Guy de Maupassant is known as the best French short-story writer in history. He was born into a minor noble family. His parents sent him to be educated by the church, but he ultimately decided that this life was not for him. He served as a private in the Franco-German War. His father was influential in his early career, helping him get jobs with the Ministry of Marine and the Ministry of Public Instruction.
Maupassant began his writing career as an apprentice under Gustave Flaubert, whose most famous work is Madame Bovary. Flaubert was a friend of Maupassant’s mother, and came to see Maupassant as a son.
Maupassant’s short story “Boule de Suif” was published during his apprenticeship...
