A review by alexiacambaling
Le Horla by Guy de Maupassant, André Fermigier

dark funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This is the first book, well, short story collection I read in French. Some stories I struggled with and referred to a translation and I did have to use the dictionary a lot but I enjoyed it. Guy de Maupassant's writing style is fairly straightforward although the use of some old-fashioned vocabulary can make some stories a little difficult. Le Horla, which I read without a translation or a dictionary was the one I enjoyed the most. I felt like it's almost a shame most of the stories were more realistic.

Still, other than Le Horla, I enjoyed Sauvee and Le Signe, two stories featuring the Marquise of Rennedon and Baroness de Grangerie, as well as Au Bois and Le Rois. I enjoyed reading about the characters and the plots are simple, but interesting. I'll definitely be reading more by Guy de Maupassant as I continue learning French.