‘A Mother of Monsters’ is a dark and disturbing story.

The narrator is visiting his friend, and they walk along the seafront. As their conversation continues, the friend tells him of the eponymous mother, and they decide to visit her.

What they are met with is both horrific and tragic and can be read as a commentary on the plight of the lower classes. Maupassant’s concise and simple style only serves to increase the horror and brutality of this short tale.

A story that’s sure to linger, ´A Mother of Monsters´ is the ideal read for fans of Stephen King and ´American Horror Story´.

Hailed as one of the pioneers of the modern short story, Henri Ren Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850 - 1893) was born in Dieppe, France. After his parents’ divorce, Maupassant was cared for by his mother who had a passion for literature.

During his secondary education, he was introduced to the acclaimed novelist, Gustave Flaubert, who was to play a prominent part in Maupassant’s literary career.

The Franco-Prussian War saw the author enlist in the Navy, and his experiences influenced many of his books, including ‘Boule de Suif.’ Flaubert was to take him under his wing after the war, introducing him to realist and naturalist authors, such as Émile Zola and Ivan Turgenev.