Pierre et Jean

work by Maupassant

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July 1, 2026

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Pierre et Jean is a novel by Guy de Maupassant, published in 1888. It is considered a significant work within the Naturalist literary movement, which aimed for a scientifically analytic approach to presenting reality.1

Maupassant, a protégé of Gustave Flaubert, sought to explore the "history of the heart, soul and mind in their normal state". In Pierre et Jean, he delves into the destructive effects of jealousy, focusing on the tragic rivalry between two half-brothers. The novel exemplifies Naturalism by analyzing a specific social environment and demonstrating how it deterministically shapes the characters' actions and psychology. Maupassant's style is characterized by precise detail and a dispassionate, yet insightful, portrayal of human desires and hypocrisies.12

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Guy de Maupassant
Mature life and works of Guy de Maupassant
…Bel-Ami (1885; “Good Friend”), and Pierre et Jean (1888). Bel-Ami is drawn from the author’s observation of the world of sharp businessmen and cynical journalists in Paris, and it is a scathing satire on a society whose members let nothing stand in the way of their ambition to get rich…
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…Bel-Ami (1885; “Good Friend”), and Pierre et Jean (1888). Bel-Ami is drawn from the author’s observation of the world of sharp businessmen and cynical journalists in Paris, and it is a scathing satire on a society whose members let nothing stand in the way of their ambition to get rich…
Read More

French literature
Maupassant
…in Pierre et Jean (1888; Pierre and Jean).
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…in Pierre et Jean (1888; Pierre and Jean).
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