《两兄弟》写的是一笔遗产的赠与给一个平静家庭带来的风波。它在心理分析的真实和深刻方面堪称一绝。
《如死一般强》的主人公贝尔丹是个富有的名画家，五十来岁，十几年来爱着被丈夫冷落的漂亮女人吉罗瓦伯爵夫人，伯爵夫人也很看得自己与画家的情人关系。莫泊桑在书中探索的是中老年人并未失去恋爱的动力，在特殊的情景下爆发出的爱情力量不亚于死神的力量。
《我们的心》以法国上流社会的沙龙为描绘背景，反映了男主人公马里奥尔和女主人公比尔内等上流社会男男女女的感情生活，堪称爱情心理小说的杰作。
《我们的心》以法国上流社会的沙龙为描绘背景，反映了男主人公马里奥尔和女主人公比尔内等上流社会男男女女的感情生活，堪称爱情心理小说的杰作。
情人之间的爱情真的可以永远不变吗？这也许是一个永远没有答案的问题...
感情这东西，又有谁能控制？谁又能说得清楚？
十二年的爱情，曾经的痴缠.牵挂.爱恋.那样的真真切切，那样美，那样幸福...走到后来，他，却还是敌不过瞬间闯入的---青春的诱惑. 火焰，跳动着，吞噬着那些记录爱语点滴的信......一同化作灰烬的还有安妮的心.
在他生命的尽头，伴在床前的这个女人，曾经是他最挚爱的情人.她那曾经年轻的生命，带给过他无限的温暖，爱情，欣喜，牵挂，惆怅...
那一份真挚的感情，同样也是她的全心付出，她将心底最柔软的地方都装满了他.....而今，青春不在的她，已不再是，他心里的唯一.....
这样一份经过岁月沉淀的情，原来，也会随着她的美貌消逝而消亡！
轻叹，男人的心啊！
窗外，几许细雨敲窗......
听见了心碎..心碎..的声音，是安妮？还是自己？
感情这东西，又有谁能控制？谁又能说得清楚？
十二年的爱情，曾经的痴缠.牵挂.爱恋.那样的真真切切，那样美，那样幸福...走到后来，他，却还是敌不过瞬间闯入的---青春的诱惑. 火焰，跳动着，吞噬着那些记录爱语点滴的信......一同化作灰烬的还有安妮的心.
在他生命的尽头，伴在床前的这个女人，曾经是他最挚爱的情人.她那曾经年轻的生命，带给过他无限的温暖，爱情，欣喜，牵挂，惆怅...
那一份真挚的感情，同样也是她的全心付出，她将心底最柔软的地方都装满了他.....而今，青春不在的她，已不再是，他心里的唯一.....
这样一份经过岁月沉淀的情，原来，也会随着她的美貌消逝而消亡！
轻叹，男人的心啊！
窗外，几许细雨敲窗......
听见了心碎..心碎..的声音，是安妮？还是自己？
小说以女主人公克莉丝蒂娜的爱情遭遇为主线，忠实生动地叙述了封建贵族阶级没落、资产阶级兴起的新旧交替过程。作者运用轻快灵活的笔法，塑造了贵族阶级、资产阶级、法国外省富裕农民及医生等鲜明的人物形象，对人物的内心活动进行细致入微的描述，并结合人物的心理变化来写景抒情，从而使这些人物，即使是次要人物，也个个活灵活现，神形兼备。
《漂亮朋友》是莫泊桑最重要和最成功的小说。一是它揭露了法国新闻界操纵法国金融事业、制造舆论、实现倒阁阴谋的黑幕。报纸这种干预政治和经济生活的现象，在当时的欧洲具有普遍性，可是在文学中却从来没有作家描写过，可见莫泊桑的胆识，因此他遭到了强烈的攻讦。二是小说的矛头指向了八十年代初法国的殖民地政策，尤其针对法国对突尼斯的政治、军事和经济的控制。当时，法国的一些政界人物从突尼斯政局的变幻引起的交易所行情的波动中大发横财。这一内容在法国乃至欧洲十九世纪的小说中几乎是绝无仅有的。三是小说塑造了一个现代冒险家的典型——杜洛瓦。这种人物与十九世纪前期的野心家典型既有相同之处，也有所不同。相同的是他们都要往上爬。不同的是，杜洛瓦利用女人作为往上爬的阶梯，最终成为财阀。成功的现代冒险家是以经济寡头的面目为其特征的，杜洛瓦就是他们的代表。从上述三个方面来看，莫泊桑对政治问题的敏感、对经济生活的洞察之深、对新出现的人物类型的把握都显示了不同凡响的才能。《漂亮朋友》不愧为一部优秀的现实主义小说，即使从世界文学史来看，也算得上一部杰作。
Synopsis
The story chronicles Georges Duroy's corrupt rise to power from a poor ex-NCO to one of the most successful men in Paris, most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy mistresses.
