W Somerset Maugham Books In Order

Novels

  1. Liza of Lambeth (1897)
  2. Mrs Craddock (1902)
  3. The Merry Go Round (1904)
  4. The Explorer (1907)
  5. The Magician (1908)
  6. Of Human Bondage (1915)
  7. The Moon and the Sixpence (1919)
  8. The Painted Veil (1925)
  9. Ashenden (1928)
  10. Cakes and Ale (1930)
  11. The Narrow Corner (1932)
  12. Christmas Holiday (1939)
  13. Up at the Villa (1941)
  14. The Razor’s Edge (1944)
  15. Then and Now (1946)
  16. Theatre (1947)
  17. Catalina (1948)

Collections

  1. The Trembling of a Leaf (1921)
  2. The Casuarina Tree (1928)
  3. Ah King (1933)
  4. Cosmopolitans (1936)
  5. The Mixture as Before (1940)
  6. Creatures of Circumstance (1947)
  7. Here and There (1948)
  8. The Complete Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham (1951)
  9. Collected Short Stories (1969)
  10. Collected Stories (2004)

Plays

  1. A Man of Honour (1903)
  2. The Circle (1921)
  3. The Constant Wife (1927)

Non fiction

  1. The Land of the Blessed Virgin (1905)
  2. On a Chinese Screen (1922)
  3. The Gentleman in the Parlour (1930)
  4. Don Fernando (1935)
  5. The Summing Up (1938)
  6. A Writer’s Notebook (1949)
  7. Vagrant Mood (1952)
  8. The Travel Books (1955)
  9. Points of View (1958)
  10. Ten Novels and Their Authors (1963)
  11. The Skeptical Romancer (2009)

Novels Book Covers

Collections Book Covers

Plays Book Covers

Non fiction Book Covers

W Somerset Maugham Books Overview

Liza of Lambeth

REFLECTIONS ON THE MOTIVE POWER OF HEAT AND ON ENGINES SUITABLE FOR DEVELOPING THIS POWER by SA1I CAENOT It is well known that heat may be oscd as a cause of motion, and that the motive power which may be obtained from it is very great. The steam engine, now in such general use, is a manifest proof of this fact. To the agency of heat may be ascribed those vast disturbances whicli we see occurring everywhere on the earth ; the movements of the atmosphere, the rising of mists, the fall of rain and other meteors, the streams of water which channel the surface of the earth, of which man has succeeded in utilizing only a small part. To heat are due also volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. From this great source we draw the moving force necessary for our use. Nature, by supplying combustible material everywhere, has afforded ns the means of generating heat and the motive power which is given by it, at all times and in all places, and the steam engine has made it possible to develop andTable of Contents GENERAL CONTENTS; pac ; Preface 7; lleHection on the Motive l’ower of Heat, lty Sacli Cnruot 3; Biographical Sketch of Carnot GO; Ou the Mol ve Power of Heat, and on the Laws which can be Deduced from it for the Theory of Heal By R Clausius 63; Biographical Sketch of Clausius 107; The Dynamical Theory of Heat Selected Portions By William; Thomson Lord Kelvin Ill; Biographical Sketch of Lord Kelvin147; Bibliography 119; Ikdkx101; CONTENTS; Heat engines 3; Fail of Temperature 1; JutxrtibU Procau 11; ‘Carnot’t Cyde’ 10; KJficiency a Fanttion of Limiting Temperature 20; Sjieeifc HenU of Cam 21; Molire ruirer of Air, Steam, Alcohol Vapor 40; Oreateet FJflciency 4′; Various Type of Maehinrt 62; Advantage and Duadcantaga of Steam MAbout the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Rel

Mrs Craddock

It is the end of the 19th century and Victoria’s reign is coming to an end. It is also the end of an era, but no one knows. The landed gentry, so soon to lose their power, are the last to suspect. Bertha Ley is mistress of Court Ley, a great spread of land. She marries Edward Craddock, a man beneath her station, but quite the essence of new order. A gentleman farmer, he is steady and a doer who turns Court Ley into an efficient farm. But Bertha wants passion and ardor: she gets reality. ‘Bertha’s tragedy is in her expectations life would be so simple without them. Her assaults on the amiable Craddock are as rational as beating a flounder for not flying.’ Literary Observer

The Merry Go Round

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR’d book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

