Bel-Ami (Oxford World's Classics)

I’ve been reading literature for nearly four decades, so it’s a thrill to find a dazzling new (to me) writer. While I’ve enjoyed several of Guy de Maupassant’s short stories, ‘Bel-Ami’ (1885) is the first time I’ve read one of his novels. It’s an amazing piece of work! First of all, Maupassant is a master in scene setting and characterization. In economical prose, he can sketch an entire room, street scene, or character with amazing vividness. In a few details, he conveys human interaction with a bracing sense of reality. His plot is sumptuous, naughty, and keeps you turning pages briskly. While Maupassant is collected in Decadent anthologies (and I chose to read him because of that), I can’t say he’s a Decadent. Sure, his protagonist Georges Duroy is a vicious scoundrel, and his amoral social-climbing in money-grubbing, sex-obsessed capitalist Paris certainly fits Decadent tropes. However, Maupassant conveys none of the lurid fin de siecle angst that fuels Decadent literature. He’s not glorifying Duroy nor condemning him. He's not passing judgement at all. Nor is there any of the social commentary to be found in Naturalists like Zola or sanctimonious do-gooders like Dickens. Maupassant's a Realist, and an extremely rewarding and entertaining one!

This Oxford World Classic version of Maupassant's masterpiece, "Bel Ami", is a complete package of historic and social context, story and glossary. The story itself has been well-reviewed by Amazon readers, so I will only briefly observe here a few salient features of the book that stood out for me.A handsome but amoral young man (Georges Duroy) who has been endowed with an extraordinary load of pheromones, comes to Paris after military service to make his fortune. While not well educated or especially gifted with intellect, he is able to game the corrupt society of the time (circa 1884) using his looks and unfailing attraction for women of all ages and stations. His career rise comes through his ruthless manipulation of successive women, who are mostly very willingly used by Duroy, to attain professional and social standing and money. As this is a very pessimistic assessment of the French Third Republic by author Maupassant, the scoundrel not only wins in the end, but his nakedly open methods to gaining success are admired by the society that he is conquering.This well-translated classic story is accompanied in the Oxford publication by a wonderfully complete introduction by Robert Lethridge, who provides an insightful commentary on the writer as well as explaining the social and political context for "Bel Ami." Lethridge has also compiled the helpful end notes/glossary that explain specific references in the novel.Overall, this is a brilliant piece of writing by Maupassant, well-presented by Oxford Books. It is more than a little uncomfortable to read at times as the main character is such an unredeemable rotten egg, but the story has such power, that it's very hard to put down.

I’ve just started it and it is keeping me interested. I can’t say the same about the forward though.

Good condition when I got it.

This work by Maupassant was beautifully written and smoothly translated. The Oxford World Classics edition comes with explanatory notes in the back to help contextualize the time period, neighborhoods and class distinctions of Paris at that time. I had previously read short stories by Maupassant but never anything of any length. This is a tidy novella of 290 pages. It has a contemporary feel as he explores the psyche of the Georges Duroy, a social climber a/k/a Bel-Ami. As with many classics that have been made into films, the book is far superior to the 2012 movie (with Robert Pattinson), though it is a memorable watch in its own right. This was a great read.

This book is really,really good. I am so happy that I purchased it. It holds your attention through to the end. I originally purchased this book because, being a Robert Pattinson fan, I knew he was making this movie and knew it would be out in the next year or so. Usually books are so much more detailed than the movies that are made from them so I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. This will be a great movie for Robert Pattinson, so many of us women are madly in love with him and Georges is a character who really attracts the women. I just hope Robert will never use women in real life the way Georges does in the book. It is a very exciting story. I recommend that anyone who likes the Victorian Era, and stories about people who want to get to the top. read this book. "It's great!!!"

I've read this book in French as well as English and I DO agree 100% with the other reviewers that this English translation has to be the BEST you can get. It is well worth the extra money. BRAVO! The book is SO MUCH better than the movie. Trust me! The descriptions Maupassant gives the reader are magnificent. Since the other reviewers have given better synopses of the book, I won't, but the story is about a scumbag, but you keep rooting for him despite yourself. I can't believe I just wrote that, but it's true. By all means, if you are in doubt about a wonderful translation, get this one. YOu won't be sorry! I know I wasn't, especially having read the book in French first!

The rise and rise of a sexual opportunist in 1880's Paris. What makes the story so contemporary is that the anti-hero is both contemptible and fascinating, so while acting deplorable you are rooting for him all the way (Tony Soprano, anyone?). Also astonishing is how explicit it is in the sexual behaviour of its protagonists, perhaps not so remarkable for the French, but you would never read of such goings on with such frankness in the contemporary English novel of this period. The first half rambles a bit but is better focused in the second half and improves as it goes along. A relatively unsung masterpiece.

One of Maupassant's best novels and a sharp insight into the adulterous love affairs of late 19th century Parisian upper class. Quite a revolutionary novel in its explicitness for those times and yet conveying the contemporary winds of change.IMPORTANT: This edition by Oxford World's Classics is Margaret Mauldon's great translation of the full novel. I suggest to avoid the private small publishing companies by all means as those usually are the abridged/shortened versions which are poorly/AI translated.

Questo romanzo racconta l'ascesa al potere del giornalista Georges Duroy da povero ex sottufficiale di cavalleria nelle colonie africane francesi a uno degli uomini di maggior successo a Parigi, la maggior parte dei quali ottiene manipolando una serie di donne potenti, intelligenti e ricche. Una lettura molto interessante e avvincente.

Loved the transaction. Movie was great

Did not hold my attention all of the time

A classic I got it for my housemate