The novel is set in Paris in the upper-middle class environment of the leading journalists of the newspaper La Vie Française and their friends. It tells the story of Georges Duroy, who has spent three years of military service in Algeria. After six months working as clerk in Paris, an encounter with his former comrade, Forestier, enables him to start a career as a journalist. From a reporter of minor events and soft news, he gradually climbs his way up to chief editor. Duroy initially owes his success to Forestier’s wife who helps him write his first articles and, when he later starts writing lead articles, she adds an edge and poignancy to them. At the same time, she uses her connections among leading politicians to provide him with behind the scenes information which allows him to become actively involved in politics. Duroy is also introduced to many politicians in Mme Forestier’s drawing-room. Duroy becomes the lover of Forestiers' friend Mme de Marelle, another influential woman. Duroy later tries to seduce Madeleine Forestier to get even with her husband, but she repulses Duroy’s sexual advances and offers that they become true friends without ulterior motives instead.
In a few months, Charles Forestier’s health deteriorates and he travels to the south of France to regain his health. Soon afterwards, Duroy receives a letter from Madeleine imploring him to come to join her and help her bear the last moments of her husband’s life. As Forestier dies, Duroy asks Madeleine to marry him. After a few weeks to consider, she agrees. Georges now signs his articles Du Roy in order to add prestige to his name. The married couple travel to Normandy, the region of Georges’s childhood, and meet his peasant parents. Finding the reality different than her romantic expectations, Madeleine feels very uncomfortable with his parents and so their stay with them is short. In the newspaper office, Duroy is ridiculed for having his articles written by his wife, just as the late Forestier had his articles written by her. His newspaper colleagues call him ‘Forestier’, which drives Georges mad and he suddenly becomes heavily jealous of Madeleine, insisting that she admit having been unfaithful to Forestier. However, she never admits that.
In order to suppress the stings of jealousy, Duroy starts an affair with Mme Walter, the wife of the owner of the newspaper. He especially enjoys the conquest as he is her first extramarital lover. Later on, he regrets the decision however, for he cannot get rid of her when he does not want her. Du Roy’s relations with his wife gets chillier and chillier and in Chapter Eight of Part Two he takes a police superintendent to come with him to a flat in which his wife is meeting a minister. They catch the two in the act of adultery, which was then a crime punishable by law.
In the last two chapters Du Roy’s ascent to power is further continued. Du Roy, now a single man, makes use of Susanne Walter's, his chief’s daughter’s, infatuation with him, and arranges an elopement with her. The parents then have no other choice but to grant their assent to the marriage. The last chapter shows Du Roy savouring his success at the wedding ceremony at which 'all those who figured prominently in society' were present. His thoughts, however, chiefly belong to Mme de Marelle who, when wishing him all the best, indicates that she has forgiven him for his new marriage and that their intimate meetings can be taken up again.
