Degerfors Bibliotek

Jean Summer is a famous painter. Although he is praised by a lot of people for his character, he deems his marriage to a young disabled woman to be a burden. He believes that he is shackled to her, doomed to accompany her everywhere until the end of time. An observer approaches him, questioned his situation, but the observer could never have predicted the answer that he received. 'The Model' is written almost like a parable against marriage, proving how dysfunctional marriage can be, especially when misogyny is involved.

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.