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Original Short Stories — Volume 08

by Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893)

  • Free to read
  • 3 hours to read
  • 19 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"Original Short Stories — Volume 08" by Guy de Maupassant is a collection of short stories compiled in the late 19th century. This volume includes a variety of narratives that delve into themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, showcasing Maupassant's rich storytelling abilities. The opening stories unfold vivid characters and poignant moments, such as the bittersweet reminiscences of a childhood friendship and the delicate interplay of love and societal norms. The beginning of the volume introduces several characters, starting with a nostalgic narrative centered around an old seamstress named Mother Clochette, who profoundly impacts a young narrator's life with her stories and warmth. This memory transitions to a distressing moment of loss as the narrator discovers her lifeless body, setting a melancholic tone. Following this, a series of tales like "The Kiss" and "The Legion of Honor" explore personal relationships and societal pretensions, revealing the intricacies of human emotions and desires. Overall, the opening portion establishes an engaging blend of emotional depth and social commentary, reflecting Maupassant's mastery in capturing the essence of human experiences.

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  • Short stories, French · Translations into English

Read the opening

Clochette

How strange those old recollections are which haunt us, without our being able to get rid of them.

This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung so vividly and tenaciously to my memory. Since then I have seen so many sinister things, which were either affecting or terrible, that I am astonished at not being able to pass a single day without the face of Mother Bellflower recurring to my mind's eye, just as I knew her formerly, now so long ago, when I was ten or twelve years old.

She was an old seamstress who came to my parents' house once a week, every Thursday, to mend the linen. My parents lived in one of those country houses called chateaux, which are merely old houses with gable roofs, to which are attached three or four farms lying around them.

The village, a large village, almost a market town, was a few hundred yards away, closely circling the church, a red brick church, black with age.

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Contents

  1. Volume VIII
  2. Clochette
  3. The Kiss
  4. How He Got the Legion of Honor
  5. The Test
  6. Found on a Drowned Man
  7. The Orphan
  8. The Beggar
  9. The Rabbit
  10. His Avenger
  11. My Uncle Jules
  12. The Model
  13. A Vagabond
  14. The Fishing Hole
  15. The Spasm
  16. In the Wood
  17. Martine
  18. All Over
  19. The Parrot
  20. The Piece of String

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About this edition

This free edition of Original Short Stories — Volume 08 by Guy de Maupassant comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #3084, released 2004-10-03. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Short Stories, French Literature.

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