Symbols
There are a few symbols in the novel. The chief character’s name and nicknames are among them. The daughter of Mme. Marelle first calls him "Bel Ami" which continues to be the nickname used by the women he uses. Duroy starts to sign his articles Du Roy when he is about to marry Madeleine Forestier, ‘roi’ (the same pronunciation) meaning a king. Duroy thus supplants his former friend, the one who enabled his career in journalism in the first place. The articles he then writes with his wife’s help are considered as good as those produced (officially) by Charles Forestier but ‘more factual, more vigorous, more virile’. Seeing that Madeleine was the one who has cowritten the articles of both Charles and Georges, the latter is spitefully addressed ‘Forestier’ by his colleagues; however, fortunately for him, his affairs remain always hidden. Duroy’s moustache is another symbol of his sexual prowess: it is this that women are said to find impossible to resist about him. The painting Monsieur Louis Pascal by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is said to depict the character Duroy in Bel Ami.
Duroy's room at the beginning of the novel overlooks a train tunnel, and he watches the trains going in and out of the tunnel - little wonder he's always thinking about sex.
Form of the novel and comparison with Nana
The novel is composed of episodic chapters which frequently represent individual rungs of the social ladder that Duroy climbs. Thus one chapter is focused on a duel he has to undergo in order to defend the good name of Vie Francaise; another on the witnessing the death of a colleague of his (Forestier) which clears the way for his ascent within the newspaper; yet another tells of the preparation and realization of the discovery of Madeleine’s adultery which enables Duroy to make a more satisfying match with his chief’s daughter. There is no one to match Duroy’s appeal to women – just as there is no one in Nana to compete with the chief character’s mastery over the other sex. Analogously, no single character is immune to the sexual attraction that Duroy in Bel Ami and Nana in Nana inspire in the members of the opposite sex. What further connects these two chief characters of two realistic novels is that their origins are humble: Nana is born in a working-class family on the outskirts of Paris while Georges Duroy comes from a poor peasant family in Normandy. Considering the character's background and the quality of education that he received, the talents that he is endowed with which, together with the favours of women, enable his social rise are then all the more astonishing and difficult to believe.
List of characters
* Georges Duroy (Du Roy), an ex-soldier, journalist and a social climber
* Charles Forestier, Duroy's former friend in the army, a journalist
* Madeleine Forestier (Du Roy), Charles's and later Georges's wife who helps her husbands write their articles and has lots of connections among the powerful
* Monsieur Laroche-Mathieu, a friend of Madeleine Forestier, a deputy, later a minister who owes his position and sudden wealth to Vie Francaise, Madeleine Forestier's lover
* Comte de Vaudrec, an old longtime friend and protector and probably also lover of Madeleine Forestier (Du Roy)
* Clotilde de Marelle, the Forestiers' friend whose husband, a railway inspector, is away for long periods of time frequently
* Laurine de Marelle, their young daughter, who comes up with the nickname Bel Ami.
* Jacques Rival, a journalist
* Norbert de Varenne, an old single bitter life-tired poet who is among the Vie Francaise staff
* Monsieur Walter, the owner and chief editor of the Vie Francaise
* Virginie Walter, his wife, later Duroy's lover
* Suzanne Walter, their marriageable daughter, later Madame Du Roy
* Rachel, a prostitute to whom Georges turns in times of financial crisis
Synopsis
The story chronicles Georges Duroy's corrupt rise to power from a poor ex-NCO to one of the most successful men in Paris, most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy mistresses.
The novel is set in Paris in the upper-middle class environment of the leading journalists of the newspaper La Vie Française and their friends. It tells the story of Georges Duroy, who has spent three years of military service in Algeria. After six months working as clerk in Paris, an encounter with his former comrade, Forestier, enables him to start a career as a journalist. From a reporter of minor events and soft news, he gradually climbs his way up to chief editor. Duroy initially owes his success to Forestier’s wife who helps him write his first articles and, when he later starts writing lead articles, she adds an edge and poignancy to them. At the same time, she uses her connections among leading politicians to provide him with behind the scenes information which allows him to become actively involved in politics. Duroy is also introduced to many politicians in Mme Forestier’s drawing-room. Duroy becomes the lover of Forestiers' friend Mme de Marelle, another influential woman. Duroy later tries to seduce Madeleine Forestier to get even with her husband, but she repulses Duroy’s sexual advances and offers that they become true friends without ulterior motives instead.