The Explorer

The sea was very calm. There was no ship in sight, and the seagulls were motionless upon its even greyness. The sky was dark with lowering clouds, but there was no wind. The line of the horizon was clear and delicate. The shingly beach, no less deserted, was thick with tangled seaweed, and the innumerable shells crumbed under the feet that trod them. The breakwaters, which sought to prevent the unceasing encroachment of the waves, were rotten with age and green with the sea slime. It was a desolate scene, but there was a restfulness in its melancholy; and the great silence, the suave monotony of color, might have given peace to a heart that was troubled. They could not assuage the torment of the woman who stood alone upon that spot. She did not stir; and, though her gaze was steadfast, she saw nothing. Nature has neither love nor hate, and with indifference smiles upon the light at heart and to the heavy brings a deeper sorrow. It is a great irony that the old Greek, so wise and prudent, who fancied that the gods lived utterly apart from human passions, divinely unconscious in their high palaces of grief and joy, the hope and despair, of the turbulent crowd of men, should have gone down to posterity as the apostle of brutish pleasure. But the silent woman did not look for solace. She had a vehement pride which caused her to seek comfort only in her own heart; and when, against her will, heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, she shook her head impatiently.

The Magician

In 1897, after spending five years at St Thomas’s Hospital I passed the examinations which enabled me to practise medicine. While still a medical student I had published a novel called Liza of Lambeth which caused a mild sensation, and on the strength of that I rashly decided to abandon doctoring and earn my living as a writer; so, as soon as I was ‘qualified’, I set out for Spain and spent the best part of a year in Seville. I amused myself hugely and wrote a bad novel. Then I returned to London and, with a friend of my own age, took and furnished a small flat near Victoria Station. A maid of all work cooked for us and kept the flat neat and tidy. My friend was at the Bar, and so I had the day and the flat to myself and my work. During the next six years I wrote several novels and a number of plays. Only one of these novels had any success, but even that failed to make the stir that my first one had made. I could get no manager to take my plays. At last, in desperation, I sent one, which I called A Man of Honour, to the Stage Society, which gave two performances, one on Sunday night, another on Monday afternoon, of plays which, unsuitable for the commercial theatre, were considered of sufficient merit to please an intellectual audience. As every one knows, it was the Stage Society that produced the early plays of Bernard Shaw.

Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences biographical, historical, and literary to enrich each reader’s understanding of these enduring works. One of the most widely read novels of the twentieth century, W. Somerset Maugham’s masterpiece Of Human Bondage gives a harrowing depiction of unrequited love. Philip Carey, a sensitive orphan born with a clubfoot, finds himself in desperate need of passion and inspiration. He abandons his studies to travel, first to Heidelberg, and then to Paris, where he nurses ambitions of becoming a great artist. Philip s youthful idealism erodes, however, as he comes face to face with his own mediocrity and lack of impact on the world. After returning to London to study medicine, he becomes wildly infatuated with Mildred, a vulgar, tawdry waitress, and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. First published in 1915, the semi autobiographical Of Human Bondage combines the values left over from the Victorian era with the prevailing irony and despair of the early twentieth century. Unsentimental yet bursting with deep feeling, Of Human Bondage remains Maugham s most complete statement of the importance of physical and spiritual liberty, a theme that resounds more loudly than ever today. Carin Companick is a freelance writer and a specialist in the field of language proficiency as*sessment. She studied English literature at Haverford College and completed her graduate work in Victorian and modern literature at Columbia University. She lives and works in Princeton, New Jersey.

The Moon and the Sixpence

I confess that when first I made acquaintance with Charles Strickland I never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the ordinary. Yet now few will be found to deny his greatness. I do not speak of that greatness which is achieved by the fortunate politician or the successful soldier; that is a quality which belongs to the place he occupies rather than to the man; and a change of circum stances reduces it to very discreet proportions. The Prime Minister out of office is seen, too often, to have been but a pompous rhetorician, and the General without an army is but the tame hero of a market town. The greatness of Charles Strickland was authentic. It may be that you do not like his art, but at all events you can hardly refuse it the tribute of your interest. He disturbs and arrests. The time has passed when he was an object of ridicule, and it is no longer a mark of eccentricity to defend or of perversity to extol him. His faults are accepted as the necessary complement to his merits. It is still possible to discuss his place in art, and the adulation of his admirers is perhaps no less capricious than the disparagement of his detractors; but one thing can never be doubtful, and that is that he had genius. To my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the artist; and if that is singular, I am willing to excuse a thousand faults. I suppose Velasquez was a better painter than El Greco, but custom stales one’s admiration for him:

