Useless Beauty

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Useless Beauty

By: Guy de Maupassant

Narrated by: Walter Zimmerman

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About this listen

Guy de Maupassant is considered one of the fathers of the modern short story. In this Useless Beauty ( L'Inutile Beauté ) a woman who is being kept at home by a jealous husband as a "trophy," finally reaches her limit to the astonishment of her husband.Public Domain (P)1987 Jimcin Recordings

Guy de MaupassantWalter ZimmermanJimcin Recordings

Classics

Marriage

Classics Marriage

Editor reviews

Guy de Maupassant's story "Useless Beauty" is performed with elegance by Walter Zimmerman. Maupassant is a master at depicting the intricacies of human nature - in this case, listeners are drawn into the drama of a beautiful French housewife in the early 19th century, who is condemned by her husband to the "penal servitude of childbearing". The audio begins with the countess finally rebelling against her captor - revealing that one of their seven children is not his - an affair, she exclaims, was the only way by which she was able to go against his authority. Zimmerman draws listeners into the irresistible drama with a deliberately paced, elegant performance. Timing, both in composition and performance, are key to this audiobook's genius.

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