In a few months, Charles Forestier’s health deteriorates and he travels to the south of France to regain his health. Soon afterwards, Duroy receives a letter from Madeleine imploring him to come to join her and help her bear the last moments of her husband’s life. As Forestier dies, Duroy asks Madeleine to marry him. After a few weeks to consider, she agrees. Georges now signs his articles Du Roy in order to add prestige to his name. The married couple travel to Normandy, the region of Georges’s childhood, and meet his peasant parents. Finding the reality different than her romantic expectations, Madeleine feels very uncomfortable with his parents and so their stay with them is short. In the newspaper office, Duroy is ridiculed for having his articles written by his wife, just as the late Forestier had his articles written by her. His newspaper colleagues call him ‘Forestier’, which drives Georges mad and he suddenly becomes heavily jealous of Madeleine, insisting that she admit having been unfaithful to Forestier. However, she never admits that.
In order to suppress the stings of jealousy, Duroy starts an affair with Mme Walter, the wife of the owner of the newspaper. He especially enjoys the conquest as he is her first extramarital lover. Later on, he regrets the decision however, for he cannot get rid of her when he does not want her. Du Roy’s relations with his wife gets chillier and chillier and in Chapter Eight of Part Two he takes a police superintendent to come with him to a flat in which his wife is meeting a minister. They catch the two in the act of adultery, which was then a crime punishable by law.
In the last two chapters Du Roy’s ascent to power is further continued. Du Roy, now a single man, makes use of Susanne Walter's, his chief’s daughter’s, infatuation with him, and arranges an elopement with her. The parents then have no other choice but to grant their assent to the marriage. The last chapter shows Du Roy savouring his success at the wedding ceremony at which 'all those who figured prominently in society' were present. His thoughts, however, chiefly belong to Mme de Marelle who, when wishing him all the best, indicates that she has forgiven him for his new marriage and that their intimate meetings can be taken up again.
Symbols
There are a few symbols in the novel. The chief character’s name and nicknames are among them. The daughter of Mme. Marelle first calls him "Bel Ami" which continues to be the nickname used by the women he uses. Duroy starts to sign his articles Du Roy when he is about to marry Madeleine Forestier, ‘roi’ (the same pronunciation) meaning a king. Duroy thus supplants his former friend, the one who enabled his career in journalism in the first place. The articles he then writes with his wife’s help are considered as good as those produced (officially) by Charles Forestier but ‘more factual, more vigorous, more virile’. Seeing that Madeleine was the one who has cowritten the articles of both Charles and Georges, the latter is spitefully addressed ‘Forestier’ by his colleagues; however, fortunately for him, his affairs remain always hidden. Duroy’s moustache is another symbol of his sexual prowess: it is this that women are said to find impossible to resist about him. The painting Monsieur Louis Pascal by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is said to depict the character Duroy in Bel Ami.
Duroy's room at the beginning of the novel overlooks a train tunnel, and he watches the trains going in and out of the tunnel - little wonder he's always thinking about sex.
Form of the novel and comparison with Nana
The novel is composed of episodic chapters which frequently represent individual rungs of the social ladder that Duroy climbs. Thus one chapter is focused on a duel he has to undergo in order to defend the good name of Vie Francaise; another on the witnessing the death of a colleague of his (Forestier) which clears the way for his ascent within the newspaper; yet another tells of the preparation and realization of the discovery of Madeleine’s adultery which enables Duroy to make a more satisfying match with his chief’s daughter. There is no one to match Duroy’s appeal to women – just as there is no one in Nana to compete with the chief character’s mastery over the other sex. Analogously, no single character is immune to the sexual attraction that Duroy in Bel Ami and Nana in Nana inspire in the members of the opposite sex. What further connects these two chief characters of two realistic novels is that their origins are humble: Nana is born in a working-class family on the outskirts of Paris while Georges Duroy comes from a poor peasant family in Normandy. Considering the character's background and the quality of education that he received, the talents that he is endowed with which, together with the favours of women, enable his social rise are then all the more astonishing and difficult to believe.
