Guy de Maupassant’s “The Kiss” is a very short story, a meditation really, written in the form of a letter, on the power of the kiss. Specifically, the power women have over men thanks to the kiss, and various ways women can lose their power. It’s only about two pages, but Maupassant brings to life not only the undeniable magic of a kiss, but a past world where women’s only power lay in love. It’s an impressive author that can create such a feeling of atmosphere in such a short space, and the signature of the letter is perfection itself.