In addition to the title story, this selection of twenty-seven stories includes one of Maupassant's most famous tales, "The Necklace," and "Le Horla," a tale with strange parallels to the author's own descent into madness, as well as many other provocative and often chilling works--spanning the whole range of human experiences--from low farce, to high tragedy. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.