Used book – Pierre et Jean, Guy de Maupassant, Marie-Claire Ropars Wuilleumier

An elderly Parisian couple lives in Le Havre with their two sons. The younger, Jean, is fair-haired and well-behaved; the elder, Pierre, is dark and quick-tempered. Their lives unfold peacefully, punctuated by fishing trips at sea or on the beach until a squall breaks. The sky darkens. The winds rage, chasing away happiness. Upon his death, an old family friend leaves his fortune to Jean. Why only to Jean? Pierre thinks about it day and night. He delves into his mother's past, searching for the poisoned secret.

The intense emotion, the cruel and true story, the smells of the sea, and the famous light of the Seine estuary make this novel one of Maupassant's masterpieces.

Edited by Marie-Claire Ropars-Wuilleumier.