The Painted Veil

First published in 1925, The Painted Veil is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, it is the story of the beautiful but shallow young Kitty Fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to a remote region of China ravaged by a cholera epidemic. Stripped of the British society of her youth and overwhelmed by the desolation around her, she is compelled by her awakening conscience to reas*sess her life. She takes up work with children at a convent, but when her husband dies, she is forced to return to England to her father, her one remaining relative, to raise her unborn child. Though too late for her marriage, she has learned humility, independence, and how to love.

Ashenden

Fact is a poor story teller as Maugham reminds us. Fact starts a story at random, rambles on inconsequently and tails off , leaving loose ends, without a conclusion. It works up to an interesting situation, has no sense of climax and whittles away its dramatic effects in irrelevance. While some novelists believe this is a proper model for fiction, Maugham believes that fiction should not seek to copy life, but instead choose from life what is curious, telling, and dramatic, but keep to it closely enough not to shock the reader into disbelief. In short, fiction should excite, interest, and absorb the reader. Ashenden: The British Agent is founded on Maugham’s experiences in the English Intelligence Department during World War I, but rearranged for the purposes of fiction. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. For a period of time after it was first published the book became official required reading for persons entering the secret service. The plot follows the imaginary John Ashenden who during World War I is a spy for British Intelligence. He is sent first to Geneva and later to Russia. Instead of one story from start to finish, the chapters contain individual stories involving many different characters. All of the people whom Ashenden meet during his travels have their own reason for being involved in the spy game, and each are more complex than they first look. W. Somerset Maugham 1874 1965 wrote over 100 short stories in a long, multifaceted, successful and controversial career. His work has remained widely anthologied, and is, by any measure of commerce or canon, successful. Within Maugham’s large output, the stories published in Ashenden: The British Agent are of particular interest. They are seen as important in the development of the genre of espionage fiction, influencing writers such as Eric Ambler, John le Carr , and Len Deighton. The protagonist breaks with the tradition of the gentleman crime sleuth in order to cope with modern crimes no less than ungentlemanly criminals.

Cakes and Ale

Cakes and Ale is a delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. Social climber Alroy Kear is flattered when he is selected by Edward Driffield’s wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. But then Kear discovers the great novelist’s voluptuous muse and unlikely first wife, Rosie. The lively, loving hero*ine once gave Driffield enough material to last a lifetime, but now her memory casts an embarrissing shadow over his career and respectable image. Wise, witty, deeply satisfying, Cakes and Ale is Maugham at his best.

The Narrow Corner

Filled with adventure, passion, and intrigue, The Narrow Corner is a classic tale of the sea by one of the twentieth century’s finest writers. Island hoping across the South Pacific, the esteemed Dr. Saunders is offered passage by Captain Nichols and his companion Fred Blake, two men who appear unsavory, yet any means of transportation is hard to resist. The trip turns turbulent, however, when a vicious storm forces them to seek shelter on the remote island of Kanda. There these three men fall under the spell of the sultry and stunningly beautiful Louise, and their story spirals into a wicked tale of love, murder, jealousy, and suicide.

Christmas Holiday

For Christmas, Charley Mason’s father granted him a trip to Paris, all expenses paid. It should have been a lark, but on his first night Charley meets a woman whose story will forever change his life. For Lydia has seen tragedy. The Russian Revolution displaced her family, left her homeless, fatherless. And for reasons that elude Charley, Lydia pines for a man half a world away a dope dealer and murderer whose sins Lydia seeks to absolve through her own self destruction. Haunting, erotic, deeply effecting, Christmas Holiday explores two souls capsized by compassion and the confusion that engulfed a generation in the days between the Great Wars.

Up at the Villa

Now a major motion picture from USA Films starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sean Penn, and director Philip Haas director of Angels and Insects. In Up at the Villa, W. Somerset Maugham portrays a wealthy young English woman who finds herself confronted rather brutally by the repercussions of whimsy. On the day her older and prosperous friend asks her to marry him, Mary Leonard demurs and decides to postpone her reply a few days. But driving into the hills above Florence alone that evening, Mary offers a ride to a handsome stranger. And suddenly, her life is utterly, irrevocably altered. For this stranger is a refugee of war, and he harbors more than one form of passion. Before morning, Mary will witness bloodshed, she will be forced to seek advice and assistance from an unsavory man, and she will have to face the truth about her own yearnings. Erotic, haunting, and maddeningly suspenseful, Up at the Villa is a masterful tale of temptation and the capricious nature of fate.

