Guy De Maupassant

One of the greatest French story writers, Guy De Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850. He was introduced to literary circle by his mother’s friend Gustav Flaubert. In 1880, he published his first short story Boule de Suif that created a sensation. His first novel Unne Vie was applauded by Leo Tolstoy as the best French novel since Les Miserables. He wrote about 300 short stories and six novels. But inspite of his wealth and fame, he was deeply distressed as his promiscuous and colourful life had afflicted him with syphilis. He started hallucinating and in 1892 even tried to commit suicide. Confined to a lunatic asylum in Paris, Maupassant died on 6 July 1893.