Best Short Stories (Dual-Language) (Paperback)

by Guy de Maupassant (Author), Steven Jupiter (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
New edition features seven of the most popular tales of one of the greatest of all short-story writers. Included are "La Parure," "Mademoiselle Fifi," "La Maison Tellier," "La Ficelle," "Miss Harriet," "Boule de Suif" and "Le Horla," all reflecting Maupassant’s intimate familiarity with Paris and the universality of his creations.


Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486289184
• ISBN-13: 978-0486289182
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Maupassant, Guy de
  #41 in	Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > French > Instruction
  #52 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > French

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proper., December 7, 2002

By	xcb (USA) - See all my reviews

As a language teacher and researcher, I've come to the conclusion that the single best way to learn a foreign language's vocabulary is through these sorts of dual-language texts. The reasons are many, but the ideal to which all second language learners strive is to simply relate new information to old - to learn a new word for a known concept.

This book succeeds in that department brilliantly. The translation is wonderful, without being too literal, and without being too prosaic. It captures the essence of the works without sacrificing artistic integrity... and is simply lovely.

If you're learning French, buy this.
If you're learning English, buy this.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a different word for everything, October 18, 2005

By	Dr. Eigenvalue (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

Anyone who's tried to learn a foreign language knows that the early stages involve a lot of frustration. It helps to practice speaking as much as possible, but conversation without a good vocabulary can be really tedious. That's why dual-language books are such a valuable resource. They allow the reader to learn lots of new words without memorizing lists or flipping through dictionaries.

Dual-language books are even better when they happen to be great literature, as is clearly the case with Guy De Maupassant's short stories. Despite being written in the 19th century, the collection will be of interest to 21st century readers. In fact the last story in this collection (The Horla) reads like a modern-day ghost story.

The only downside is that the text often makes use of a literary verb tense that may be confusing to beginning students of grammar. But this is a problem with all written French, and shouldn't dissuade the motivated student. This book, along with the dual-language version of Voltaire's Candide, is definitely recommended for the intermediate-level student of French.

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars charming stories, June 8, 2000

By A Customer

Useful both for English and French advanced students, in their search for Literature progress. Stories which are sometimes dramatic, sometimes funny, but always artfully written.