Henri Ren Albert Guy de Maupassant (Aug 5, 1850 – Jul 6, 1893) was a popular French author who wrote under the pen name Guy de Maupassant. He is considered one of the fathers of the modern short story as well as one of its finest practitioners. His prolific and deeply admired body of work influenced a great number of writers including William Somerset Maugham, O. Henry, Anton Chekhov, Kate Chopin and Henry James.

He was a popular writer during his lifetime and had the good fortune to see that his stories were widely read. As a young man he fought in the Franco-Prussian War. He drew heavily on that experience and that war provides the setting for many of his stories which often depict the tragedy and suffering of innocent civilians caught in war’s path. He also found inspiration in the not-so-admirable behavior of the bourgeoisie, and made them targets of his biting pessimism and skewering pen.

His most famous work for English readers is probably The Necklace. If you are unfamiliar with his works, also consider A Piece of String, Mademoiselle Fifi, Miss Harriet, My Uncle Jules, Found on a Drowned Man and The Wreck as starting points. If you have the stomach for it, you might try his truly terrifying piece of gothic fiction, The Hand.

Boule de Suif is arguably considered Guy de Maupassant’s finest short story. It’s a bit long for the short story form, but its length is justified by Maupassant’s mastery and the treatment of his high society targets. The story is a withering criticism of the French society of the late 19th century. Maupassant takes representatives from the different classes and stations of French Society and places them all in the same carriage, which is then accidentally driven behind enemy lines during the Franco-Prussian war. In time, the true character of each participant is revealed as Maupassant passes scathing judgment upon his fellow countrymen.

Guy de Maupassant suffered from mental illness in his later years and attempted suicide on January 2nd, 1892. He was committed to a private asylum in Paris and died the following year.

Here, with a mix of radio documentary, readings and dramatic adaptations, we hope to give you a sense of Guy de Maupassant’s unique talent for the strange story.

Guy de Maupassant: Master of the Short Story (radio documentary) July 13, 2000 – Life and work of Guy de Maupassant, the 19th-century French writer considered one of the fathers of the modern short story.

Maupassant’s Confessions of a Hedonist (radio dramatization) June 19,2022 – A phantasmagorical journey through the most personal short stories of French writer and bon-viveur, Guy de Maupassant, adapted and translated by Simon Scardifield. Telling his short stories to an invited guest becomes a matter of life and death for the author as he struggles to save his sanity. Will the power of his imagination be enough to pull him back from the brink.

Featuring adaptations of A Strange Night Out, Mouche, Laid To Rest, Cockcrow and Le Horla this is about the untold consequences of living fast and hard enough to keep the demons at bay. Directed by Gemma Jenkins

The Hand (radio dramatization) Feb, 1976 – 1880’s Corsica: Reminded by a gruesome trophy of his days in Africa, Sir John Rowell awaits the return of his nemesis… Guy de Maupassant’s story dramatized by Michael Robson and first broadcast on the BBC World Service in February 1976. Devised and directed by Derek Hoddinott.

The Inn (radio dramatization) Dec 24, 2006 – It begins with the first stirrings of a love affair. It ends in mystery and mayhem. A young mountain guide finds himself in sole charge of a remote Alpine hotel in the Swiss Alps. Published in 1886, Guy de Maupassant’s haunting short story is a wintry, snowbound tale of loneliness and dark imaginings and ofter credited as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2006. Dramatized by Sue Glover and Directed by David Jackson Young

The Necklace (read by Kathryn Hurlbutt) Jan 11, 1990 – In Paris, a young woman discovers that scaling the social ladder needs a very delicate balance. Kathryn Hurlbutt reads Guy de Maupassant’s classic short story. Produced by Rosemary Watts

The Horla (read by David Tennant) Nov 24, 2010 – After an unusual Brazilian ship enters the harbour – our hero suddenly begins to feel unwell, and starts to have feverish and disturbing visions. Only too late does he discover the demonic nature of the South American ship’s cargo…This recording is taken rom the BBC Radio series A Night with a Vampire featuring David Tennant reading disturbing Victorian vampire stories, produced by Clive Brill.

From the BBC Classic Stories collection:

Two Friends (read by Joseph Ayre) Sept, 2019 – Maupassant’s tragic wartime tale of the friendship and loyalty that binds two friends. Produced by Karen Holden.

The Piece of String (read by Sam Dale) Sept, 2019 – Maupassant’s fable of a villager who finds a piece of string & is accused of thieving. Produced by Karen Holden.

The Necklace (read by Alexandra Constantinidi) Sept, 2019 – Guy de Maupassant’s story about a woman devoting her life to repay a debt she never owed. Produced by Simon Richardson.

A Wedding Gift (read by Joseph Ayre) Sept, 2019 – Guy de Maupassant’s story of confirmed bachelor falling headlong for a beautiful young girl, but his licentious past comes back to haunt him as the wedding day approaches. Produced by Karen Holden.

Happiness (read by Sam Dale) Sept, 2019 – Guy de Maupassant’s story of love overcoming all the odds set on the island of Corsica. Produced by Julian Wilkinson.

Love (read by Joseph Ayre) Sept, 2019 – Guy de Maupassant’s poignant meditation on the nature of true love during a hunting trip in the country. Read by Joseph Ayre. Produced by Karen Holden.