Waiter, a "Bock"

Download or read book Waiter, a "Bock" written by Guy de Maupassant and published by Lindhardt og Ringhof. This book was released on 2022-05-30 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two old school friends meet in a café in Paris, but their chance meeting turns into a surprise for one of them. Aged, dirty, and with fingernails blackened with tobacco, Jean des Barrets has fallen on hard times since the days of his lordship, and to the dismay of his friend now passes his days drinking beers, or "Bocks". The two discuss how fate has led them down differing paths, and whether Barrets’ lifestyle is, in fact, so different from the rest of us. Family issues, anger, pain, and mistakes fill this short story to the brim. A philosophical tease for fans of Flaubert or Camus, Maupassant tackles themes of poverty and childhood trauma with compassion, elegance, and understanding. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, often referred to as the father of the short story. A prolific writer, his best known works include "Bel-Ami", "Une Vie" and "The Necklace", alongside some 300 short stories, travel books, and poetry. A master of style and dramatic narrative, Maupassant’s stories are drawn to themes of war, the working class, and the human condition. One of his greatest influences was Gustave Flaubert, who introduced him to some of the central names of the time such as Emile Zola, Ivan Turgenev, and Henry James.