Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850 in Normandy, France. His father and mother separated when he was eleven years old, and Maupassant was raised under the influence of his strong, domineering mother. Gustave Flqubert became his friend and mentor, helping him with his writing and introducing him to prestigious literary circles. Maupassant wrote six novels, three travel books, a book of verse and over 300 short stories. But in spite of his wealth and fame, he was deeply distressed as his promiscuous and colourful life had afflicted him with syphillis. He started hallucinating and in 1892 even tried to commit suicide. Confirmed to a lunatic asylum in Paris, Maupassant died on 6 July 1893. Maupassant is considered one of the finest short story writers of all time and a champion of the realist approach to writing. His stories are often autobioggraphical in nature and are based on the life he saw and lived; the Norman peasantry, Franco-prussian War, bourgeoisie and fashionable Paris, among others. This selection brings together some of his 57 most renowed and entertaining short stories. Nearly every story is built around simple episodes from everyday life, which reveal the unknown and hidden facets of his characters. According to Maupassant, a modern novel aims not at "telling a story or entertainig us or touching our hearts but at forcing us at "telling a story or entertaining us or touching our hearts but at forcing us to think and understand the deeper, hidden meaning of events."