeitung und George schaf...
I, the booklover
I, the booklover rated it
2.0
Ao contrário das muitas opiniões que andam por aí, este clássico foi para mim, de difícil leitura e uma obra que não conseguiu captar o meu interesse.
Lau
Lau rated it
Reseña de Fantasía Mágica3.5Bel Ami es una novela muy curiosa. El protagonista no es el clásico héroe, ni tampoco es un anti-héroe. George Duroy, a quien comienzan a llamar Bel Ami gracias a una niñita (eso me pareció muy simpático), es un personaje que me resultó muy difícil de querer, porque pese ...
Bettie's Books
Bettie's Books rated it
2.0 Bel-Ami
Slurped from Travelling with my Nutty NUUTOpening: After changing his five-franc piece Georges Duroy left the restaurant. He twisted his mustache in military style and cast a rapid, sweeping glance upon the diners, among whom were three saleswomen, an untidy music-teacher of uncertain age, and two ...
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