Bel-Ami by Guy De Maupassant
Young, attractive and very ambitious, Georges Duroy, known to his friends as Bel-Ami, is offered a job as a journalist on La Vie francaise and soon makes a great success of his new career. But he also comes face to face with the realities of the corrupt society in which he lives - the sleazy colleagues, the manipulative mistresses and wily financiers - and swiftly learns to become an arch-seducer, blackmailer and social climber in a world where love is only a means to an end. Written when Maupassant was at the height of his powers, "Bel-Ami" is a novel of great frankness and cynicism, but it is also infused with the sheer joy of life - depicting the scenes and characters of Paris in the belle epoque with wit, sensitivity and humanity.
I had a good time reading this book, and even though I spent a lot of time grumbling about how annoying Georges was being, I spent an equal amount of time laughing too. I felt like I was transported back into Paris the way De Maupassant described Georges surroundings, and I really got a sense of just how both high society and the poorest of Paris lived at the time. Georges did everything to the fullest extent - living, working, playing and of course, loving.
A great read, and of course, I'm DYING to see the movie .