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    Bel Ami
    Bel Ami
    Bel Ami
    Audiobook14 hours

    Bel Ami

    Written by Guy de Maupassant

    Narrated by John McDonough

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Guy de Maupassant is revered for his naturalistic fiction, which brilliantly captures flesh-and-blood characters as it evokes the most telling details of everyday life. Considered one of the finest French novels ever written, Bel Ami follows journalist Georges Duroy and his increasing stature among the Paris elite. With an immense thirst for power, Georges is not above an almost gleeful use of wealthy mistresses to achieve his ends.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 24, 2011
    ISBN9781461804505
    Author

    Guy de Maupassant

    Guy de Maupassant was a French writer and poet considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern short story whose best-known works include "Boule de Suif," "Mother Sauvage," and "The Necklace." De Maupassant was heavily influenced by his mother, a divorcée who raised her sons on her own, and whose own love of the written word inspired his passion for writing. While studying poetry in Rouen, de Maupassant made the acquaintance of Gustave Flaubert, who became a supporter and life-long influence for the author. De Maupassant died in 1893 after being committed to an asylum in Paris.

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    Reviews for Bel Ami

    4/5

    31 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Here's to scalawags; I loved this tale of triumph about an absolute bastard who quickly understands how the world works. I thought at times that Bel-Ami was an almost self-conscious pastiche of sorts, including the better bits from previous hallmark novels of Parisian decadence. Apparently, such wasn't exclusively the case. The novel remains an incredible joy, a vibrant pulse of narrative curiosity and folly.
    • 5/5
      A dark book about ambition, money, sex and power set in 19th century Paris. Still very resonant in this day and age. It is a gripping book that I could not stop reading. The characters are not good or likeable but they are entirely believable and also not so loathsome that I felt like just putting down the book.
    • 3/5
      A bit old fashioned, but a good story that had many twists and turns - intelligent read!
    • 4/5
      Bel Ami (good friend), what a man. At first we see him, he is walking the streets with barely the money to eat more than one meal a day and quench his thirst. He meets a friend from his military days and George is off. This man rises by using people. I read a review of another reader that compares Flaubert's Madame Bovary to de Mauppassant's George Duroy. This was an easy read and I enjoyed it a lot but this is not a likable character. He uses women, he plots and schemes, he takes money that is not his and he succeeds. This pretty much sums George Du Roy up; "You deceive everyone; you take advantage of everyone; you filch money and enjoyment wherever you can, and you want me to treat you as an honest man!"
    • 4/5
      Georges Duroy wants more from life than just his dreary job and constant lack of funds. While moping around Paris, he happens upon a friend and former soldier who convinces him to try writing, setting him up at his paper -- the Vie Française -- where he's tasked with writing an article about his experiences in Africa during the war. However, writers block sets in and Duroy begs for help from his friend to get the article started. His friend introduces him to his wife Madeleine, a smart and attractive woman, who at once draws the story from Duroy and gets him to write it down. Sh also takes an interest in him and invites him to a salon where she introduces him to the high society ladies of Paris. Duroy uses his good looks and charm to worm his way into the lives of the women, devising a plan to gain respectability and wealth at the cost of their hearts."Bel Ami" presents a vivid look at 19th century Paris, from the corruption of politics and the influence of the press to the salons of society matrons, all told through the eyes of Georges Duroy. He's unscrupulous and conniving, always scheming to find a better life, to earn more money no matter the cost. He uses women as if they were chess pieces, inching him closer and closer to his goal, and discarding them when they're no longer of use. You can't help not liking him, but that's what makes the story such a good read: you want to see to what lengths he will go for his ideal of fortune and fame. It's definitely a book worth reading.
    • 5/5
      I kept waiting for Duroy luck's to ran out, until I realized it never would. He manipulated women who did not have a voice of their own, and used society's silly rules at his advantage. Yes, you grow to hate the character, and yes, these women are married but I did understand them. It's not like at the time they could divorce or do anything about their condition. All in all, I was surprised at how much I liked it. Of course there is no sense of justice in this book, which I was surprised it did not bother me since it has in other situations, but to me is a caricature of society and how unfair it was to women at the time.
    • 1/5
      Bel Ami tells the story of Georges Duroy, a man with a magnificent mustache and a desire for advancement and women. Throughout the novel, he attempts to obtain these things, using his incredibly seductive mustache. This is not a joke. Oh how I wish it was.I seriously hated this novel, which I listened to in audiobook form. Almost from the first, I wanted nothing more than to punch this smarmy French bastard in the face. He is an incredibly awful person and has absolutely zero respect for women. Actually, I think this book should have been subtitled "Monsieur Mustache Seduces Every Woman of His Acquaintance." Why? Because he really does. He beds every female character with more than a couple of lines. The end result of his great success is to categorize all women as whores. Thank you so much for writing this Guy de Maupassant. Womenkind is so grateful.On top of that, all of these relationships, with the exception of one (which involves seducing the daughter of a mother he seduced), involves adultery. I know that there is a fine French tradition of viewing adulterous relationships as the home of real love, but this isn't the time period of Chretien de Troyes. All of these people are completely awful and unlike other bits of pop culture (like Mad Men) with only terrible characters, these are not even interesting. I don't give a damn about how good anyone is at playing cup and ball, of which there are numerous descriptions.The audiobook itself was pretty awful as well, I thought. For one thing, the editing does not seem to have been done very well, as the narrator's deep, rattly breaths are often audible. Speaking of which, McDonough does not make a satisfying narrator for this particular story. The book is about a young, attractive man, skilled in seduction, which means that an old man with gasping breaths that make him sound close to death may not be the ideal choice for a narrator. This is not to say that McDonough could not be an excellent narrator for another book that was better edited, but he was not the right choice for Bel Ami.
    • 4/5
      For a novel published in 1885 and set in the Paris of that period, this novel has a remarkably modern feel. It's about sleazy journalism, corrupt politicians, sex, money and power. And through it all is the Bel-Ami of the title - Georges Duroy, who uses his liaisons with rich and / or powerful women to achieve the wealth and social position he craves. Bel-Ami is the nickname given to him by the daughter of a mistress. It means "handsome (or beautiful) friend", but the nickname, like almost everything else about Georges, is deceptive. As handsome as he is, there's nothing in the least bit friendly about Georges.

