Butterball (Hesperus Classics) - Softcover

'This is a new translation of Maupassant's most critically acclaimed short story, 'Boule de Suif', part of an admirable series of little-known or neglected works by classic authors.' --The Daily Mail

Set during the Franco-Prussian war, Butterball is a sympathetic portrayal of a prostitute’s mistreatment at the hands of a cold-hearted bourgeoisie. It is published here with a selection of stories about prostitutes, making this a unique collection. When Butterball’s carriage is halted by Prussian soldiers, they demand her sexual services as ransom. Her fellow passengers hitherto disdainful of her company are suddenly more than happy to benefit from her immoral” trade. But Butterball is a loyal French nationalist, and she refuses to sleep with the enemy. Through the warmth and generosity of his heroine, Maupassant exposes the hypocrisy of the French middle class. French writer Guy de Maupassant is most famous for his short stories, which depict the humdrum fate of the middle and working classes.