Bel-Ami

Bel-Ami, by Guy de Maupassant, is a novel which tracks the rise of a young man, Georges Duroy, from near-starvation on the street to a position of great political and financial power at a French newspaper. The story moves very quickly, and there are no wasted scenes. Constantly evoking such themes as betrayal, seduction, and success, Maupassant paints a mesmerizing picture of life in nineteenth century France. This novel's best scenes are the ones dealing with the emotions of individual characters, and the pairs of scenes where the positions of two characters are reversed, which happens often during Duroy's rapid rise to success. These beautifully written sections provide fascinating studies of corruption and desire. All in all, this is a book to read.

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Bel-Ami

Guy de Maupassant

Penguin

9 and up

character study