      I love so much about this book. I love the straightforward, accessible language, the believable dialogue and the descriptions of Paris life in 1885. I love the use of humour, such as in the duelling scene. I love the poignancy of some of the scenes: for example the death of a secondary character, Forrestier, which is masterfully written.

      However, the character of Georges Duroy is the novel's greatest achievement. He is the centre around whom everyting turns and he is a fascinating creation. De Maupassant initially evokes sympathy for Georges. He is poor, and while ambitious, he suffers humiliation because of his poverty. But any sympathy is stripped away as the narrative progresses. Georges is a person who can never be content with what he has. Each gain, each achievement only leads to more envy and increased greed. In another novel, a character like this would ultimately get his comeuppance. But not here. George goes from success to success, taking every opportunity presented to him with cynical disregard for anyone other than himself. As a character, Georges is both horrifying and compelling.

      This novel is a wonderful illustration of how a total lack of virtue can bring great rewards. There is no doubt that this remains as true today as it was in Paris in 1885.
    • 4/5
      Published in 1885 this novel is considered as one of the ‘grand classiques’ of French literature, regularly appearing in schools as a text for further study. Maupassant is probably more famous for his short stories which were considered slightly riské in 1950’s translations, that appeared in paperback form in England. It is a rags to riches story of a young attractive adventurer making his way to the top echelons of the corrupt society of the French third republic. In the paperback versions it was usually titled as ‘Bel Ami or the history of a scoundrel’ which is a little misleading because in Maupassant’s story of the third republic, Bel Ami is one scoundrel among many.The novel opens with Gorges Duroy scraping a measly existence in Paris, he has recently returned from a spell in the french army in Algeria and found a low paid job as a clerk in the French railways. One day by chance he meets a comrade from the army who has fared rather better than him. Forestier has made his mark as a journalist for the ‘La Vie Francaise’ a political journal and offers to secure a position with the paper for Duroy. He attends the offices of the paper and hits it off with the fellow journalists and at a dinner party at the Forestier’s house his stories of his life in Algeria prompts the editor to suggest he writes up his stories for the paper. Duroy has little experience of journalism and struggles with his article and so Forestier suggests he meets with his wife who will help him out. Madame Forestier writes the article for Duroy, and his only contribution is to sign his name to it. His story “The Memoires of a Hunter” is a great success and his career in journalism has taken off. Duroy has relied on the skills of a woman for his prosperity and this becomes a feature of his life.Gorges Duroy is a sensual, attractive man who uses his considerable charm to seduce the women that he meets. He soon makes a mistress of one of the leading editors of “La Vie Francaise” and also has a mistress from the ‘Folies Bergeres’. From his female connections he gets an inside track on political events, his place of work is in the corridors of the theatre of the ‘Folies Bergeres’. Duroy is an ambitious and tremendously proud man and has his sights set on Forestier’s wife the attractive Madeleine. Forestier becomes ill with consumption and Duroy assists Madeleine in the final weeks of his illness. He soon marries Madeleine and they set up house in Paris which becomes a meeting place for politicians and show-business people. Here he hears whispers of investments in companies that are supporting a French invasion of Morocco and soon finds himself in a position to make money. Madeleine is a mistress of a leading politician and Duroy uses this for his own advancement. Finally there is the seduction of the wife and daughter of the owner of ‘La Vie Francaise’ which fulfils Duroy’s ambitions (until the next pretty or accomplished woman comes along) Duroy changes his name to Du Roy of Cantel and buys a baronetcy. At his wedding to the owners daughter Maupassant describes him as being drunk with pride, which is fairly significant because throughout the book the author has taken no moral standpoint against his leading character, but the reader is constantly aware of Du Roys pride that goes beyond the idea of a sense of honour. Amongst the corruption of the society of the third republic Duroy appears no different from many other players in the game of success. A critique then of society rather than the man Du Roy. I read this novel in French and found it reasonably easy with my limited french vocabulary. I rate this as a 4 star read.
    • 4/5
      De Maupassant's classic remains shocking today, almost 130 years after publication, and is shockingly contemporary in some ways. What's shocking in this tale of a young man on the make is the complete amorality of the central character, and, indeed, of most of the characters in the book. And what's contemporary is the same thing. The ways and means of chasing success have changed since de Maupassant's time, but the compulsion to succeed -- at any cost to any one -- remains very much in place."Bel Ami" traces the career of Georges Duroy, an ex-solider from the provinces who comes to Paris to make his fortune. At first, he has no contacts and no skills, but he does have a handsome face and a quick mind. Through an accidental meeting with an old comrade-in-arms, he gets a chance at a newspaper job, and the friend's wife helps him clinch the job with a well written article. From there on in it it's onward and upward, as Georges uses his attractiveness to women to advance himself socially and professionally. When a women ceases to be useful, he