News of uneven quality

This collection made in 1882 consists of eighteen new, very short, most have a length of 5 to 10 pages. Both say frankly, it is not the best collection of Maupassant. Half the news is interesting or amusing, others are not sufficiently developed or boring. It's a shame because some are very successful, the plot setting up very quickly. Of those which are useful are:

- Mrs Fifi: During the occupation of the north of France by the Prussians in 1871, in a winter evening, Prussian officers have the idea to bring in prostitutes in the mansion they occupy. Everything goes well until an officer insult France and that prostitutes kills for revenge ...
- A trick: A woman called the emergency doctor because her lover has just died in the bed of her husband.
- Two friends: Again during the 1871 occupation, two friends decide to make a fishing trip in Paris, they are surprised by Prussian and taken for spies. They were shot on the spot.
- An Eve: two poor peasants shut their grand-father died in the bread bin for Eve, because they have a bed to sleep and do not want to sleep next to the death.

The stories are so varied, it alternates between love stories that often end quite well and quite serious stories that speak of killings, poverty, or unfortunate accidents. In short we choose what we want, can not be-they must be read all in one gulp, but only occasionally.