Resumen
Resumen de Bel-Ami o la historia de un canalla
Go deeper: the whole of Bel-Ami o la historia de un canalla
About 3 h 30 min to read.Para quién es
Readers who enjoy portraits of ambition, social climbers in glittering cities, and intrigue in journalism and politics will love this novel. It also suits those drawn to flawed heroes, love affairs, money and society seen with cool clarity.
De qué trata este libro
On June twenty-eighth, Georges Duroy has only three francs left to last the month. That means two dinners and no lunches, or two lunches and no dinners. He walks the Paris boulevards with a soldier's stride, glaring at every man who can afford a glass of beer. He passes the Café Americain and walks on, because he knows he would drink and have nothing left. Then a face from his old regiment comes back to him out of the crowd.
Bel Ami is a novel by Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885. It tells how a poor railway clerk with a handsome face and no scruples climbs through the newspaper world of Paris. A small child names him Bel Ami, handsome friend. Maupassant also calls him a scoundrel and never softens the word. You get a close look at ambition in a city of money and appearances.
En este resumen
- 1A hungry soldier finds the way inFree
- 2A man who cannot write finds help
- 3Flattery, pears and a duel
- 4A sickroom shows him what he wants
- 5Women become the steps of his ladder
- 6Money, rank and appearances rule Paris
- 7Mirrors, death and a cool narrator
Idea clave 1 de 7
A hungry soldier finds the way in
The novel opens with a man counting coins. Georges Duroy must choose between a beer tonight and a meal tomorrow. He scowls at the men at the café tables and mutters that they are scoundrels. Maupassant lets you feel his hunger and his anger in the first pages.
Duroy has little education and no connections. He spent two years in Africa with the hussars, where he and two friends raided Arab villages for chickens and money. Now he works in a railway office for fifteen hundred francs a year. His one asset is his looks, tall, fair and mustached, like the hero of a cheap romance.
Then he recognizes Charles Forestier, a former comrade who now runs the political section of a newspaper called La Vie Française. Forestier looks Duroy over like a buyer inspecting goods. Never reveal what you do not know, he says, and you can pass for learned. He lends Duroy two gold coins for a dinner jacket, because in Paris it is better to have no bed than no clothes.
The next night Duroy climbs the stairs to the Forestiers' flat. On the landing he sees a smart gentleman ahead of him, then realizes it is his own reflection in a tall mirror. The sight pleases him so much that he pauses at every mirror on the way up. At dinner he sits silent until the talk turns to Algeria. There he knows more than anyone, and the table turns to listen. The owner, M. Walter, tells him to call the next afternoon.
Doors open for the man who takes help without shame and carries himself as if he already belongs.
That’s 1 of 7 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Bel-Ami o la historia de un canalla
About 3 h 30 min to read.Who’s who
- Georges Duroy
- A poor former hussar with good looks and no scruples, he wants wealth, rank and a place at the top of Paris.
- Charles Forestier
- An old army comrade turned political journalist, he gives Duroy his first chance and grows ill and bitter.
- Madeleine Forestier
- Charles's clever wife writes much of his work, runs a political circle and wants a marriage of equals.
- Clotilde de Marelle
- A lively, free-spirited married woman, she becomes Duroy's lover and adopts the nickname her daughter gives him.
- M. Walter
- The financier and deputy who owns La Vie Française wants more power and wealth.
- Madame Walter
- The owner's devout, gentle wife takes a liking to Duroy and helps his rise.
- Norbert de Varenne
- An older poet who reminds Duroy that life ends in death and that fame is brief.
- Jacques Rival
- A celebrated writer and duelist, he guides Duroy through his first duel.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 52,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 30 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Bel-Ami o la historia de un canalla
What is Bel Ami about?
It follows Georges Duroy, a poor former soldier, as he rises through the Paris newspaper world using charm, borrowed help and the affection of several women. Maupassant shows a society where appearance and connections count for more than merit.
Why is Georges Duroy called Bel Ami?
Laurine, the small daughter of his lover Madame de Marelle, first calls him Bel Ami, which means handsome friend. Her mother adopts it, and soon people throughout his circle, including his employer, use the name.
Who are the main characters in Bel Ami?
The main figures are Georges Duroy, his friend Charles Forestier, Forestier's wife Madeleine, his lover Clotilde de Marelle, and the newspaper owner M. Walter with his wife. Rival and the poet Varenne appear along the way.
When was Bel Ami written and is it a true story?
Maupassant wrote it in the 1880s as a novel, so the plot is invented. Yet the Paris newspapers, political deals and social habits he describes come from the world he knew, which gives it a convincing ring.
What is the main message of Bel Ami?
The book shows how ambition, charm and appearances can carry a man up in a society that rewards display. Maupassant leaves the judgment to you by showing, scene by scene, what Duroy takes and who pays.
Cite this edition
Maupassant, Guy de. Bel Ami; Or, The History of a Scoundrel. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/bel-ami-or-the-history-of-a-scoundrel.
Maupassant, G. de. (2026). Bel Ami; or, the history of a scoundrel. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bel-ami-or-the-history-of-a-scoundrel (Original work published 1885)
Maupassant, Guy de. Bel Ami; Or, The History of a Scoundrel. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bel-ami-or-the-history-of-a-scoundrel.
@book{maupassant2026bel,
author = {Maupassant, Guy de},
title = {Bel Ami; Or, The History of a Scoundrel},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bel-ami-or-the-history-of-a-scoundrel},
note = {First published 1885}
}
