I can certainly see why he is considered a master of short stories. These works are dark, powerful, engaging, and true of human nature. Guy de Maupassant was of the Naturlist movement and if you are unfamiliar with this movement, I advise doing a little study of it, before pursuing any of his works. A few of the stories were a little flat but the majority were very moving. He certainly had a keen eye for human folly and its tendency to self-destruct. The writing style is easily readable and should not be an issue for the casual reader. Some of the dialogue seemed unnatural but this could be due to translation. Overall, a great example for short story writing and Naturalist writing; if either hold your interest, I highly recommend this work. ( )