
Pierre & Jean - by Guy de Maupassant - Translated by Clara Bell
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
A breezy afternoon off Le Havre finds the retired jeweler Roland fumbling with his fishing line while his wife watches from the boat, and their two grown sons—Pierre, a recently qualified doctor, and Jean, a fresh law graduate—help him pull in a modest catch. Their banter reveals a family accustomed to gentle ribbing, yet the scene hints at deeper currents of pride and expectation. The novel opens with vivid descriptions of the sea, the scent of brine, and the subtle choreography of a household that balances companionship with quiet competition.
As the brothers return to the family home, their contrasting temperaments—Pierre’s restless idealism and Jean’s calm deliberateness—begin to surface, casting a quiet rivalry over their future prospects. Maupassant’s keen eye captures the simmering jealousy that can arise between siblings, setting up a portrait of love, envy, and the search for personal identity within the bounds of duty. Listeners will be drawn into the intimate drama of everyday moments that conceal tensions capable of reshaping each man’s destiny.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (249K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2006-04-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1850–1893
Best known as one of the great masters of the short story, he captured ordinary lives with sharp realism, dark humor, and an eye for how quickly hope can turn into disappointment. His fiction ranges from social satire to psychological unease, which helps explain why stories like "Boule de Suif" and "The Horla" still feel vivid today.
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