List of characters
* Georges Duroy (Du Roy), an ex-soldier, journalist and a social climber
* Charles Forestier, Duroy's former friend in the army, a journalist
* Madeleine Forestier (Du Roy), Charles's and later Georges's wife who helps her husbands write their articles and has lots of connections among the powerful
* Monsieur Laroche-Mathieu, a friend of Madeleine Forestier, a deputy, later a minister who owes his position and sudden wealth to Vie Francaise, Madeleine Forestier's lover
* Comte de Vaudrec, an old longtime friend and protector and probably also lover of Madeleine Forestier (Du Roy)
* Clotilde de Marelle, the Forestiers' friend whose husband, a railway inspector, is away for long periods of time frequently
* Laurine de Marelle, their young daughter, who comes up with the nickname Bel Ami.
* Jacques Rival, a journalist
* Norbert de Varenne, an old single bitter life-tired poet who is among the Vie Francaise staff
* Monsieur Walter, the owner and chief editor of the Vie Francaise
* Virginie Walter, his wife, later Duroy's lover
* Suzanne Walter, their marriageable daughter, later Madame Du Roy
* Rachel, a prostitute to whom Georges turns in times of financial crisis
莫泊桑被誉为“短篇小说之王”，在文学史上与契诃夫齐名。对于中国的小读者而言，莫泊桑的小说是他们了解法国历史和社会的窗口。本书选注了莫泊桑的几十篇短篇小说。所选篇目是作家不同时期、不同题材的作品，具有代表性，以便读者了解莫泊桑创作的人物长廊中不同的文学形象。
导语：莫泊桑的小说，多是批判现实主义的作品，充满了讽刺和悲观的色调。它们之所以受到广泛的喜爱和赞赏，在于各个形象的真实性和作家描写手法的精妙。莫泊桑始终坚持取材于平凡而真实的生活，对细节描写执著而传神，使读者感同身受。在写作技巧方面也以精确为准则。他的作品重视结构的布局，行文波澜起伏，引人入胜，故事情节巧妙真实，结局出人意料，而又在情理之中。此外，莫泊桑尤其擅于用洗练的笔墨揭示人物内心世界。他所塑造的艺术形象，无论是贵族、神父、军官、还是妓女、渔民、流浪汉，都鲜明生动，栩栩如生，在文学史上闪烁着动人的光辉。
莫泊桑只活了四十三岁。在他短暂的写作生涯中，他创作了大量精彩的短篇小说。本书从中精选了适合中小学生阅读的代表作，在忠实于原著的基础上进行了适度的改写。为了帮助大家更好地了解莫泊桑和他的创作，本书收录了莫泊桑去世后左拉在他的葬礼上所致的悼词，列于书尾。
导语：莫泊桑的小说，多是批判现实主义的作品，充满了讽刺和悲观的色调。它们之所以受到广泛的喜爱和赞赏，在于各个形象的真实性和作家描写手法的精妙。莫泊桑始终坚持取材于平凡而真实的生活，对细节描写执著而传神，使读者感同身受。在写作技巧方面也以精确为准则。他的作品重视结构的布局，行文波澜起伏，引人入胜，故事情节巧妙真实，结局出人意料，而又在情理之中。此外，莫泊桑尤其擅于用洗练的笔墨揭示人物内心世界。他所塑造的艺术形象，无论是贵族、神父、军官、还是妓女、渔民、流浪汉，都鲜明生动，栩栩如生，在文学史上闪烁着动人的光辉。
莫泊桑只活了四十三岁。在他短暂的写作生涯中，他创作了大量精彩的短篇小说。本书从中精选了适合中小学生阅读的代表作，在忠实于原著的基础上进行了适度的改写。为了帮助大家更好地了解莫泊桑和他的创作，本书收录了莫泊桑去世后左拉在他的葬礼上所致的悼词，列于书尾。