Recent Forum Posts on William Somerset Maugham The Moon and Sixpence - Finished

Finished “The Moon and Sixpence” (TMS) by William Somerset Maugham This was my first foray into the writing of Maugham, a choice driven primarily by Emil Miller’s endorsement of Maugham and TMS in particular through his various postings. The story mixes biography, autobiography and fiction, following the life of Charles Strickland, a London stockbroker who callously abandons his family acting on impulse to pursue a latent passion to paint that eventually leads him to the south Pacific islands of Tahiti. The story parallels the life of painter Paul Gauguin and in some respects, the travels of Maugham himself during his travels through the South Pacific (1916 – 1917). Maugham employs the...

Posted By Gilliatt Gurgle in Maugham, Somerset || 0 Replies

Somerset Maugham - Opinions?

I am thinking about reading him next. What do you think of him? I read on Wikipedia that he was quoted for saying "I am in the front row of second-raters" or something like that. While it proves him a modest man, it makes me a bit skeptical nonetheless. Would you consider him a second-rater? Or is that just an unfortunate allegation owing to his popularity at the time? He also said of himself that his writing "lacks a lyrical quality" (again from Wikipedia) Is he not such a great hand at prose? Thanks in advance, and I'd welcome any recommendations for what to read by him (looking for novels, not short stories)....

Posted By ktm5124 in Maugham, Somerset || 14 Replies

The Painted Veil

I am currently reading this and as a great admirer of the film adaptation, I was more than a little curious as to how the courtship (or lack thereof) of Kitty and Walter would be described. I have not been disappointed by the detailed descriptions of their acquaintance and so far, I am quite impressed by the strong characterisation of Kitty and in particular Walter Fane. By the time he addressed her affair with Mr. Townsend I felt quite sorry for the poor man - the way he expressed his having to dumb himself down so she would not be bored with him. I'll quote the speech so you know what I mean: "I had no illusions about you," he said. "I knew you were silly and frivolous and empty-headed. ...

Posted By Dorian Gray in Maugham, Somerset || 0 Replies

Synopsis and opinion on Of Human Bondage

Philip is physicially bound by the deformity of his club foot. He is mentally bound by intermittant changing of professions he tries and then does not follow through with. He is also financially and emotionally bound by Mildred and her baby. He is emotionally bound by all the relationships he goes through. In the time Philip is doing his accounting apprenticeship he finds the work troublesome and boring. He feels the need for social interaction, although he does not know that is what he is looking for. In Paris, you see many people who are the exact opposite of Philip. They have a bohemian air. During this time, he gets the social interaction that he craves. They do what they ...

Posted By Lovelee in Maugham, Somerset || 0 Replies