The Razor’s Edge

The Great War changed everything and the years following it were tumultuous most of all for those who lived the war first hand. Maugham himself is a character in this novel of self discovery and search for meaning, but the protagonist is a character named Larry. Battered physically and spiritually by the war, Larry’s physical wounds heal, but his spirit is changed almost beyond recognition. He leaves his betrothed, the beautiful and devoted Isabel. He studies philosophy and religion in Paris. He lives as a monk. He witnesses the exotic hardships of Spanish life. All of life that he can find from an Indian Ashrama to labor in a coal mine becomes Larry’s spiritual experiment as he spurns the comfort and privilege of the Roaring ’20s. Maugham’s theme is the contrast of spiritual content between Larry and the growing materialism and sophistication of those he left behind and the surprising irony of where both of those paths lead.

Then and Now

Maugham found a parallel to the turmoil of our own times in the duplicity, intrigue and sensuality of the Italian Renaissance. Then and Now enters the world of Machiavelli, and covers three important months in the career of that crafty politician, worldly seducer and high priest of schemers.

Theatre

In Theatre, W. Somerset Maugham the author of the classic novels Of Human Bondage and Up at the Villa introduces us to Julia Lambert, a woman of breathtaking poise and talent whose looks have stood by her forty six years. She is one of the greatest actresses England so good, in fact, that perhaps she never stops acting. It seems that noting can ruffle her satin feathers, until a quiet stranger who challenges Julia’s very sense of self. As a result, she will endure rejection for the first time, her capacity as a mother will be affronted, and her ability to put on whatever face she desired for her public will prove limited. In Theatre, Maugham subtly exposes the tensions and triumphs that occur when acting and reality blend together, and for Julia ultimately reverse.

The Trembling of a Leaf

William Somerset Maugham 1874 1965 was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. By 1914 he was famous, with 10 plays produced and 10 published novels. His masterpiece is generally agreed to be Of Human Bondage 1915, a semi autobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character Philip Carey, who like Maugham, was orphaned, and brought up by his pious uncle. His last major novel, The Razor’s Edge, published in 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. While much of the novel takes place in Europe, its main characters are American, not British. His other works include: Liza of Lambeth 1897, Mrs Craddock 1902, A Man of Honour 1903, The Land of the Blessed Virgin 1905, The Bishop’s Apron 1906, Lady Frederick 1907, The Magician 1908, Home and Beauty 1909, The Moon and Sixpence 1919, The Circle 1921, The Trembling of a Leaf 1921, and On a Chinese Screen 1922.

The Casuarina Tree

1926. Maugham, English novelist, short story writer, and playwright is best remembered for his novel Of Human Bondage. The Casuarina Tree contains six stories by Maugham including: Before the Party; P. and O.; The Outstation; The Force of Circumstance; The Yellow Streak; and The Letter. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Ah King

Set in Malaya, this collection of short stories brilliantly captures the essence of colonial life. Maugham paints a keen picture of the expatriate planter, missionary, and colonial officer and their womenfolk as they pass their days in this remote corner of the empire.

Creatures of Circumstance

Creatures of Circumstance begins with an explanation from the author telling how this collection came about. He states that he ‘has never pretended to be anything but a story teller. It has amused me to tell stories and I have told a great many. It is a misfortune for me that the telling of a story just for the sake of the story is not an activity that is in favor with the intelligentsia. I endeavor to bear my misfortunes with fortitude.’ The short stories in this extraordinary collection with the exception of one were written after the close of World War I. Maugham shrewdly and brilliantly exploited the public taste of his time to put on display the changing morality of the twentieth century. An expert storyteller, he was also a master of fictional technique. His fiction offers a synthesis of pleasures in the form of realism, exoticism, shrewd and ironic observation, careful craftsmanship, and characteriation. Among the stories included in Creatures of Circumstance are ‘The Colonel’s Lady,’ ‘Flotsam and Jetsam,’ ‘Sanatorium,’ ‘Appearance and Reality,’ ‘The Point of Honor,’ ‘A Woman of Fifty,’ ‘The Man from Glasgow,’ and ‘The Kite.’

