Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant ( August 5 1850 – July 6 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, seemingly 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 300 short stories, six novels, three
travel books, and one volume of verse. His first published story, "Boule
de Suif" ("The Dumpling", 1880), is often considered his
masterpiece.