Published in 1885, Maupassants second novel is the cynical yet witty story of sex, money and power during Frances corrupt Third Republic.George Duroy rises steadily fromhis Norman peasant origins,becoming asoldier in Algeria, and finally, a successful Parisian journalist.Christened Bel-Ami by his female admirers, Duroy achieves his substantial positions as leading editor and aspiring politician mostly through his manipulative relationships with a string of powerful and intelligent mistresses.The novel was hugely successful, going through thirty-seven printings in its first four months of publication.