"Boule de Suif" is a famous short story by the late 19th-century French writer Guy de Maupassant, first published in 1880. It is arguably his most famous short story and is the title story for his collection on the Franco-Prussian War, titled Boule de Suif et Autres Contes de la Guerre (Dumpling and Other Stories of the War).
Ten travelers, representing a microcosm of late 19th century French society, leave the town of Rouen for Le Havre in a stagecoach. They all disparage the prostitute called "Boule de Suif," until, that is, she has food to offer. What will happen when the party is stopped by German soldiers who demand carnal favors from the young trollop? Maupassant's popular story of French Resistance, nationalism, stereotyping, and commentary on perceived hypocrisy of the upper classes gives an interesting window into the minds of late 19th-century French propagandists.
ISBN 978-1-58977-088-1
Molière & Co. #21