Selected Short Stories, Guy de Maupassant

Maupassant's short stories are very vivid, they were written in the 19th Century and apparently were too risqué for the British at that time. I can see why that would have been, Idyll is still uncomfortable reading (though why is hard to answer) and Boule de Suif has lost none of it's moral arguments; the same distasteful, hypocritical honourability and respectability still pervades. Some of Maupassant's stories are beautifully drawn, the events happen off-screen and we see, not even the aftermath, but relatively small human decisions. All have a moral question or a heartbreaking observation.

For all the worth-while questioning in some of the stories there are some in which the role of men vs. women is problematic - with unflattering stereotypes of both male and female roles. There are probably fewer stories like this though and more which are beautiful and unabashed looks at the way people think, act and justify themselves. Many of the stories are just as relatable now as they were when they were written.