Boule de Suif

by Guy de Maupassant
List(s):"Carp 500"
Category: "Fiction - Short Story"
Pages:48
Year of Publication:1890
Date Added:01/06/2021
Date Read:11/20/1994
Notes:A group of people board a coach to escape the Prussians who have invaded France. One of their number is a prostitute (Boule de Suif or "Ball of Fat"). The others shun her, but eventually they are all very hungry and when she pulls out a basket full of food and shares it with them, they relent and accept her as one of them. The coach stops at an in where an officer asks her to sleep with him. She refuses, and so the officer refuses to allow the others to proceed on their journey. After several days of this, the others encourage her to sleep with the officer so they can leave. She reluctantly does, which causes all the others to shun her again.
My Rating: 7

Reviews for Boule de Suif

Review - Boule de Suif

An interesting premise, but like many of Maupassant's stories, it just sort of ends without any resolution—in this case, the prostitute sits in the coach crying while the others talk among themselves.

Reviewed by Roger on 2022-02-08 12:38:38

Back to the list