In 1962, william somerset maughams nephew, robin, his own. First published in 1915, the novel follows the life of philip, who suffers from the disability of a clubbed foot, from boyhood when he is orphaned and sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Dec 29, 2010 the secret lives of somerset maugham, by selina hastings. His father, robert ormond maugham, handled the legal affairs of the british embassy in paris and arranged the birth of his son at the embassy to avoid.
The screenwriter enriched somerset maughams classic in several ways. William maugham biography facts, childhood, family life. Dec 26, 2017 generally agreed as maughams literary masterpiece, of human bondage is the semiautobiographical tale of philip carey. William somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. At last, the fascinating truth is revealed in a landmark biography by the awardwinning writer selina hastings. Maughams youngest brother died on maughams eighth birthday. The length of his literary career alone makes him a special case.
Jul 10, 2019 maugham was an acute observer of both people and landscapes and, today, the book reads almost as an elegy for a longgone culture. After the death of his parents, maugham was sent to the uk to live with his uncle, who proved to be cold and cruel. Both of maughams parents died before he was 10 years old his mother from tuberculosis just after maughams eighth birthday, and his father two years later from cancer. Jul 25, 2010 shy is a peculiar adjective to use to describe blackmail, which was, as selina hastings makes clear in her biography, the secret lives of somerset maugham, robins intention. Review of somerset maughams short story rain a writer. Review of somerset maughams short story rain a writers. W somerset maugham 1874 1965 william somerset maugham was an english novelist, playwright, and shortstory writer. In somerset maughams novel the moon and sixpence, there is a scene in which dirk stroeve, a painter, visits an art dealer to inquire after the work of another artist, charles strickland. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w. Vladimir nabokovs the original of laura not so much a book as a series. The secret lives of somerset maugham by selina hastings.
I just saw the 2006 motion picture, and actually enjoyed it more than the book. The power of the tale lies in the simplicity of its narrative and the famous twist in the tail that maugham was known for, a style possibly inspired by the signature of his muse, maupassant. Review of somerset maughams short story rain may 1, 2015 wordsmith 12 comments rain is probably the best short story written by somerset maugham in its length and characterization it is more like a novella but of course it conforms to maughams formula for a story it has a beginning, a middle and an end. They changed their daughters surname, originally registered as wellcome and reflecting syries marriage. Maugham was a great shortstory writer, but by now his stories have been collected and reassembled in so many different volumes that its very difficult to suggest a particular title. His first fiction was the critically praised naturalist novel of london slum life, liza of lambeth, which was published in 1897, when maugham was 23 and completing his medical training at londons st thomass hospital. Aug 25, 2014 william somerset maugham 18741965, one of the best known writers of the present day, was not only a novelist, but also one of the most successful dramatists and shortstory writer. Free ebook short stories elibrary though this blog is about collecting maughams books as physical objects, i also like to have the digitized version for my ereader, because then i can carry them around and take advantage of technology, not like maugham who had to suffer the problem of travelling with his enormous book bag. Somerset maughams most famous novels he is most famous for four novels, of human bondage 1915, the moon and sixpence 1919, cakes and ale 1930, and the razors edge 1944. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. Somerset maugham, in full william somerset maugham, born jan. Somerset maugham once wrote about the princess and the nightingale, where the nightingale itself spoke to her. Infobox writer william somerset maugham, ch january 25, 1874 december 16, 1965 was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer.
William somerset maugham ch was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Somerset maughams short stories nicholas shakespeare. The secret lives of somerset maugham by selina hastings book. His mother, edith mary, died when he was eight and his father, robert, a lawyer at the british embassy in paris, died in 1884. When she can finally do this, their love is realized. From maughams first five mature collections, six stories each, published between 1921 and 1933, and collected in east and west 1934, altogether in england i wouldnt want to be without even my least favourite one which is miss king from ashenden, by the way.
Mary elizabeth hope, baroness glendevon was the only child of english playwright, novelist, and short story writer w. Somerset maughams the book bag takes a special place among incest literature as here, almost like the oedipus story, incest becomes the pivotal concern of the story. Actually, it killed both the child, who died on maughams eighth birthday, and six days later the mother. May 24, 2018 william somerset maugham was a famous english author, novelist and playwright. Oct 18, 2010 from maugham s first five mature collections, six stories each, published between 1921 and 1933, and collected in east and west 1934, altogether in england i wouldnt want to be without even my least favourite one which is miss king from ashenden, by the way. Somerset maugham, was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Somerset maugham 1937 m creatures of circumstances 1947 m the maugham reader 1950 m the complete short stories of w. His popularity lies in the fact that by early 1930s, he had become the highest paid author of his era.
Her death at the age of 41 was the tragedy of his life, concluded another of maughams biographers, ted morgan. Maughams father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy in paris. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Which are your favorites among maughams short stories. His popularity lies in the fact that by early 1930 s, he had become the highest paid author of his era. Somerset maugham is one of the most popular and wellread authors of the twentieth century. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Fortunately, there is no need for me to risk the adventure, since my friend, mr. Hastings located another major private collection, worked closely with maughams surviving relatives, and made extensive use of a draft memoir written by the authors daughter, liza. Thomas medical school and qualified as a doctor, but abandoned medicine after the success of his first novels and plays. His most famous works include novels of human bondage, the razors edge and the moon and sixpence and short stories footprints in the jungle, rain and the outstation.
