Guy De Maupassant, a protégé of Gustave Flaubert, is considered one of the fathers of the modern short story. Boule de Suif, his first published work, is considered by many to be his masterpiece.

Maupassant's stories are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s and describe the futility of war and the tragedy of innocent civilians caught in the conflict who emerge changed forever.

GUY de MAUPASSANT (1850–1893) is generally considered to be among the very finest French writers. He is the author of Deux Amis, Mother Savage, Mademoiselle Fifi, Bel-Ami, Le Horla, and numerous other novels and short stories.