Bel-Ami ([bɛlami], "Dear Friend") is the second novel by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885; an English translation titled Bel Ami, or, The History of a Scoundrel: A Novel first appeared in 1903.

The novel is set in Paris in the upper-middle class environment of the leading journalists of the newspaper La Vie Française and their friends.

Georges now signs his articles Du Roy (an aristocratic style of French name) in order to add prestige to his name.

His newspaper colleagues call him 'Forestier', which angers Georges, and he becomes heavily jealous of Madeleine, insisting that she admit having been unfaithful to Forestier, but she never does.

In order to suppress the stings of jealousy, Duroy starts an affair with Mme Walter, the wife of the owner of the newspaper.

The last chapter shows Duroy savouring his success at the wedding ceremony, at which 'all those who figured prominently in society' are present.

The novel has been adapted for film and television several times: "The Wicked World of Bel Ami", a musical in two acts adapted by Ken Hill using the music of Jacques Offenbach,[1] was staged at the Theatre Royal Stratford East 7 April – 13 May 1989 with Haluk Bilginer in the title role[2] Miláček, a Czech stage version of the story, premiered on 11 April 2008 in City Theatre, Mladá Boleslav.

John Braine, the English novelist, stated that his favourite author was Guy de Maupassant and that his first novel, Room at the Top (1957), was based on Bel Ami, but 'the critics didn't pick it up'.