She was known as liza, after her fathers first successful novel, liza of. This classic collection of stories moves from england, france and spain to the silver sands of the south pacific. Shy is a peculiar adjective to use to describe blackmail, which was, as selina hastings makes clear in her biography, the secret lives of somerset maugham, robins intention. Maugham s father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy in paris. Sep 16, 2011 somerset maughams the book bag takes a special place among incest literature as here, almost like the oedipus story, incest becomes the pivotal concern of the story.
William somerset maugham, much the youngest of four surviving brothers, was born in 1874 in a riggedup maternity ward in the british embassy in paris, a. While his older brothers were away at boarding school in england, young willie basked in the exclusive adoration of his beautiful mother edith. Newly discovered tapes have revealed the cruelty inflicted on the daughter of somerset maugham by the popular english novelist and his gay. Since french law declared that all children born on french soil could be conscripted for military service, robert ormond maugham arranged for william to be born at the embassy, saving him from conscription into any future french wars and making it technically true that he. The secret lives of somerset maugham portrays in full for the first time maughams disastrous marriage to syrie wellcome, a manipulative society woman of dubious morality who trapped maugham with a pregnancy and an attempted suicide. Somerset maughams ethically earnest fiction the cambridge. First published in 1915, the novel follows the life of philip, who suffers from the disability of a clubbed foot, from boyhood when he is. A psychological study of incest in somerset maughams the. The secret lives of somerset maugham, by selina hastings.
Daughters lost tapes expose cruel somerset maugham the times. William somerset maugham was a famous english author, novelist and playwright. He was born at the british embassy in paris on january 25, 1874. His plays were popular in their day and at one time four of them ran simultaneously in london. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and he was.
Williams father, robert ormond maugham, a wealthy solicitor, worked for the embassy in france. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in. William somerset maugham, much the youngest of four surviving brothers, was born in 1874 in a riggedup. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. His first novel liza of lambeth 1897 sold out so rapidly that maugham gave up medicine to write fulltime. Yet the story each of the biographies tells is essentially the same. M orientations 1899 m the trembling of a leaf 1921 m ashenden 1928 m ah king 1933 m cosmopolitans 1936 m the favorite short stories of w. Mrs maughams doctor believed that having another child would cure her. Edward leggatt, an able writer as well as an admirable painter, has exhaustively discussed charles stricklands work in a little book which is a charming example of a style, for the most part, less happily cultivated in england than in france.
Popular british novelist, playwright, shortstory writer and the highestpaid author in the world in the 1930s, somerset maugham graduated in 1897 from st. S omerset m augham is a singular figure in twentiethcentury english literature. Generally agreed as maughams literary masterpiece, of human bondage is the semiautobiographical tale of philip carey. Hastings also explores maughams many affairs with men, including his great love, gerald haxton, an. W somerset maugham books biography and list of works. Just dont read it before reading maugham s worksspoilers abound here.
The secret lives of somerset maugham is not only the rare biography that transcends the mere story of a life. Complete short stories w somerset maugham world over. So, the story is entitled by a womans name and is written in the first. William somerset maugham 18741965, one of the best known writers of the present day, was not only a novelist, but also one of the most successful dramatists and shortstory writer. His many works include novels, short stories, and plays. Somerset maugham, known for his novels the razors edge, of human bondage, and the moon and sixpence. William somerset maugham was born on 25 december 1874 at the british embassy in paris, france, the fourth son of seven children total, but only four that survived infancy born to socialite and writer edith mary nee snell 18401882 and robert ormond maugham 18231884, a lawyer for the british embassy. After they had a daughter together, henry sued his wife for divorce, following which syrie and maugham got married in 1917. Buy the secret lives of somerset maugham 1st edition by hastings, selina isbn. A merciless feud with his daughter over her inheritance, engineered by the grasping and jealous searle, marred maughams final years. Somerset maugham and his then mistress, syrie wellcome. The shortstory louise, published in 1936, is about the woman who used to get everything what she wants using her weak heart. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life.
His most famous works include novels of human bondage, the razor s edge and the moon and sixpence and short stories footprints in the jungle, rain and the outstation. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. Contentsshow childhood and education maughams father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british. William somerset maugham was born in the british embassy in paris on 25th january, 1874. Maugham eventually married and had a daughter, but he carried on. Even in writing, there is always an undercurrent of being taken for a ride, and you often need to read between the lines to garner the real meaning. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. Bette davis in somerset maughams the letter image courtesy carens classic cinema. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson. Maugham was an acute observer of both people and landscapes and, today, the book reads almost as an elegy for a longgone culture. Kittys husband walter is given more depth such that his growth over the course of the story matches kittys. Jun 06, 2015 bette davis in somerset maughams the letter image courtesy carens classic cinema. Jun 10, 2010 somerset maugham s brilliant biography.
745 454 766 1014 709 65 607 1187 711 581 530 832 1049 439 1174 809 1180 1357 190 274 214 1102 1089 682 978 1158 1 899 725 605 69 400 125 135 541 924 946 313 1097 661 1064 848 910 514