Summary

In Chapter 1, Georges Duroy walks along the streets of Paris, cursing those who can afford to buy a drink in the heat. He only has enough money to last him two more meals that month. While on his walk, Georges runs into his old comrade, M. Forestier, and the latter offers to buy him a beer. Georges tells him that he works as a clerk in a railway office. He is broke. M. Forrestier offers to ask the manager of his journal, La Vie Francaise, to hire Georges. He invites Georges to lunch the next day with the journal’s manager, M. Walter, and a few other writers. Georges readily accepts. The two go to The Folies Bergeres, a cabaret music hall. Duroy attracts the attention of two women there and leaves at the end of the night with the one named Rachel...