Summary:
"Cuentos escogidos" by Guy de Maupassant is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The collection showcases Maupassant's exceptional storytelling ability, encapsulating various tales that reflect the human experience, often with an emphasis on the nuances of social life and the struggles of everyday people. The opening of the collection presents a brief introduction to the nature of Maupassant's work, elaborating on the enduring popularity of his stories and the significance of his contributions to literature. It highlights his mastery in creating vivid characters, often drawn from the middle class, and his skill in portraying their psychology and circumstances with remarkable precision. The first story, “En el agua,” introduces a narrator who engages in a conversation with a passionate canoer, leading to a reflection on the river's mysterious qualities before culminating in an eerie adventure that hints at the themes of fear, nature, and the human psyche that are prevalent throughout Maupassant's tales. (This is an automatically generated summary.)