Contes du jour et de la nuit

by Guy de Maupassant

"Contes du jour et de la nuit" by Guy de Maupassant is a short story collection published in 1885. The title itself suggests a contrast between light and darkness, day and night. These twenty-one tales explore humanity's darker nature through stories of cruelty, betrayal, and tragedy. Maupassant portrays peasants as heartless and greedy, bourgeois as cowardly, and aristocrats as irresponsible. Family relationships fracture under the weight of selfishness and abandonment. The collection begins with lighter stories before descending into darkness—examining murder, suicide, and human monstrosity with unflinching clarity.