Pierre and Jean
by Guy de Maupassant
Henry James' admiration for "this virtuoso little novel" was echoed by readers of Pierre and Jean throughout the twentieth century. This was a turning point in the development of French fiction, as it was located between traditional socialist realism and the psychological novel. It is considered a classic filial jealousy study, provoked by the fact that one of the two brothers of his title turned out to be the sole heir to the fortune of his mother's ex-lover. Pierre and Jean are set in Le Havre in the 1880s and are notable for causing the Normandy Coastline to be captured by the Impressionists. But Maupassant's greatest achievement is that from this simple plot, in the context of seafaring, he uncovers a cleverly crafted exploration of the complexities at the heart of family life.
