The Best Short Stories (Classics Library)

I have been in a conversational French class for more than 3 years. A couple of years ago we started a book club also and have been reading books about French life, French food...all things French. This time we are reading this lovely collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant. Each story paints a quaint picture of life in France in the 19th century. Each is a wonderful picture of the culture of France as it was...and often still is today. The book club members will soon pick one of the stories in this book and read it in the French. Wow, we are glad to have the English to begin with.

An interesting and diverse group of stories. Provides a sense of 1880 France.

Great short stories by a master of the genre.

Maupassant is by far the master of the short story. I've read many classics and his stories are, in my opinion, the best. They will sweep you away to another world.

I should have spent a little more and got his complete writings.

good

Why on earth did I not read b Maupassant earlier in my life?

Stories too depressing.

I only bought this as I needed to re-read "Le Horla" - however this edition, depsite being classed as the "best" stories, does NOT include that, which I feel is a bit bizarre, and consequently the title is a bit of a misnomer. However, the price, as with all the Wordsworth editions, is dirt-cheap so I shouldn't really complain, I just wanted to make clear for any other potential readers that that particular story is not included in this collection (and that's why i only gave four stars).

Exactly what I expected.

The stories are readable some not. I think that once again some authors are rated more highly than they should be.

As part of a literature appreciation course, I was recommended to read some short stories by this author. I know little of the period and had never heard of this author. In other books, this publisher has introductions before the main text and I often leave them until the end so that I can form my own opinion without being told what I ought to be thinking. Here I decided to read the introduction and it worked very well, both to position the author in his society and to briefly describe some of the topics covered in a few stories.This collection has 17 stories printed in just under 200 pages, ranging in length from 4 pages up to 34. I can't say whether or not it is the author's "best" short stories but it is certainly a reasonable range - you have to realise that Guy de Maupassant wrote hundreds of stories over a relatively short period so to pick the best ones must be quite a challenge.I thought this was a fantastic translation and I never felt as though it was written in anything other than the natural language.Almost all of the stories are beautifully formed with very satisfying endings although one or two were finished off too abruptly for my taste. They all made me think though.Throughout, the author uses wonderful descriptions of the natural world to create settings, with many small details being included. He seems to be able to perfectly balance tiny fragments of information with very broad brush statements.A couple of the stories didn't engage with me but most of them were amazing. I read each story and then had to stop for a breathe at the end, clear my head and start the next one.

As short story collections go, this wee volume ranks among the very best I’ve ever enjoyed reading (and I have read many).Of the seventeen tales presented, at least seven were truly exceptional to me; both in terms of their mastery of execution, and the sincerity and depth of their emotional effect.Truly these are stories to be savoured. Every meaningful facet of life is explored here: from love, tragedy, comedy, farce, irony, relationships, time and death, to rebirth, war, grief, despair, elation, religion and class disparity. Honestly the list is exhaustive. But somehow Maupassant makes storytelling seem so artfully effortless, all the while pulling us along eagerly for more.I could gush about this book all day. And for less than £2.50, what the hell is the matter with you? Buy it immediately! Time is precious.