Collected Short Stories

China has been a wellspring of storytelling for over 2,000 years. Sadly, this fantastic literature is little known in the west outside the halls of academia, though a handful of recent 20th century authors have attained a respectable following. The stories in this volume date from the sixth century A.D. to the early part of the 20th century, and will give the listener a good feel for the subject. Astonishingly, the Chinese enjoyed from the earliest times many of the genres we take for granted today, from romance and love to adventure and satire. Selections in Volume I: THE WHITE MONKEY by Anonymous A general’s honor and self respect are on the line when his wife is kidnapped. THE JADE GODDESS retold by Lin Yu Tang Like a fine piece of exquisite porcelain, this wonderful story from the 6th century is a thing of delicate beauty. Will an artist put aside his creative gifts for the sake of love? THE CANARY MURDERS by Feng Meng lung This twelfth century forerunner of the detective story attempts to sort out a string of mysterious deaths. THE BOOK WORM by P’u Sung ling This is a humorous satire about a bibliophile who suddenly finds love. K’UNG I CHI by Lu Hs n In this brilliant piece by the ‘Chinese Chekhov,’ an old fashioned scholar loses his way in life as modern society turns away from the kind of knowledge he treasures. MR. PAN IN DISTRESS by Yeh Shao Ch n War threatens the settled life of a provincial educator. INTOXICATING SPRING NIGHTS by Y Ta fu A look at the effects of a newly industrialized society through the eyes of a young scholar. 3 cassettes Running Time: 4 hours 29 minutes Unabridged

Collected Stories

Book Jacket Status: JacketedFrom one of the twentieth century’s most enduringly popular fiction writers: the only hardcover edition of his short stories. Though W. Somerset Maugham was also famous for his novels and plays, it has been argued that in the short story he reached the pinnacle of his art. These expertly told tales, with their addictive plot twists and vividly drawn characters, are both galvanizing as literature and wonderfully entertaining. In the adventures of his alter ego Ashenden, a writer who like Maugham himself turned secret agent in World War I, as well as in stories set in such far flung locales as South Pacific islands and colonial outposts in Southeast Asia, Maugham brings his characters vividly to life, and their humanity is more convincing for the author s merciless exposure of their flaws and failures. Whether the chasms of misunderstanding he plumbs are those between colonizers and natives, between a missionary and a prostitute, or between a poetry writing woman and her uncomprehending husband, Maugham brilliantly displays his irony, his wit, and his genius in the art of storytelling.

A Man of Honour

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

The Circle

A tragic comedy as history repeats itself in marital breakups. One 90 and one 60

The Constant Wife

There’s something Constance Middleton s friends are dying to tell her: her husband is having an affair with her best friend! Despite their hints, Constance remains ever cool, and seemingly oblivious. Or is she? In this biting comedy of manners, marriages and mistresses, Constance a not so desperate housewife has some ideas of her own about extra marital activity that surprise everyone in the end!

The Land of the Blessed Virgin

William Somerset Maugham 1874 1965 was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. By 1914 he was famous, with 10 plays produced and 10 published novels. His masterpiece is generally agreed to be Of Human Bondage 1915, a semi autobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character Philip Carey, who like Maugham, was orphaned, and brought up by his pious uncle. His last major novel, The Razor’s Edge, published in 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. While much of the novel takes place in Europe, its main characters are American, not British. His other works include: Liza of Lambeth 1897, Mrs Craddock 1902, A Man of Honour 1903, The Land of the Blessed Virgin 1905, The Bishop’s Apron 1906, Lady Frederick 1907, The Magician 1908, Home and Beauty 1909, The Moon and Sixpence 1919, The Circle 1921, The Trembling of a Leaf 1921, and On a Chinese Screen 1922.

