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The Complete Works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 2 (1917): Mad, and Short Stories
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2006
15 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Guy de Maupassant
7,487 books3,047 followersHenri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer. He is one of the fathers of the modern short story. A protege of Flaubert, Maupassant's short stories are characterized by their economy of style and their efficient effortless dénouement. He also wrote six short novels. A number of his stories often denote the futility of war and the innocent civilians who get crushed in it - many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 7, 2025
Mad by Guy de Maupassant
Am I mad? This is an interesting debut to a story. The narrator is in love, which Charlie aka Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor says “is only temporary”.
The hero of Mad is jealous and suffers for it, enough to consider his crime justified. The woman he loves seems to have grown tired of him, at least in his imagination. “A rapid fire is consuming “the mad man.
“Leave me alone „she says.
At point he says “I am not insane” …when you doubt your sanity, it is obviously not good…on the other hand, crazy people are sure they are all right. “That guy is crazy- he thinks he is Napoleon…but I am Napoleon.”
Later on, he swears he is not insane, but was jealous of…the wind which touched her face, the saddle on which she stayed, the branches. I was jealous some time ago and I remember the feeling…I did feel crazy.
The description is very vivid and the story is very good. I empathized with the main character, up to the point where he shoots a poor animal, because of his jealousy and then commits another crime.
I will not disclose who gets shot, so that you enjoy this excellent and very short story.
Am I mad? This is an interesting debut to a story. The narrator is in love, which Charlie aka Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor says “is only temporary”.
The hero of Mad is jealous and suffers for it, enough to consider his crime justified. The woman he loves seems to have grown tired of him, at least in his imagination. “A rapid fire is consuming “the mad man.
“Leave me alone „she says.
At point he says “I am not insane” …when you doubt your sanity, it is obviously not good…on the other hand, crazy people are sure they are all right. “That guy is crazy- he thinks he is Napoleon…but I am Napoleon.”
Later on, he swears he is not insane, but was jealous of…the wind which touched her face, the saddle on which she stayed, the branches. I was jealous some time ago and I remember the feeling…I did feel crazy.
The description is very vivid and the story is very good. I empathized with the main character, up to the point where he shoots a poor animal, because of his jealousy and then commits another crime.
I will not disclose who gets shot, so that you enjoy this excellent and very short story.
August 25, 2009
If you like short stories, get your hands on this guy's work. His stories mix love and the macabre. For the perfect ambiance, read him on a dark, chilly, rainy day. My personal favorite is the short story "Was it a Dream?".
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews