Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories
b'It was raining as it only rains in Normandy, as though great gouts of water were being sprayed by some angry, giant hand.'/b

Maupassant believed that we delude ourselves into believing that we are not animals acting upon instinct but rational creatures capable of idealistic beliefs and actions and survive only on the drug of self-deception. Maupassant's disgust with creation was only equalled by his contempt for human hypocrisy, and in these tales he takes a scalpel to our illusions and cuts to the bone. But his clinical pessimism is redeemed by a sense of the absurd and a warmer compassion for 'humanity bleeding'. Unsentimental but always honest, he persuades us that life is an incomprehensible, cosmic farce.

This translation of twenty tales shows Maupassant at his bitter, bawdy, chilling best. It features some of his grimmest and most famous stories such as A Vendetta and The Grove of Olives, and it also reflects both his moods and his mastery of the short story. The Little Keg is rich in comic invention, while the disturbing Who Can Tell? draws its power from the strange forces which drove its author into madness.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
1003000700
Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories
b'It was raining as it only rains in Normandy, as though great gouts of water were being sprayed by some angry, giant hand.'/b

Maupassant believed that we delude ourselves into believing that we are not animals acting upon instinct but rational creatures capable of idealistic beliefs and actions and survive only on the drug of self-deception. Maupassant's disgust with creation was only equalled by his contempt for human hypocrisy, and in these tales he takes a scalpel to our illusions and cuts to the bone. But his clinical pessimism is redeemed by a sense of the absurd and a warmer compassion for 'humanity bleeding'. Unsentimental but always honest, he persuades us that life is an incomprehensible, cosmic farce.

This translation of twenty tales shows Maupassant at his bitter, bawdy, chilling best. It features some of his grimmest and most famous stories such as A Vendetta and The Grove of Olives, and it also reflects both his moods and his mastery of the short story. The Little Keg is rich in comic invention, while the disturbing Who Can Tell? draws its power from the strange forces which drove its author into madness.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories

Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories

by Guy de Maupassant, David Coward
Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories

Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories

by Guy de Maupassant, David Coward

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Overview

b'It was raining as it only rains in Normandy, as though great gouts of water were being sprayed by some angry, giant hand.'/b

Maupassant believed that we delude ourselves into believing that we are not animals acting upon instinct but rational creatures capable of idealistic beliefs and actions and survive only on the drug of self-deception. Maupassant's disgust with creation was only equalled by his contempt for human hypocrisy, and in these tales he takes a scalpel to our illusions and cuts to the bone. But his clinical pessimism is redeemed by a sense of the absurd and a warmer compassion for 'humanity bleeding'. Unsentimental but always honest, he persuades us that life is an incomprehensible, cosmic farce.

This translation of twenty tales shows Maupassant at his bitter, bawdy, chilling best. It features some of his grimmest and most famous stories such as A Vendetta and The Grove of Olives, and it also reflects both his moods and his mastery of the short story. The Little Keg is rich in comic invention, while the disturbing Who Can Tell? draws its power from the strange forces which drove its author into madness.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780198884958
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 06/14/2024
Series: Oxford World's Classics Series
Pages: 256
Sales rank: 790,895
Product dimensions: 7.80(w) x 5.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Guy de Maupassant

David Coward writes widely on the history, literature, and culture of France. A regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, London Review of Books, and national newspapers, he won the Scott-Moncrieff Prize for Translation in 1996. He is the author of A History of French Literature (2002), and for Oxford World's Classics has translated and edited works by Dumas, Diderot, Sade, and Beaumarchais.

Table of Contents

IntroductionSelect BibliographyChronology of Guy de MaupassantShepherd's LeapMademoiselle FifiCall it Madness? Two FriendsAt SeaThe Tribulations of Walter SchnaffsMiss HarrietA DuelA VendettaThe ModelMother SavageThe Little KegThe DowryThe BequestMonsieur ParentThe Business of LatinMadame Husson's May KingHautot and SonThe Grove of OlivesWho Can Tell? Explanatory Notes
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