French author Guy de Maupassant may be one of the best short story writers ever. His craft of storytelling depends on two opposing facets: realism and economy. In his O.Henry-meets-Edgar Allan Poe-esque tale “The Necklace,” de Maupassant takes great strides to ensure that every detail is “reported” to you throughout the story - so that you will never think to yourself “What’s missing?” “The Necklace” beautifully unfolds the life of a woman born into a “family of clerks” who has Walter Mitty-esque dreams of the trappings of royalty. However, Mathilde’s wishes are not aspirations and are more likely a central factor in her continuing melancholy. (de Maupassant leaves it up to you to decide whether this is selfishness or gender/societal roles in question.) Nonetheless, she has an earnest and devoted husband whose loving embrace of “common” things is not helping either.
Then, the husband secures an invitation to a most important social event. Her first inclination is to say no because of her inner turmoil. In her rejection and urging him to give it to someone else she reveals “Give your invitation to a friend who has a wife with better clothes than I.” The husband counters with a question about how much a suitable dress would cost. She hesitates at first and then estimates 400 francs (The estimated monthly salary of a decent job in 1880s France was approximately 100 francs/month. The equivalent today would likely be around 4000 dollars US.) In turn, the husband produces the money and abandons his dream of having a new gun to shoot at larks on outings in the countryside with friends. Mathilde is inspired, yet held back by one more accouterment that would make her appearance like a dream come true. Strangely, this story is a romance in the traditional sense but not one of romantic love. The husband gives his saved money out of love, and Mathilde accepts but with one last caveat that she must take responsibility for. “The Necklace” is told with great rhythm. Mathilde’s dream world is flowing with tapestries, lit by glowing candles in bronze holders, and in the end “afternoon chats with close friends - famous, sought after men, who all women envy and desire.” de Maupassant even breaks up the statement as it comes to its proper conclusion.
After his military service in the Franco-Prussian War, de Maupassant finally settled into writing. His first short story ever “Boule de Suif (Butterball)” describes life during wartime and with emphasis on which aspects changed and for whom. Early in the story, he is quick to point out that war in general asks the lower class to serve and yet keeps them at their level in the caste system.
Life seems to have stopped short, the shops were shut, the streets deserted. Now and then, an inhabitant, awed by the silence glided swiftly by in the shadow of the walls. The anguish of suspense made men even desire the arrival of the enemy.
Even as de Maupassant paints a picture of the town coming under the occupation of soldiers from the other side, he is careful to maintain objectivity pointing out "orders shouted in an unknown, guttural tongue," and illustrating a state of detente as families actually dined with occupying soldiers at their dinner tables. This world turned upside down by war and uncertainty is reshaped by these 10 passengers leaving under the cloak of night from the Hotel de Normandie. As the vanquished residents pile into a stagecoach to get out of town, a small microcosm of the class system emerges inherent with its conflicts (much like John Ford’s 1939 film “Stagecoach.”) de Maupassant is careful to characterize his riders but only imply the facts of their placement in this complex system.
Beside them, dignified in bearing, belonging to a superior caste, sat Monsieur-Carre-Lamadon, a man of considerable importance, a king in the cotton trade, proprietor of three spinning-mills, officer in the Legion of Honor, and member of the General Council. During the whole time the Empire was in ascendancy he remained the chief of the well-disposed Opposition, merely in order to command a higher value for his devotion when he should rally to the cause which he meanwhile opposed with "courteous weapons," to use his own expression.
As an example, de Maupassant assigns all these accomplishments to his character, even calling him a "king." However, he puts the phrase "courteous weapons" in quotes at the end - that is how you characterize him. There is a point to this level of detail. Not a word is wasted in any short story. Every word or phrase painfully selected by de Maupassant is meant to tantalize, induce thought, and strike that flash of irony in you as you read. For example, when he ushers in the title character, the prostitute "Butterball" she is described in "appetizing" adjectives with a "face like a crimson apple" and fingers that appear like "rows of short sausages." After he makes you salivate over Butterball and her "kissable mouth," we later discover that she is only one to have brought food for the trip. Ironically, even though her fellow travelers look upon her in dismay for her occupation - she still sees fit to share her food with them.
While de Maupassant was initially regarded as an excellent writer, his guide into becoming a writer was Gustave Flaubert ("Madame Bovary") It was Flaubert who introduced de Maupassant to Emile Zola and Ivan Turgenev, almost insuring that he would be a "naturalist." Unlike Victorian England where the social impositions forced their way into the Literature of its day, de Maupassant was not "trapped" by Naturalism. In the nearly 300 short stories he wrote, he set the stage for mystery, romance, and even Science Fiction to emerge from the craft of reducing what one writes.
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Mik Davis is the record store manager at T-Bones Records & Cafe in Hattiesburg.
