book cover of Pierre et Jean
Added by 5 members
 

Pierre et Jean

(1888)
The Two Brothers
A novel by

 
 
Henry James's admiration for 'this masterly little novel' has been echoed throughout the twentieth century by readers of Pierre et Jean. It marked a turning-point in the development of French fiction, situated as it is between traditional social realism and the psychological novel. It is recognized as a classic study of filial jealousy, triggered by one of the two brothers of its title finding himself the sole inheritor of the fortune of his mother's former lover. Pierre et Jean is set in Le Havre in the 1880s and is notable for its evocation of the Normandy coastline captured by the Impressionists. But Maupassant's achievement is to have woven from this simple plot in a maritime context a brilliantly crafted exploration of the complexities at the heart of family life.


Genre: Literary Fiction

Praise for this book

"Monsieur de Maupassant has never before been so clever." - Henry James


Visitors also looked at these books


Used availability for Guy de Maupassant's Pierre et Jean


About Fantastic Fiction       Information for Authors