Guy de Maupassant and the Twist

The French writer Guy de Maupassant is celebrated for his stories with surprising twist endings. His most famous is “The Necklace” (1884), a story about a woman who borrows her rich friend’s gorgeous jeweled necklace for a fancy party. That night she loses the necklace, and out of shame vows to purchase an exact duplicate—her friend will never be the wiser.

In order to afford the diamond-studded replacement, the woman sells everything she owns. It is not nearly enough—she also must borrow...