The Diary of a Madman by Guy de Maupassant

I am judge, jury and executioner.

Cleo over at Classical Carousel recently wrote an excellent review of The Diary of a Madman by Guy de Maupassant, in which she absolutely detested the story, even going so far as to call it "disgusting." Naturally, that only piqued my curiosity. While her reaction is totally valid, I didn’t find it quite as repulsive as she did. That being said, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Although I haven’t read much of Maupassant, is it weird that this might actually be my favorite work of his? (Cleo, if you're reading this, I hope this doesn't make you think of me in a completely different light 😅)

The story begins with the death of a highly respected judge. After his passing, some disturbing papers are discovered in his office. Eseentially, it is the ramblings of a lunatic. The story's title is quite accurate because this judge is totally bonkers. The bulk of the story is made up of his chilling confessions, revealing a man who not only kills for pleasure but takes perverse pride in how easily he gets away with it, thanks to his position of power.

Cleo makes a great point in her review about how the judge's madness isn’t necessarily just about his crimes and perhaps his twisted mindset was borne out of his profession, sentencing stone-cold killers in court for over 50 years. Or as she eloquently puts it, "We tend be more susceptible to evil than we are to good. " This is a valid argument because the judge doesn’t wrestle with guilt or remorse; rather, he sees himself as above consequence, which makes his descent into evil all the more sinister. The story raises some interesting questions for us, as readers, to ponder: Is the judge inherently evil, or is his descent into murder a product of his environment and power? If there were no legal or social consequences, would more people commit evil acts? Is morality something innate, or is it shaped by external forces like laws and societal norms? If all humans are capable of murder, is self-control the only thing preventing people from committing evil, or is there something deeper at play? Maupassant leaves it up to the reader to draw their own conclusions.

The Diary of a Madman is a psychological study of power, morality, and the terrifying ease with which one can rationalize evil. It may be stomach-churning at times, but it’s also fascinating in its exploration of human nature.

You can read this story HERE.