Bel Ami

By: Guy de Maupassant

Narrated by: John McDonough

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.

©2001 Margaret Mauldon (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Grabbing power and status

Climbing the social ladder using good looks, charisma and no regard for others. With multiple marriages and numerous affairs a
man climbs from poverty to wealth and power.

Mediocre performance doesn't do justice

The narrator doesn't do enough voices to keep it interesting and varied. I wish there were more narrators to choose from. He's not bad, but not good. Considering how much scheming, intrigue and seduction there is, his voice does not sell it.

No wonder it is a classic.

Bel Ami is a dispassionate , non judgmental and elegant description of people and society. The author keeps his distance and this makes the book more enjoyable and the characters more appealing and real. It could be a denunciation of the society of the time of just a portrait in any case it is done with such a mastery that this novel, even after two hundred years, it is very pleasant to read .

Fascinating

Being intrigued by the Belle Epoque Society of Paris & its literary geniuses like Proust, Guy De Maupassant has always fascinated me. Belle Ami, to some extent being autobiographical has me wondering to what degree was Georges Guy? Unscrupulous dangerous man.

the readers voice with the accent was great

sometimes they cut a word short and say now chapter 10 or whatever the next one was