A Life: The Humble Truth (The Classic Unabridged English Edition) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Jeanne's hopes, convent lessons, and the illusions of love in satirical 1880s FranceBy Guy de Maupassant
Length7h 56m
About this audiobook
Guy de Maupassant's A Life: The Humble Truth is a lucid, unsparing study of Jeanne de Lamare, an aristocratic young woman whose romantic expectations are gradually eroded by marriage, betrayal, motherhood, and social constraint. Set largely in Normandy, the novel combines realist precision with naturalist restraint, transforming domestic disappointment into a broader meditation on illusion, class, gender, and time. Its prose is deceptively simple, governed by exact observation rather than melodrama, and it stands in dialogue with Flaubertian realism while anticipating the psychological sobriety of later modern fiction. Maupassant, born in Normandy in 1850, was shaped by the landscapes, social hierarchies, and provincial customs that animate this novel. A protégé of Gustave Flaubert and a master of the short story, he brought to fiction a disciplined economy of style and a skeptical view of bourgeois morality. His experiences of war, bureaucracy, Parisian literary life, and illness sharpened his attention to human vanity, suffering, and self-deception. This unabridged classic is recommended for readers drawn to nineteenth-century realism, feminist literary questions, and fiction that finds tragedy in ordinary existence. It is a quiet but devastating masterpiece.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (19.1K)
Includes Goodreads, StoryGraph, Amazon, LibraryThing
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length7 hrs 56 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 31, 2017
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6A Life: The Humble Truth (The Classic Unabridged English Edition) (pt. 1)
7A Life: The Humble Truth (The Classic Unabridged English Edition) (pt. 2)
8A Life: The Humble Truth (The Classic Unabridged English Edition) (pt. 3)
9Analysis
10Reflection
11Memorable Quotes
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