Bel Ami (Illustrated)

We read this in our book club- every had this version and some read it on the Kindle and this translation was very lacking- written in a very wooden style that lacks any flow whatsoever. I have the feeling that a lot of the descriptive parts are missing as well :-(!

De Maupassant's classic remains shocking today, almost 130 years after publication, and is shockingly contemporary in some ways. What's shocking in this tale of a young man on the make is the complete amorality of the central character, and, indeed, of most of the characters in the book. And what's contemporary is the same thing. The ways and means of chasing success have changed since de Maupassant's time, but the compulsion to succeed -- at any cost to any one -- remains very much in place."Bel Ami" traces the career of Georges Duroy, an ex-solider from the provinces who comes to Paris to make his fortune. At first, he has no contacts and no skills, but he does have a handsome face and a quick mind. Through an accidental meeting with an old comrade-in-arms, he gets a chance at a newspaper job, and the friend's wife helps him clinch the job with a well written article. From there on in it it's onward and upward, as Georges uses his attractiveness to women to advance himself socially and professionally. When a women ceases to be useful, he ends the connection and moves on to the next, until, at the end of the novel --- well, no spoilers here.Duroy never suffers any qualms of conscience about the women he seduces (and abandons) or the men he cuckolds. Where a reader looks for some effort at self-justification, there is a deafening silence. For example, remember Gordon Gecko's "Greed is Good"? Duroy doesn't even argue that his doings are OK, he just does them. Most of the other characters are equally amoral. They use their professional positions, their social contacts, and their lovers to get them more money and more power. And most don't seem to think the worse of anyone else for acting this way: indeed, they expect it.As to the book's surprisingly contemporary echoes, it's about ambition. The electronic world has replaced the social world as a route to quick-time fame and fortune (think reality TV) and the roles of men and women are much less differentiated than they were. But individual ambition that becomes its own justification, and takes no account of the damage it has done, remains very much with us.As a novel, this one works like a charm. The story keeps pulling the reader along, as -- even though it is hard to like any of the characters very much -- you get very curious about what will happen to them. Historically, it provides a vivid look at Third Republic Paris, full of glamor, glitter, and what de Maupassant called a "rather smutty elegance". (The book has no overt sex, but there is a lot going on just offstage-- one sees why the 19th century English found the 19th century French so shocking). An excellent novel, and an enjoyable read despite its age.

I read the book in French, when I was only ten years old. It was in my mom's library and I was told that under no circumstances am I to read the books that were in the upper shelve, because I was under age and will not understand it and...they were not proper for a young girl to read. Naturally, I read every one of her books, there in the upper shelves, including Madam Bovary, Beware of Pity and Nana.I loved "Bel Ami" then and I loved it even more as a grown up.Since I purchased the book from Amazon, this time in English, I have read it twice.I love classical literature and this one is truly a pleasure to read.It also teaches one, that nothing really changed in the game of love, affairs, conceit and betrayal.Alizia Gur Schrager

Many older books hold up very well despite the decade or even the century they were created. Thus they become classics. Unfortunately I did not feel the same about this one.It kept me somewhat interested in the eventual outcomes of the various characters, but after a while I grew bored of the prevailing soap-opera atmosphere and just longed to finish it.The illustrations are okay but nothing spectacular. In fact they looked like drawings taken from stills of the recent film.I have archived it from my Kindle and won't be re-reading it anytime soon.

I seriously loved this. Even though it was written so long ago it was very readable and interesting. Great story and a great character that is still relevant today. I read this then read other things by this author and although some were good this is the best. Loved the writing style and use of language. Seems themes of love, money, etc are truly timeless.