Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant
Photograph by Nadar
Born	Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850-08-05)5 August 1850 Tourville-sur-Arques, Normandy, France
Died	6 July 1893(1893-07-06) (aged 42) Passy, Paris, France
Resting place	Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris
Pen name	Guy de Valmont, Joseph Prunier
Occupation	Novelist, short story writer, poet, comedian
Genre	Naturalism, Realism
Signature

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (UK: /ˈmoʊpæsɒ̃/,^[1][2] US: /ˈmoʊpəsɒnt, ˌmoʊpəˈsɒ̃/;^[2][3][4][5] French: [ɡi d(ə) mopasɑ̃]; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story, as well as a representative of the naturalist school, depicting human lives, 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. 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 most famous work.