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Looking Back
In this short story, a country priest explains his vocation to an old friend.
- GenresShort StoriesFrance
Unknown Binding
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About the author
Guy de Maupassant
7,489 books3,050 followersHenri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer. He is one of the fathers of the modern short story. A protege of Flaubert, Maupassant's short stories are characterized by their economy of style and their efficient effortless dénouement. He also wrote six short novels. A number of his stories often denote the futility of war and the innocent civilians who get crushed in it - many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 22, 2023
A quiet short story, more of a character study than a narrative with much of a plot. Perhaps that was the style of the times — character is destiny, and all that.
Herein a country priest explains to his good friend, the Comtesse (he has dinner every Thursday at the castle) the bumpy path that that lead to him following his vocation. The path he has chosen is one which isolates him from personal suffering — or so he has decided.
The psychological aspects do lend themselves to different interpretations: i.e. is this a story of denial, or self-delusion? Compare how the priest approaches life to how the Comtesse manages: are their strategies completely different?
I suppose, based on how easily one can come up with a study guide for this short story, that I should bump the rating up from 3 stars.
Herein a country priest explains to his good friend, the Comtesse (he has dinner every Thursday at the castle) the bumpy path that that lead to him following his vocation. The path he has chosen is one which isolates him from personal suffering — or so he has decided.
The psychological aspects do lend themselves to different interpretations: i.e. is this a story of denial, or self-delusion? Compare how the priest approaches life to how the Comtesse manages: are their strategies completely different?
I suppose, based on how easily one can come up with a study guide for this short story, that I should bump the rating up from 3 stars.
June 16, 2020
Not one of his best.
January 27, 2025
Guy De Maupassant's Story, Looking Back is a story of Abbe Maudit and his tragic life. It is centered on Maudit's unfortunate, traumatic childhood , his isolated life, his disappointments and sorrows, which pushes him to choose a career to be a priest, who sacrificed his personal desires to be in service of people.
April 24, 2022
The Reading: https://anchor.fm/austin-lugo/episode...
Some thoughts: https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-th...
Despite having read the story so many times before it's still hits me in this extremely raw and emotional way. And of course that is the beauty of any great short story with a read of only 20 minutes and less than 10 pages. There's really not a whole lot here. Like many of the other stories I've been reading recently, This is a story within a story.
But unlike the other stories, this story isn't about writing. It's not about telling a story. It's not about the creative process. It's about life itself. Of course, all stories. And once in another are about life, but this one's about suffering. Now I would argue even more. So this one is about depression.
And when I say depression, I am not referring to sadness. I think too often, we use these words as if they are synonyms as if they are one in the same as if to be sad and depressed are merely degrees. I speak from personal experience and personal experiences. All we can speak from sadness and depression are different beasts entirely.
To compare. The two is to compare an apple to the sun. What this story captures about depression. Isn't about sadness. It's about the apathy of life itself. It's about not doing things, not because they won't bring you joy, but you know, that that joy at the end bring an emptiness. David Foster Wallace on reading Sylvia.
Plath's the bell jar. Describe the difference between sadness and depression as sadness, the losing of a dog and depression as the dog, never having existed at all. So many authors try to describe depression either directly or indirectly. Including myself, fail on the regular. It's so hard to describe this thing that unless you've experienced it there's really nothing like it.
But in many ways, the story captures that it captures this terror of life. This terror of disappointment, this emptiness that sits inside. Now, why someone would want to read such a story?
May seem odd to some, why would someone want to put themselves in that sort of perspective? Why would anyone want to feel that way? I think it's about understanding the world about experiencing the world. I don't think the priest is the hero of the story. I don't think we're supposed to emulate him. I don't think we're supposed to pity him either though.
He's a cautionary tale of store. By avoiding love by avoiding friendship by avoiding family. He avoids life itself. Yes, he has saved himself from the suffering of pain, but pain is part of life. It is life. I would argue that the day the dog died, the priest died too. I would argue that the priest zombie.
But ghost-like figure he is so terrified, uh, feeling anything. They feels nothing at all. And in that way he doesn't live. He doesn't exist. And the grandmother, then the story sits before the fireplace and thinks over a long life, she thinks of her family. She thinks of her grandchild. No matter how old the priest gets, the priest will never live a long life because he's never lived at all.
Even with the children who he gives affection kisses, as if it is his own, he puts at a distance. He puts everyone at a distance. He's the tragic figure of this.
