About the author

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (UK: , US: ; French: [ɡi d(ə) mopasɑ̃]; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, and as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives and destinies and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.

Maupassant was a protégé of Gustave Flaubert and his stories are characterized by economy of style and efficient, effortless dénouements (outcomes). Many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s, describing the futility of war and the innocent civilians who, caught up in events beyond their control, are permanently changed by their experiences. He wrote some 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. His first published story, "Boule de Suif" ("Ball of Suet", 1880), is often considered his masterpiece.

He was known to consume hallucinogens and may have drawn on the experience with these substances for his stories. His work has been studied by neuroscientists due to his skill for articulating and analyzing his first hand experiences with different types of hallucinatory phenomena.

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B. J. Harrison Reads The Ball of Fat

Rouen is occupied by the Prussian army and a group of ten residents decides to leave town. Although it is not that easy, they manage to get on a carriage. The group is quite colorful as every person represents a different part of the French population during the Franco-Prussian War of the late 19th century. A prostitute is a part of the group and although the others are filled with prejudices towards her, she is the one who could save them all when they find themselves in a Prussian-held territory. Will she put herself before the others and how will they react to this? Find out in "The Ball of Fat". B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere. Guy de Maupassant was a French author who lived in the period 1850-1893. He is best known for his short stories but he also wrote novels, travel books and poems. His work depicts human lives and social conditions, but often through a pessimistic point of view. His first publication "The Dumpling" (1880) is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Other works by Guy de Maupassant include "Mother Savage", "Bel-Ami" and "The Tellier House". He wrote over 300 short stories during lifetime and as such is called "the father of the modern short story".
8,63  EUR
Audiobook
 
Edition
Printed pages
Publish date03 Dec 2020
Published bySAGA Egmont
Languageeng
ISBN audio9788726574197