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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
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.
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read his short stories over my lifetime, and enjoy them immensely.
However, this is my first novel by him, and whoa nelly! Very modern, very different, and very good!
The main character was someone that was young, new to life in Paris, and seems like a likeable fellow. Over time, I ran the gamut with this guy...
Funny to think this was written in the mid to late 1800's but could be pretty much transplanted in any society these days.
However, this is my first novel by him, and whoa nelly! Very modern, very different, and very good!
The main character was someone that was young, new to life in Paris, and seems like a likeable fellow. Over time, I ran the gamut with this guy...
Funny to think this was written in the mid to late 1800's but could be pretty much transplanted in any society these days.
Deliciously wicked, with a certain feel of Dangerous Liaisons or Age of Innocence, but yet also missing something that those two novels have. Perhaps it is just too short to get to the depth that I had hoped.
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really had high hopes for this one so feeling a little let down. But I think a lot of it might have had to do with the translation. I felt it lacked subtlety and nuance - and I’m only guessing but I feel like Maupassant’s writing must have been more beautiful and “sophisticated”, for lack of a better term, than this translation was able to capture. But maybe not. I wouldn’t know. Anyway, I found this a little basic. Still, I’m glad I read it. I love the setting, late-1800s Paris, the interpersonal relationships, comparing then to now, how much has changed, how little has changed. And l did love this description of a confessional: “a sort of dustbin for the soul into which believers tip their sins.”
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ascension social pas terrible!!! Bel-ami vieux mec !!
I really enjoyed this book and even though it was written and set in the late 19th century I found it easy to read, while still imparting the atmosphere of the time. The language used in the translation was also easily understood and I found the use of French words helpful to keep you immersed in the Parisian culture of that time. I am very much looking forward to the movie adaption and to see how the story is altered.