NEW MUSIC This Week
POST MALONE - AUSTIN [2LP/CD](Mercury/Republic)
With eight Diamond singles to his name, Post Malone takes the reins on producing his fifth album and enlists an all-star cast of co-producers including Andrew Watt (Miley Cyrus, Ozzy Osbourne), Louis Bell (Halsey, co-writer on Post Malone's "Rockstar"), Max Martin (only 25 Billboard #1's so far,) and Rami Yacoub (everyone from Britney Spears to Maneskin.) Post Malone, first name Austin, says he really pushed himself to write and make a record that was different than the others. Between the album and his surprise appearance in the remix of Noah Kahan's "Dial Drunk," we will see if he can chalk up his fourth #1 album.
BETHANY COSENTINO - Natural Disaster
[LP/CD](Concord)
Having put Best Coast on "indefinite hiatus," Cosentino tries her hand at a big-budget solo album. "Natural Disaster" is all about Cosentino finding her new identity as well as some hits (working with producer Butch Walker.) The lead single "It's Fine" proves that her tongue-in-cheek writing continues but is growing in a new direction.
SUSTO - My Entire Life [LP/CD)[New West/Redeye)
On their fifth album, South Carolina's SUSTO makes a concerted effort to write some songs that have both anthemic choruses (the title track) and their sense of humor intact. While the Hippie Folk movement tends to slide further toward lazy writing, SUSTO simultaneously pokes fun at it and still ticks the box ("Hyperbolic Jesus") to those listening. "Go and write me a happy song" is successfully delivered with both sincerity and a slight jab of the elbow.
THE CLIENTELE - I Am Not There Anymore
[LP/CD](Merge/AMPED)
Welcome back the wispy mildly Psychedelic/part-Power Pop of The Clientele. A lot has changed in six years. The lounge-y sound of Alisdair MacLean's side project Amor De Dias slips into the verse of the Prefab Sprout-ian "Claire's Not Real." However, then the string-laden chorus returns to MacLean's whispering singing and fingerstyle guitar. The near EDM thrust of "Dying In May" is completely unexpected. The Clientele sound like a band circa 1967 with the strings and drums in Raga mode, but the reverberated almost-haunting vocals call back to their original recordings from the early Nineties. "I Am Not There Anymore" seems to be everything the Clientele have always been and want to be.
YOT CLUB - The Education Center
[2LP](Many Hats Endeavor/AMPED)
Former Hattiesburg resident Ryan Kaiser perhaps conjured up some of these songs when he lived here. Now in Nashville, Yot Club has amassed a great following for his breezy/clever take on Eighties Pop. "The Education Center" brings together some of his best music yet from 2022's "Off The Grid" as well as his Platinum single/TikTok breakout "YKWIM?"
BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND - The Ones Ahead
[LP/Cd](Transgressive/PIAS)
On the first album from Glenn-Copeland in 20 years, "The Ones Ahead" finds ways to be both rejoicing ("Africa Calling") and meditative ("Harbour (Song For Elizabeth.") Glenn-Copeland seems willing to put history aside and approach this modern work with the same joie de vivre as 1986's now-classic "Keyboard Fantasies" - but with a studio, musicians and everything available to make uplifting music.
BUDOS BAND - Frontier's Edge [LP/CD](Diamond West)
A lot has changed around the former Daptone stable of musicians during the past twenty years. Now on a brand-new label for their seventh album, Budos Band stretches out to purposefully not trying to sound like all the other bands that have fused together African music and Sixties Funk in their wake. As a result, the horn parts are tough but airy ("Crescent Blade" sounds like it could have been recorded in 1974.") While the guitars and organ play a more vital part in the sonic palette (the Latin-flavored title cut.)
JONI MITCHELL - At Newport [LP/CD](Rhino)
Since suffering an aneurysm in 2015, the legendary Joni Mitchell was rarely seen until this year. After an all-star tribute to her, Brandi Carlile assembled a backing band for her (the "Joni Jam) including her own band, members of Dawes, Marcus Mumford, Blake Mills, Lucius, Alison Russell, and Wynonna Judd. In this veritable greatest hits set, Mitchell leads the group through shimmering favorites from her Laurel Canyon days. So much for retirement.
Something for everyone
Various Artists - MR. BONGO RECORD CLUB: VOL. 6 [LP/CD](Mr.Bongo)
We have talked before about how the purveyors of Funk/World Music from around the globe known as Mr.Bongo bring in single after single of surprising goodness. On a compilation where you do not know a single artist, "Volume 6" assembles an astonishing run of Funk, Gospel, Jazz, Latin music, Folk, and more. We would honestly say it was worth it for the Gospel Disco of New York Community Choir's shaking "I Will Keep A Light In My Window" and the Jackson Five-style Soul of Ponderosa Twins Plus One. However, that would be shortchanging the other 19(!) cuts here from faraway places like Sweden (Sven Wunder,) Trinidad and Tobago, and Japan (Chiemi Eri.)