On a Chinese Screen

YOU come to the row of hovels that leads to the gate of the city. They are built of dried mud and so dilapidated that you feel a breath of wind will lay them flat upon the dusty earth from which they have been made. A string of camels, heavily laden, steps warily past you. They wear the disdainful air of profiteers forced to traverse a world in which many people are not so rich as they. A little crowd, tattered in their blue clothes, is gathered about the gate and it scatters as a youth in a pointed cap gallops up on a Mongolian ponj A band of children are chasing a lame dog and they throw clods of mud at it. Two stout gentlemen in long black gowns of figured silk and silk jackets stand talking to one another. Each holds a little stick, perched on which, with a string attached to its leg, is a little bird. They have brought out their pets for an airing and in friendly fashion compare their merits. Now and then the birds give a flutter into the air, theTable of Contents I The Rising of the Curtain 11; II My Lady’s Parlour 14; III The Mongol Chief 17; IV The Rolling Stone 1 V The Cabinet Minister 23; VI Dinner Parties 27; VII The Altar of Heaven 33; VIII The Servants of God 35; IX The Inn 40; X The Glory Hole 44; XI Fear 47; XII The Picture 55; XIII IIek Britannic Majesty’s Representative 57; XIV The Opium Den 60 XV The Last Chance 62; XVI The Nun 64; XVII Henderson 66; XVIII Dawn 70; XIX The Point of Honour 73; XX The Beast of Burden 77; XXI Dr Macalister 80; XXII The Road 85; XXIII God’s Truth 90; XXIV Romance 94 XXV The Grand Style 99; XXVI Rain 103; XXVII Sullivan 107; XXVIII The Dining Room 109; XXIX Arabesque 113; X*X The Consul 114; X*XI The Stbipling 122; X*XII The Fannings 124; X*XIII The Song of the Riveb 129; X*XIV Mirage 131 X*XV The Stranger 134; X*XVI Democracy 140; X*XVII The Seventh Day Adventist 144; X*XVIII The Philosopher 147; X*XIX The Missionary Lady 159; XL A Game of Billiabes 162; XLI T

Don Fernando

Enchanted by the landscape and people of Spain, Maugham had long resolved to write a picaresque novel about the country. Instead, he wrote a living commentary as*sessing a great people in their greatest hour. Don Fernando, considered by Graham Greene to be Maugham’s best work, is a paean to Spain’s golden age of enormous creative energy. Beginning with the vivid tale of Loyola’s life and conversion, it discusses the writings of St Teresa and the painting of El Greco, and comment with sagacity and wit on such illustrious figures as Cervantes, Luis de Lyon, Lope de Vega, Velasquez and the creator of Don Juan. Don Fernando is full of happy surprises, curious facts and stimulating opinions that reflect Maugham’s lifelong love and admiration for Spanish culture and civilisation.

The Summing Up

The Summing Up represents Maugham’s life and philosophy in his own words. It is autobiographical in nature, though most of the work is concerned with Maugham’s unique and fascinating opinions on the theatre, writing, metaphysics and the interesting people he encountered in his long and successful career. His style is very conversational and you feel yourself settling into an intellectual odyssey led by a man who lived life to its fullest. Sixty years after The Summing Up was published, Maugham’s controversial insights and opinions continue to stimulate conversation and debate. This is one of the most entertaining, self revealing pieces of all time.

A Writer’s Notebook

Filled with keen observations, autobiographical notes, and the seeds of many of Maugham’s greatest works, A Writer’s Notebook is a unique and exhilarating look into a great writer’s mind at work. From nearly five decades, Somerset Maugham recorded an intimate journal. In it we see the budding of his incomparable vision and his remarkable career as a writer. Covering the years from his time as a youthful medical student in London to a seasoned world traveler around the world, it is playful, sharp witted, and always revealing. Undoubtedly one of his most significant works, A Writer’s Notebook is a must for Maugham fans and anyone interested in the creative process.

Vagrant Mood

The Vagrant Mood is a brilliantly varied and colourful collection of essays. From Kant to Raymond Chandler; from the legend of Zurbaran to the art of the detective story; from Burke to Augustus Hare, Somerset Maugham brings his inimitable mastery of the incisive character sketch to the genre of literary criticism

The Skeptical Romancer

W. Somerset Maugham was one of the seminal writers of the twentieth century, and his travel writing has long been considered among his finest work. Now, acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer maps out a masterful tour of these vivid, evocative pieces that are collected here for the first time. Maugham worked as a secret agent in Russia, published novels in London, staged plays in New York, and traveled throughout Europe, Asia, India, and the United States, chronicling his travels, wherever he went, with exceptional insight. Beginning with In the Land of the Blessed Virgin and culminating in A Partial View, Iyer selects vignettes of Maugham’s razor sharp prose that track his transformation from a boyish traveler in Spain to a worldly man of letters. This is Maugham at his most keenly observant, direct, and powerful.

Related Authors

Leave a Comment