Widely regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Short Story’ writing, Guy de Maupassant was one of the greatest French writers in the 19th century. His stories strikingly captured various aspects of day-to-day life in France during that time. Many of his stories were based on the Franco-Prussian War and the lives of innocent people who were caught in it. His writing belonged to the genre of naturalism. He has written more than 300 short stories, six novels, travel books and also a book of poetry. Some of his well-known works include, ‘Boule de Suif', 'Pierre et Jean', 'Bel Ami', ‘La Parure’ , 'Deux Amis', 'Mother Savage', and 'Mademoiselle Fifi'. Soon after graduation, Maupassant served as a volunteer in the Franco-Prussian War, after which he pursued a career as a civil servant working in the Navy Department and the Ministry of Public Instruction. He also wrote under various pen names - Guy de Valmont and Joseph Prunier. Unfortunately, in his 20s he began to suffer from syphilis, which caused him much mental agony and trouble for the rest of his living years.