Because unlike a novel in which a character has to change in which a character starts as one thing and ends as only a short story, doesn't have to follow these rules because in many ways, the short story can't follow these rules. It's very hard for a character to change in a couple of pages. And it's not that it doesn't happen, but that's, what's so strange and weird and unique and wonderful dash.
Sure stories merely exist as a moment in time. And here in this moment, we meet this priests from this third person perspective, and we try to understand him. We try to love him. We try to care for him. At the end of the day, he is exactly the same as, as he started. And that's how he will always be. And we can only hope that we don't end up like the priest.
Some thoughts: https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-th...
Despite having read the story so many times before it's still hits me in this extremely raw and emotional way. And of course that is the beauty of any great short story with a read of only 20 minutes and less than 10 pages. There's really not a whole lot here. Like many of the other stories I've been reading recently, This is a story within a story.
But unlike the other stories, this story isn't about writing. It's not about telling a story. It's not about the creative process. It's about life itself. Of course, all stories. And once in another are about life, but this one's about suffering. Now I would argue even more. So this one is about depression.
And when I say depression, I am not referring to sadness. I think too often, we use these words as if they are synonyms as if they are one in the same as if to be sad and depressed are merely degrees. I speak from personal experience and personal experiences. All we can speak from sadness and depression are different beasts entirely.
To compare. The two is to compare an apple to the sun. What this story captures about depression. Isn't about sadness. It's about the apathy of life itself. It's about not doing things, not because they won't bring you joy, but you know, that that joy at the end bring an emptiness. David Foster Wallace on reading Sylvia.
Plath's the bell jar. Describe the difference between sadness and depression as sadness, the losing of a dog and depression as the dog, never having existed at all. So many authors try to describe depression either directly or indirectly. Including myself, fail on the regular. It's so hard to describe this thing that unless you've experienced it there's really nothing like it.
But in many ways, the story captures that it captures this terror of life. This terror of disappointment, this emptiness that sits inside. Now, why someone would want to read such a story?
May seem odd to some, why would someone want to put themselves in that sort of perspective? Why would anyone want to feel that way? I think it's about understanding the world about experiencing the world. I don't think the priest is the hero of the story. I don't think we're supposed to emulate him. I don't think we're supposed to pity him either though.
He's a cautionary tale of store. By avoiding love by avoiding friendship by avoiding family. He avoids life itself. Yes, he has saved himself from the suffering of pain, but pain is part of life. It is life. I would argue that the day the dog died, the priest died too. I would argue that the priest zombie.
But ghost-like figure he is so terrified, uh, feeling anything. They feels nothing at all. And in that way he doesn't live. He doesn't exist. And the grandmother, then the story sits before the fireplace and thinks over a long life, she thinks of her family. She thinks of her grandchild. No matter how old the priest gets, the priest will never live a long life because he's never lived at all.
Even with the children who he gives affection kisses, as if it is his own, he puts at a distance. He puts everyone at a distance. He's the tragic figure of this.
Because unlike a novel in which a character has to change in which a character starts as one thing and ends as only a short story, doesn't have to follow these rules because in many ways, the short story can't follow these rules. It's very hard for a character to change in a couple of pages. And it's not that it doesn't happen, but that's, what's so strange and weird and unique and wonderful dash.
Sure stories merely exist as a moment in time. And here in this moment, we meet this priests from this third person perspective, and we try to understand him. We try to love him. We try to care for him. At the end of the day, he is exactly the same as, as he started. And that's how he will always be. And we can only hope that we don't end up like the priest.
