Riassunto
Trama e riassunto di Bel-Ami, ovvero la storia di un farabutto
Go deeper: the whole of Bel-Ami, ovvero la storia di un farabutto
About 3 h 30 min to read.A chi è rivolto
For readers who love sharp social comedy, stories of ambition, and Paris in the nineteenth century, and anyone curious about the mingling of journalism and politics.
Che cos’è questo libro
A handsome face and a few coins in his pocket: Georges Duroy walks the streets of Paris one summer evening. Guy de Maupassant published Bel Ami in 1885, and it follows a poor former cavalry soldier into the world of newspapers, salons and money. Editors sell opinions. Politicians trade on rumor. Wives steer their husbands. Maupassant tells it without sermons. He lets the facts of Duroy's rise speak, and he leaves the judging to you.
In questo riassunto
- 1A penniless sergeant walks the boulevardsFree
- 2An old comrade opens the first door
- 3Madeleine Forestier teaches him to write
- 4Clotilde's daughter gives him his nickname
- 5The newspaper is a machine for power
- 6Duroy learns that charm is a currency
- 7Madame Walter and the conquest of the devout
- 8What the story is really about
- 9How Maupassant tells the story
Punto chiave 1 di 9
A penniless sergeant walks the boulevards
The novel opens on a summer evening in Paris. Georges Duroy has paid for his dinner and has only a few coins left. He is tall and handsome, with a curled moustache and the walk of a soldier.
He works as a railway clerk and hates it. He dreams of money, fine clothes and admiring women. Maupassant shows his hunger in small details, such as how he debates whether to spend on a glass of beer.
Wanting is the engine of the whole book. Then Duroy spots a familiar face from his army days, and a door opens in front of him.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Go deeper: the whole of Bel-Ami, ovvero la storia di un farabutto
About 3 h 30 min to read.Who’s who
- Georges Duroy
- A handsome, penniless former cavalry sergeant who seeks wealth and influence through journalism and useful relationships.
- Charles Forestier
- Duroy's former army comrade is now a newspaper editor who introduces him to influential acquaintances.
- Madeleine Forestier
- Charles's politically astute wife helps Duroy write and introduces him to the workings of influential society.
- Clotilde de Marelle
- A lively married woman in the Forestiers' circle, she becomes Duroy's lover while maintaining her independence.
- Monsieur Walter
- The owner of La Vie Française employs Duroy and uses his newspaper to advance business and political interests.
- Madame Walter
- Monsieur Walter's devout wife keeps apart from the newspaper circle's loose manners and attracts Duroy's calculating attention.
- Norbert de Varenne
- An aging poet associated with the newspaper, he offers Duroy a bleak perspective on ambition and mortality.
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, ovvero la storia di un farabutto
What is Bel Ami about?
Bel Ami follows Georges Duroy, a poor former soldier in Paris who uses his looks and charm, and the help of clever women, to rise through journalism, politics and high society, whatever the cost to others.
What does Bel Ami mean?
It is the nickname a small girl, Laurine, gives to Georges Duroy, and it follows him through society as a sign of his charm.
Is Bel Ami based on a true story?
It is a work of fiction, published in 1885. Maupassant drew on his own years as a journalist and on the Paris press and politics he knew, so the world feels real.
Is Bel Ami hard to read?
No. The prose is clear and direct, the chapters move quickly, and the plot is easy to follow.
What is the main message of Bel Ami?
Maupassant shows a society that rewards charm, flattery and connections more than honesty or talent. He does not state a moral, but the story invites you to question who wins in such a world and why.