ends the connection and moves on to the next, until, at the end of the novel --- well, no spoilers here. Duroy never suffers any qualms of conscience about the women he seduces (and abandons) or the men he cuckolds. Where a reader looks for some effort at self-justification, there is a deafening silence. For example, remember Gordon Gecko's "Greed is Good"? Duroy doesn't even argue that his doings are OK, he just does them. Most of the other characters are equally amoral. They use their professional positions, their social contacts, and their lovers to get them more money and more power. And most don't seem to think the worse of anyone else for acting this way: indeed, they expect it. As to the book's surprisingly contemporary echoes, it's about ambition. The electronic world has replaced the social world as a route to quick-time fame and fortune (think reality TV) and the roles of men and women are much less differentiated than they were. But individual ambition that becomes its own justification, and takes no account of the damage it has done, remains very much with us. As a novel, this one works like a charm. The story keeps pulling the reader along, as -- even though it is hard to like any of the characters very much -- you get very curious about what will happen to them. Historically, it provides a vivid look at Third Republic Paris, full of glamor, glitter, and what de Maupassant called a "rather smutty elegance". (The book has no overt sex, but there is a lot going on just offstage-- one sees why the 19th century English found the 19th century French so shocking). An excellent novel, and an enjoyable read despite its age.
    • 4/5
      George Duroy is a penniless ex-soldier when this novel opens, but he is amoral and ruthless as he climbs his way to the top of Parisian society. His good fortune is due primarily to the mistresses he chooses and discards as his needs dictate. He's not a 'family values' kind of guy; his nickname, Bel-Ami is kind of a cross between 'handsome' and 'lover-boy.'Although written in the 19th century, this book reads like a modern novel, and it caused quite a scandal when first published. De Maupassant's sympathies are quite clearly with the women. Their characters are fully developed and very believable. Although some of the women are definitely more accomplished and more intelligent than Bel-Ami, de Maupassant is able to make us understand to a certain extent why they put on blinkers where matters of love are concerned.This was an easy read, and kept me fully engaged at all times (none of those long 19th century digressions).
    • 3/5
      An illustration of how easy it is justify to yourself the little steps needed to get what you want even when those 'little steps' have undesirable consequences for others. It's okay, it's their own fault. They deserve it. Etc., etc...
    • 5/5
      It's been a long time since I've read any Maupassant. Since studying his Quinze Contes for my French A level 35 years ago, I have read only Pierre and Jean in 2008. He is very readable both in French and in this English translation. The central character of Bel-Ami (translated here within the text as Pretty Boy) is Georges Duroy, an ambitious and unscrupulous man in late 19th century Paris who manages to get a foothold in the newspaper industry working at Vie Francaise, after bumping into an old friend. He rises up his profession, though having limited talent, through manipulation of others and, in particular, through seducing a successful of wealthy married women, including: Madeleine Forestier, the wife of his first employer at Vie Francaise, who is the real talent behind his early success; and, later on, Virginie Walter, the wife of the newspaper's proprietor. He even marries Madeleine after her husband's death from consumption, that most 19th century causes of untimely death, then discards her after discovering her own unfaithfulness with a government minister, and marries Virginie Walter's daughter, Susan. Despite this despicable behaviour, the story is lightly told, with an easy style of prose, and a candid air about sexual relations that would have been pretty unthinkable in a mainstream British author writing at the same period (1880s). A good read.
    • 5/5
      George Duroy, better known to his friends as Bel Ami because of his pleasing appearance to women, has very little redeeming qualities. But the genius of this Maupassant novel is that one is utterly fascinated by this man who starts from nothing, as a penniless soldier returned from service in Algeria, and then proceeds to climb up the ladder of Paris society. His success is largely based on a bit of luck, a lot of cunning and a great willingness to use his sexual appeal to play the game of love with those women he knows will help him rise in power and riches. He initially runs into an old friend who works at a newspaper called La Vie Française, and accepts a humble position as a reporter, even though he's never in his life written an article before. (Spoiler) Before long, the friend dies and he proposes marriage to his widow right besides to corpse of the deceased, before it's even had time to cool. (End of spoiler.) The novel moves swiftly along and we are privy to Bel Ami's cynical inner workings as he plots each move to advance himself, with utter disregard for his victims who are blinded by his charm and his moustache, which is practically a character unto itself to sometimes hilarious effect. As another LTer, Nathalie (Deern) observed in her own review, this novel transcends it's belle époque setting and remains all too relevant to contemporary readers—save for the moustache of course, which for all we know might eventually make a comeback.
    • 4/5
      In vague technical terms, this is a French realist story about a young disaffected impoverished officer who learns the mechanisms of social norms, and uses them to advance his own position within society, with substantial commentary on the decay of French morality in the 19th century.