September 26, 2023
Man, Nietzsche would have loved this story! (Perhaps he actually did, he loved Maupassant after all.) It seems to be about the ascetic, the victim of nihilism. Someone who unfortunately has been made so ascetic and anti-life such that they are so sensitive to everything, to even the smallest pain or touch (cf. The Antichrist, or perhaps Twilight of the Idols) such that they have grown to hate suffering which appears to be a ubiquitous or even necessary element of life and Reality and therefore such sad pathetic (though not blameworthy, since he's a victim of such experiences and thoughts and also since he couldn't have done otherwise!) souls grow to hate life and Reality as a whole, limiting their experience to only a narrow sliver of the wide range of human experience and emotion. Many other Nietzschean elements too. The lack of desire and ambition prevalent in nihilists and others who have a corrupted or decadent or degraded "will to power", excess pity (that perpetrator of unnecessary suffering), altruism to the detriment of oneself, thinking one isn't "made for this world" (which suggests a preference for the otherworldly over the thiswordly, as is corroborated by his being a priest). What then would I have done were I in his shoes, his circumstances? After all, traumatic experiences and being perpetually anxious are not entirely foreign to me and also could well one day happen to me. So think! Hmm. Well, go to therapy, for one. Choose an attitude of acceptance towards life, Reality as it is and Reality as a whole, including my own anxiety and other emotions, and including my own bodily and physiological state (including the symptoms or physical realisation of my anxiety). But certainly always to choose acceptance, amor fati and love of God or Nature: love of Reality. Nothing shall ever come between that. It is always an available option no matter what, come what may. And to nurture and grow my desire and striving for flourishing, both MY OWN and that of others, which stems both from my nature and also from the love of Reality (love entails a striving for flourishing after all; and where is flourishing happening in Reality?—living things, so far as we know. And humans, pre-eminently, as far as we know. And one particular human, as far as it seems right now, which is the most within my power to determining the flourishing of: myself.) Of course, many people's inability to do all this cognitive, conative and acceptance work is itself a fragment of Reality, and therefore ought to be accepted to, by the flourishing, capable person.
Anyway yeah. Perhaps try to reread the story again without my Nietzschean/Spinozistic lens. Also Maupassant is a lovely and interesting writer! Should read more of him. Loved his Necklace too.
Anyway, I read this book as part of 50 Great Short Stories (ed. Milton Crane).
Anyway yeah. Perhaps try to reread the story again without my Nietzschean/Spinozistic lens. Also Maupassant is a lovely and interesting writer! Should read more of him. Loved his Necklace too.
Anyway, I read this book as part of 50 Great Short Stories (ed. Milton Crane).
December 19, 2018
Looking Back tells us about a priest, Abbe Maudit, and why he avoids emotional connections. The story starts in M. la Curé's house, her grandchildren give her and the priest kisses before going to bed. After that, when the children are gone, she turns to Maudit and asks him: "Don't you ever find it hard living alone?" and this is how everything begins. She pushes him to tell her why did he choose to live his life this way, and he starts explaining. A long journey to his past, to where he buried all his painful memories of childhood. Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking 'sameEeEeEe man!' from the beginning till the end. Also, can I just say, Abbe Maudit is probably my soulmate. As soon as I finished reading this story I wrote these words on top of the page: "A short summary of my life, a way to my mind". A lot had happened to Maudit while growing up and his way of viewing things changed through sorrow. He had lost something, something valuable. I'm telling you guys, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK. I actually don't like reading that much, tho my major is literature (how funny is that), but I really enjoyed reading this one. Plus, it will only take you 5 mins to read.
August 28, 2024
4.25⭐
AKA: After; Afterwards
After the children had gone to bed after tenderly wishing goodnight to the Abbe Mauduit who had come to dinner as usual every Thursday, the countess de Saville asks him whether he doesn’t regret having been unable to have children of his own. The priest recounts his tortured loneliness during his youth and the awful incident that decided him to embark upon a life dedicated to the service of others.
AKA: After; Afterwards
After the children had gone to bed after tenderly wishing goodnight to the Abbe Mauduit who had come to dinner as usual every Thursday, the countess de Saville asks him whether he doesn’t regret having been unable to have children of his own. The priest recounts his tortured loneliness during his youth and the awful incident that decided him to embark upon a life dedicated to the service of others.
April 5, 2023
You know when an author’s writing style instantly draws you in? I wouldn’t say the story itself is masterful (although I did really enjoy the reflective nature) but I think I want to read more by guy!
April 25, 2020
It was a good short story!
June 29, 2020
talking about one’s life story why he became to live alone ane to be a priest. I could sympathize with his loneliness and sorrow in his childhood and then whole life in the end.
November 8, 2023
I do not think I have enough words to explain this raw story that pierces through me
June 11, 2024
You cannot numb pain without numbing joy!!! Grief is a natural byproduct of love!!!
October 4, 2020
TLDR world bad me no cope
I'm not a fan of when a character can point out their problems and the very specific cause, I know few people that can explain their motives and character so succinctly.
Not a big fan of a spoon fed message, i don't get to take something of my own from this story I either take his explanation or leave with nothing.
I'm not a fan of when a character can point out their problems and the very specific cause, I know few people that can explain their motives and character so succinctly.
Not a big fan of a spoon fed message, i don't get to take something of my own from this story I either take his explanation or leave with nothing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews