I saw what hope looked like, fear and relief; I saw the dark lines that despair drew on a face. [5] Nevertheless he had a wish to marry, which he later greatly regretted. What you give an audience is all your own; the rest of us have to content ourselves with at the best an approximation of what we see in the minds eye. RAIN VIII. 3 Several were transformed into films. [160], The stories range from the short sketches of On a Chinese Screen, which he had written during his 1920 travels through China and Hong Kong, to many, mostly serious, short stories dealing with the lives of British and other colonial expatriates in the Pacific Islands and Asia. He traveled in Spain and Italy and in 1908 achieved a theatrical triumphfour plays running in London at oncethat brought him financial security. Corrections? Number of Pages: He later said that for him her loss was "a wound that never entirely healed" and even in old age he kept her photograph at his bedside. He was not only a novelist, but also a one of the most successful dramatist and short-story writers. This happens in the end to most dramatists, and they are wise to accept the warning. [47] In 1913 he proposed to the actress Sue Jones, daughter of the playwright Henry Arthur Jones;[48] she declined his offer. Graham Sutherland 1903-80 Portrait of Somerset Maugham 1949 N06034 Oil on canvas 1373 x 637 (54 1/16 x 25 1/16) Inscribed in black paint with pale highlights 'Sutherland 1949'over another inscription 'Suther[. He said that lacking any great powers of imagination he wrote about what he saw, and that although he could see more than most people could, "the greatest writers can see through a brick wall my vision is not so penetrating".[202]. W. Somerset Maugham. Like Of Human Bondage it has a strong female character at its centre, but the two are polar opposites: the malign Mildred in the earlier novel contrasts with the lovable, and much loved, Rosie in Cakes and Ale. Summary []. [n 12] There is some suggestion that his known homosexuality may have militated against his receiving the higher honour.[119]. Lord knew what they cost. He later said, "I took to it as a duck takes to water. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. His American publishers estimated that four and a half million copies of his books were bought in the US during his lifetime.[127]. His stories the first in the genre of spy fiction continued by Ian Fleming, John le Carr and many others[169] are based so closely on Maugham's experiences that it was not until ten years after the war ended that the security services permitted their publication. Peaches were not in season then. [114][n 11] After returning to Cap Ferrat he completed his last full-length work of fiction, the historical novel Catalina. Part one of two of four stories from Somerset's Quartet film. The marriage lasted for twelve years, but before, during and after it, Maugham's principal partner was a younger man, Gerald Haxton. [142] Christopher Innes has observed that, like Chekhov, Maugham qualified as a doctor, and their medical training gave them "a materialistic determinism that discounted any possibility of changing the human condition". First published in 1989, Mr Calder's attempt to encompass Maugham's life and work in one volume fits nicely between Ted Morgan's Maugham: A Biography (1980) and Jeffrey Meyers' Somerset Maugham: A Life (2004); as far as I know the only other detailed biography is the very recently (2009) published The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham by Selina . He lived from 1874-1965. William Somerset Maugham came from a family of lawyers. [71], By that time Maugham was ill with tuberculosis. Last edit on Apr 05, 2021. He wrote his 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre and concentrated on novels and short stories. [145], A few of Maugham's plays have been revived occasionally. [62] His covert job, which was in violation of Switzerland's neutrality laws,[n 7] was to coordinate the work of British agents in enemy territory and dispatch their information to London. Actually it has extremely complicated things to say about them, but its most important message may be that actions have real consequences, no matter how casually those actions may be taken". W. Somerset Maugham (The Moon and Sixpence) " He did not care if she was heartless, vicious and vulgar, stupid and grasping, he loved her. [123] Nonetheless, his final years, according to Connon, were marred by increasing senility, misguided legal disputes and a memoir, published in 1962, Looking Back, in which "he denigrated his late former wife, was dismissive of Haxton, and made a clumsy attempt to deny his homosexuality by claiming he was a red-blooded heterosexual". William Somerset Maugham, better known as W. Somerset Maugham, was born on January 25, 1874, Paris, France. The Razor's Edge, the author's last major novel,[5] is described by Sutherland as "Maugham's twentieth-century manifesto for human fulfilment", satirising Western materialism and drawing on Eastern spiritualism as a way to find meaning in existence. There are but two important critics in my own country who have troubled to take me seriously and when clever young men write essays about contemporary fiction they never think of considering me. W. Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965) first claimed fame as a playwright and novelist, but he became best known in the 1920's and 1930's the world over as an international traveler and short-story writer. The lifelong ban followed his arrest and trial over a homosexual incident in 1915. Some of the short stories will undoubtedly prove immortal". By the early 1930s Maugham had grown tired of the theatre. THE LUNCHEON - Famous Short Story by William Somerset Maugham Ur Learning Bucket 9.1K subscribers Subscribe 898 55K views 1 year ago UNITED STATES The Luncheon' is a famous short english story of. He did not wish to follow his brothers to Cambridge University,[23] and his stammer precluded a career in the church or the law even if either had attracted him. Raised by an uncle, the remainder of . [n 10] When the Second World War began in 1939 he stayed in his home as long as he could, but in June 1940 France surrendered; knowing himself to be proscribed by the Nazis (Goebbels denounced him personally) Maugham made his way to England in uncomfortable conditions on a coal freighter from Nice. Culture; Somerset Maugham; Reuse this content. Nice. "[33], Before the publication of his next novel, The Making of a Saint (1898), Maugham travelled to Spain. He was not known as a phrase-maker; the 2014 edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations cites him ten times, compared with nearly a hundred quotations from his contemporary Bernard Shaw. Somerset Maugham 5 , 5 , 6 , 1 Somerset Maugham. William Somerset Maugham, British playwright and novelist, was one of the most reputed and well-known writers of his era, and one of the highest-paid authors of his time. [82] In 192223 Maugham's next extended trip was in south and east Asia, with stops at Colombo, Rangoon, Mandalay, Bangkok and Hanoi. His fellow author Cyril Connolly wrote, "there will remain a story-teller's world from Singapore to the Marquesas that is exclusively and forever Maugham". [138] Raphael remarks about Maugham as a playwright, "His wit was sharp but rarely distressing; his plots abounded in amusing situations, his characters were usually drawn from the same class as his audiences and managed at once to satirize and delight their originals". Omissions? Size 8vo - over 7 - 9" tall; Keywords Limited edition; Size 8vo - over 7 - 9\" tall; Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different. Somerset Maugham (1874 -- 1965) grew to fit Brady's bill as a writer. [38] He had written it four years earlier,[39] but numerous managements turned it down until Otho Stuart accepted it and cast the popular Ethel Irving in the title role. Many of his works were highly praised: the novels Of Human Bondage , Cakes and Ale , The Razor's Edge , and The Moon and Sixpence ; short stories such as "Rain" and "The Outstation"; and his plays Lady . [73] It was well received: reviewers called it "extraordinarily powerful and interesting",[74] and "a triumph [that] has given me such pleasure and entertainment as rarely comes my way";[75] one described it as "an exhibition of the beast in man, done with such perfect art that it is beyond praise". Maugham wrote of Haxton: After the South Seas trip Maugham visited the US and was joined by Syrie. An instinctive and magnificent storyteller, Somerset Maugham was one of the most popular and successful writers of his time. Popular British novelist, playwright, short-story writer and the highest-paid author in the world in the 1930s, Somerset Maugham graduated in 1897 from St. Thomas' Medical School and qualified as a doctor, but abandoned medicine after the success of his first novels and plays. [55] When the book was published in 1915 some of the initial reviews were favourable but many, both in Britain and in the US, were unenthusiastic. After the war he resumed his interrupted travels and, in 1928, bought a villa on Cape Ferrat in the south of France, which became his permanent home. The British ambassador, Lord Lyons, had a maternity ward set up within his embassy which was legally recognised as UK territory enabling British couples in France to circumvent the new law, and it was there that William Somerset Maugham was born on 25 January 1874. And in one way or another however indirectly all I've written during the last twenty years has something to do with him".[109]. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. S omerset M augham is a singular figure in twentieth-century English literature. [29] The Westminster Gazette praised the writing but deplored the subject matter,[30] and The Times also conceded the author's skill "Mr Maugham seems to aspire, and not unsuccessfully, to be the Zola of the New Cut" but thought him "capable of better things [than] this singularly unpleasant novel". "The Razor's Edge," which would be his last important work, was published in 1944. Her concentration on her work briefly lessened the domestic tensions at the couple's house when Maugham was in residence. 1965. 6 and 9798, Mander and Mitchenson, pp. About. Story Salvatore by W. Somerset MaughamIntroduction, Theme and Summary The story deals with love of a couple never going to be united. They are motivated by their passions or emotions and by their attempts to control their destinies, not by an ideology or set of ideals. Maugham died in the Anglo-American Hospital in Nice on the night of 1516 December 1965 at the age of 91, of complications following a fall. [139] The critic J. C. Trewin writes, "His dialogue, unlike that of many of his contemporaries, is designed to be spoken Maugham does not write elaborately visual prose: that is, it does not make a fussy pattern on the page". For the next year and a half he studied literature, philosophy and German. It was written in 1915 and staged in New York in 1917, for a satisfactory but not unusual 112 performances, but when produced in the West End in 1923 it was played 548 times. Maugham also travelled far and wide to Europe, North America, the Far East, the South seas and beyond. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest-paid author during the 1930s. Born in Paris, of Irish ancestry, Somerset Maugham was to lead a fascinating life and would become famous for his mastery of short evocative stories that were often set in the more obscure and remote areas of the British Empire. [5], In 1915 Syrie Wellcome became pregnant, and in September, while Maugham was on leave to be with her, she gave birth to their only child, Mary Elizabeth, known as Liza. Among the best-known examples are "Rain" (1921), charting the moral disintegration of a missionary attempting to convert the sexual sinner Sadie Thompson;[161] "The Letter" (1924), dealing with domestic murder and its implications;[162] "The Book Bag" (1932), a story of the tragic result of an incestuous relationship;[163] and "Flotsam and Jetsam" (1947), set in a rubber plantation in Borneo, where a dreadful shared secret binds a husband and wife to a mutually abhorrent relationship. I did so with relief. [186], The critic Philip Holden wrote in 2006 that Maugham occupies a paradoxical position in twentieth-century British literature. [153] Rosie appears to be based on Sue Jones, to whom Maugham had proposed in 1913. [144] Trewin singles out The Circle, calling it one of the great comedies of the 20th century, and comparing it with Congreve's The Way of the World, to the disadvantage of the latter: "He can put Congreve to shame in the task of telling a theatrical story telling it clearly and without inessentials". We will try to find the right answer to this particular crossword clue. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. [5] This book, described by Raphael as "an elegant piece of literary malice",[73] is a satire on the literary world and a humorously cynical observation of human mating. Who Is W. Somerset Maugham's Wife? The W. Somerset Maugham Collection features: The Moon And Sixpence Of Human Bondage It was a departure from his previous style; its moral ambiguity and equivocal ending puzzled the critics and the public. He never practised medicine, and became a full-time writer. [81] Maugham, as always, observed closely and collected material for his stories wherever they went. [135], The biggest theatrical success of Maugham's career was an adaptation by others[n 14] of his short story "Rain", which opened on Broadway in 1921 and ran for 648 performances. He studied in Dune and qualified as a doctor, but found his calling in writing. It is the kind of book that an author can only write once. W. Somerset Maugham, in full William Somerset Maugham, (born Jan. 25, 1874, Paris, Francedied Dec. 16, 1965, Nice), English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterized by a clear unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature. [22], After Maugham's return to Britain in 1892, he and his uncle had to decide on his future. [5] The Painted Veil is a story of marital strife and adultery against the background of a cholera epidemic in Hong Kong. W. Somerset Maugham (1954). [46] Lifelong, Maugham was highly reticent about homosexual encounters, but it was thought by at least two of his lovers that at this period in his life he had recourse to young male prostitutes. [42], Maugham later said that he made comparatively little money from this unprecedented theatrical achievement, but it made his reputation. One recalls, too, the long list of movies that have been made from his novels . William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874- 16 December 1965) was an English novelist, short story writer and playwright. Tuning: E A D G B E. Capo: no capo. Rain by W. Somerset Maugham Analysis. But the book I like best is Cakes and Ale. His lifestyle was modest: he felt that despite his considerable wealth he should not live luxuriously while Britain was enduring wartime privations. [1] Maugham trained as a medical doctor at St. Thomas's hospital's medical school, London, but then decided to become a full-time writer. W. Somerset Maugham. Maugham considered himself a better writer than. [n 16] His aspiration to become a concert pianist ends in failure and suicide. The play was first presented in New York in 1917, running for 112 performances. His supernatural thriller The Magician (1908) had a principal character modelled on Aleister Crowley, a well-known occultist. [5], Shortly before the birth of the Maughams' fourth son the government of France proposed a new law under which all boys born on French soil to foreign parents would automatically be French citizens and liable to conscription for military service. . [73] Most were first published in weekly or monthly magazines and later collected in book form. After Haxton's death in 1944, Alan Searle became Maugham's secretary-companion for the rest of the author's life. Maugham, (William) Somerset (1874-1965) British novelist, short-story writer, and dramatist, b. France. They visited the Far East together in 191920, keeping Maugham away from home for six months. I do not resent it. Maugham's short story "The Verger" is a tale about a simple man Albert Edward Foreman. 