Bel-Ami: Roman

Knowing Maupassant's background, I wonder how much of the social climbing and corruption described is drawn from his personal observations or critiques.

His charm and ambition make him captivating, but his manipulative tactics are pretty unsettling. Did others find themselves rooting for him anyway?

The story feels like a critique of superficial societal values; I wonder what inspired him to explore these issues so critically in this novel.