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What a scoundrel Georges Duroy is! He is one of the most wicked, dishonest and vain protagonists I have found in a novel so far; but please, don't get me wrong, I completely enjoyed reading this book, its characters and its plot. In fact, I would say Bel-Ami is actually an easy read as well as a compelling and quite entertaining story.
I was able to read it basically in just two sittings �� I did not expect the writing style to be straightforward and quite direct, and to find the sense of humor that I found in the story; since I was really intrigued by the ending of the novel and especially our protagonist's ending, I couldn't help but read it too fast, and hence, love every single chapter in the book.

Bel-Ami is the story of a man who probably loves that quote by Machiavelli(?) that goes: 'The end justifies the means'. Georges Duroy does not know what being a truthful, respectful person means. Well, I think he actually knows, however, he is not interested in following that path. Even though he is not a good person, I was really fond of him, somehow you cannot hate him due to his particular personality, being likable, amusing and at times really smart. I believe Maupassant wanted to portray the decline of society of his time through this novel, since the more his protagonist succeeded, the more people around him suffered the consequences of his acts.
From my point of view, there is a strong connection between this book and other French classics that I have read thus far, for instance, I couldn't help thinking of The Red and The Black by Stendhal (Georges Duroy reminded me of its protagonist, Julien Sorel, and his relationships), Lost Illusions by Balzac (the job of both protagonists is quite similar, especially focused on journalism), and mainly Dangerous Liaisons, whose antagonist, Valmont, and Duroy share some common traits, being Valmont the worst.

In conclusion, this is a fantastic French classic; it was my second Maupassant and it won't be the last one, for sure. So, I would truly recommend this book �� I'm happy to say it is now part of my favorite French classics, and I'm also eager to discover other ones which might join them in the future.
Just for the record, my favorite French classics are (yes, this time in order of preference):
L'Assommoir by Émile Zola
Germinal by Émile Zola
The Red and the Black by Stendhal
Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos
Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert
Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

“Life lasted a few months or years, and then fled! One was born, grew, was happy, and died. Adieu! man or woman, you will never return to earth! He thought of the insects which live several hours, of the feasts which live several days, of the men who live several years, of the worlds which last several centuries. What was the difference between one and the other? A few more dawns, that was all.��