The Best Short Stories (Classics Library) (ISBN 1853261890)

French is Easier Than You Think:
Contrary to all silly 19th Century notions of linguistics and Saxon ethnicity, English and French are remarkably similar languages, with over 70% of their vocabularies cognate, and with essentially the same grammar except for the fading conjugations of French. YOU, whoever you are, can learn to read French in a matter of weeks. Note that I didn't say SPEAK French, just read it. If you have Spanish or Italian under your collar, you can read French already but you just don't know it. These seven stories by Guy de Maupassant represent the author's scope and skill. Maupassant is out of fashion, both in the USA and in France, but his Gallic non-judgemental humanism is still worth encountering. You won't be able to follow the French without a few hours of basic grammar, which you can learn at the computer with the appropriate "Transparent Language" software. But once you can struggle through a single paragraph, you'll be staring at a new world of pleasure in reading. Trust me, French literature is even better than you thought it was from translation.

wonderful and poignant stories of people in diverse situations:
Many of the reviews of this book focus on the fact that it features both French and English. By contrast I will discuss it as a piece of literature. Guy de Maupassant, along with Anton Chekov and O. Henry, is widely regarded as the best writer of short stories in modern literature. The Classics Library edition of The Best Short Stories provides ample proof of this judgment. A total of 17 stories are presented including his most famous ones (The Necklace, The Piece of String) and perhaps his best (Boule de Soif). But all of these stories are wonderful. They are full of humor, tragedy, satire, love, disappointment, despair, in short the full range of human emotions and experiences are covered by a talented and perceptive writer. On of the best aspects of the book is the great diversity in the stories. One theme that Maupassant returns to the brutality of war. But this viciousness is shown by its effects on individuals, not in a massive scale. For example, Two Friends tells of two men who enjoy fishing together. In the story their fishing place is under Prussian control and they are arrested and accused as spies. Madamoiselle Fifi relates how war brings out the worst in men. Boule de Suif shows how "respectable" people react to adversity. Depression, despondency and the negative effects of unrequited love are further themes explored by Maupassant. Two Little Soldiers shows what happens when two friends are split by the love of a woman. Madamoiselle Pearl tells a tale of unrecognized and unreturned love. The Olive Orchard treats of what happens when an early discretion comes back to haunt you. Miss Harriet, perhaps the saddest tale of all, tells of a woman who finds fulfillment in nature and then discovers love only to have it come crashing down on her. But humor also can be found in these stories. That Pig of a Morin pokes good fun at a shopkeeper who commits a sexual faux pax and as a result becomes the butt of jokes among his friends and neighbors. Madame Hussan's "Rosier" tells what can happen when virtue is rewarded. A Sale is a ribald tale in which a husband tries to sell his wife to another man. The final story, Happiness, is perhaps the most satisfying. It relates a simple story of a young woman of means who gives up wealth and a life of ease for the love of an ordinary peasant and the joys of their long life together. All in all, these stories will warm your heart and touch your soul.

je suis tres heureux:
great, becoming rusty, good refresher by master os french prose. much in thanks merci, peter

"Editions" are not compatible:
I followed the link to the "Paper back edition" from the dual-languages edition and I was really deflated when an english-language book (no French text) arrived. Make sure you purchase the item directly from the page with the graphic that describes "Dual Language" if that is what you want, the "editions" are actually different books!

Interesting...but kind of violent.:
I bought this book so that I had a french book to read to my baby girl...so I love it for that, it is in french and the translations are right there. The subject matter however, is disturbing about fighting and wars seemed very violent to me. If there is a happier dual language book anybody recommends please post about it!!