Boule de Suif (Ball of Fat): Simplified For Modern Readers

“Boule De Suif” (1880), which is variously translated as Ball of Fat, Butterball, Tallow Ball, Dumpling, and Ball of Lard is considered Guy de Maupassant’s best short story. The language of over one hundred years ago has been modernized so that today’s readers will better understand and appreciate the story. End notes, discussion of major themes, and a short biography follow the text.
Every effort has been made to keep the story as close to the original as possible while making this tale of hypocrisy and betrayal easy to understand.