      In other words, it's the story of a complete shit-heel who manipulates money and people and rises through society quite easily. Maupassant has a few cutting remarks (see - fencing scene) and he has a very nice contrast between the nice descriptive scenes of the countryside, and the utterly disgusting behavior of not only Georges 'Bag-o'-Dicks' Duroy, but all the rest of the characters too.

      I'd only read Maupassant's short stories before, but it's good to see his condensed descriptions work well when extended to a novella in length.
    • 4/5
      A cynic book about unlimited ambition, lust, manipulation and greediness. But also full of sensitivity and psychological analysis. A formidable fresco of belle époque Parisian life.
    • 4/5
      I loved the writing in this but the story was ultimately depressing. The nineteenth century French realism always seems to be about unattractive people -- were there no nice people in Paris during the 1800s?
    • 3/5
      Read this book, by all means. The rise of a scheming scoundrel in the media world of the late 19th century shows a world not that different from our modern one and exposes the "proper" world of the powers-that-be as a cesspool of influence peddling and self-enrichment.

      But stay away from yet another terrible audiobook like this one, by a British has-been actor with a way too wet pronunciation. So many older audio-books on this site are a disappointment.
    • 4/5
      Often an engaging character study, this book has a main character so loathesome (not really a spoiler; it’s hinted at from the first page) that I just kept hoping that he would get his comeuppance. It also provides a a trenchant view of French social and political mores of the time.