Guy de Maupassant

Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French novelist best known for his short stories. He was also a part of the Naturalist school, which presented individual lives, fates, and societal forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.

Many of Maupassant's works are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s, portraying the futility of war and the innocent citizens who are profoundly altered by their experiences as a result of events beyond their control. He wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one collection of poetry throughout his lifetime. "Boule de Suif" ("The Dumpling"), his first published story, is often regarded as his most renowned work.