Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Besides being his "instructor" in things literary, Gustave Flaubert (author of Madame Bovary) was also Maupassant's childhood playmate. (Source)
Maybe Maupassant could relate to Mathilde's desire to move up in life. His own family was middle class, but before he was born they had added the "de" to their last name to make it sound noble. (Source)
Maupassant had a photographic memory, which helped him store up details for his stories. (Source)
Maupassant's own life had a tragic ending. He suffered from syphilis, which affected his sanity, and he eventually tried to kill himself in 1892. He died in an asylum the next year. (Source)
Maupassant wrote a number of seriously spooky horror stories, the most famous of which is "Le Horla." He's even been compared to Edgar Allan Poe. So if you're a Poe fan, check them out. (Source)