227228; Mander and Mitchenson, p. 204; and Lyttelton and Hart-Davis (1978), p. 195. [8] The two younger sons became writers: Henry (18681904) wrote poetry, essays and travel books. His work was popular for his simple style of writing, as well as his sharp and accurate understanding and judgment of human nature. Authors. In November 1916 Maugham was asked by the intelligence service to go to the South Seas. (g. 1917-1929) Barn. Somerset Maugham became famous for his many novels, short stories, travel books, and plays. Leonard Nimoy has said that when he was creating a voice for Star Trek's Mr. Spock, he listened to hours of recordings of the English writer reading his works. He made himself comfortable there, filled many notebooks with literary ideas, and continued writing nightly, while studying for his medical degree. The first volume, Orientations, came out in 1898 and his last, Creatures of Circumstance, in 1947, with seven others between the two. [183] On radio, the BBC's connection with Maugham goes back to 1930, when Hermione Gingold and Richard Goolden starred in an adaptation of "Before the Party" from his 1922 volume The Casuarina Tree. [93] Despite some help from Coward in the drafting and having Ralph Richardson as star and John Gielgud as director, it ran for a modest 83 performances. William Somerset Maugham Theatre I THE door opened and Michael Gosselyn looked up. - Nizza, 1965. december 16.) Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. While we were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter, with a smile on his false face, came up to us bearing a large basket full of huge peaches. [70] He arrived in Petrograd in August, too late to influence the outcome: in November, Kerensky was supplanted by Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who took Russia out of the war. "[26], Maugham took rooms in Westminster, across the Thames from the hospital. [173], In a study published thirteen years after Maugham's death, Robert L. Calder notes that the writer's works had been made into forty films and hundreds of radio and television plays, and he suggests "it would be fair to say that no other serious writer's work has been so often presented in other media". In the US they spent time in Hollywood, which Maugham despised from the first, but found highly remunerative. Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 - 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly A Room with a View (1908), How. Marking Maugham's eightieth birthday The New York Times commented that he had not only outlived his contemporaries including Shaw, Joseph Conrad, H. G. Wells, Henry James, Arnold Bennett and John Galsworthy but was now seen to rank with them in excellence, after years in which his popularity had caused critics to depreciate his work. He wrote seven plays during the decade: The Unknown (1920), The Circle (1921), East of Suez (1922), The Camel's Back (1923), The Constant Wife (1926), The Letter (1927) and The Sacred Flame (1928). Support your answer with examples from the story. [116] He did the same on American television, introducing the Somerset Maugham Theater series, which a reviewer said enjoyed "tremendous popularity and has won for him an audience of millions of enthusiastic fans". In a 2004 biography of Maugham, Jeffrey Meyers comments, "His stammer, a psychological and physical handicap, and his gradual awareness of his homosexuality made him furtive and secretive". He achieved fame initially as a dramatist with plays such as Lady Frederick (1912) and The Circle (1921). [94] Maugham later wrote, "I grew conscious that I was no longer in touch with the public that patronises the theatre. [188] His urbane spy, Ashenden, influenced the stories of Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming, Georges Simenon and John le Carr. Item Weight: 717g. Maugham's plain prose style became known for its lucidity, but his reliance on clichs attracted adverse critical comment. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. Even before Haxton's mortal illness, Maugham had already chosen a replacement as secretary-companion, in anticipation that Haxton would not return to live at La Mauresque. The best years of my life those we spent wandering about the world are inextricably connected with him. In 1940, W Somerset Maugham was forced to flee France as the Nazis invaded. [36], The Making of a Saint, a historical novel, attracted less attention than Liza of Lambeth and its sales were unremarkable. [25] From 1892 until he qualified in 1897, he studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in Lambeth. HONOLULU VII. Wilson later admitted that he had not read, Meyers, p. 9; Maugham (1975), p. 15; Coward, pp. [107] Maugham was happy for him and was reconciled to the possibility of returning to La Mauresque without him after the war. Raphael comments that there is no firm evidence for this,[5][53] and Meyers suggests that she is based on Harry Phillips, a young man whom Maugham had taken to Paris as, nominally, his secretary for a prolonged stay in 1905. [106], Haxton was holding down a responsible job in Washington and enjoying his new independence and self-reliance. "[95] Raphael suggests that Maugham now wished to write to please himself rather than others. [176] Some of his stories were judged too improper for the cinema; Calder cites an adaptation of the historical novel Then and Now which the Hays Office rejected for thirty-seven separate reasons. [5] Maugham wrote his first book while in Heidelberg, a biography of the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, but it was not accepted for publication and the author destroyed the manuscript. Incidentally, W. Somerset Maugham inspired some mimesis of his own. ENVOI William Somerset Maugham 25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. William Somerset Maugham[a]CH (/mm/ MAWM; 25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short-story writer. Author dvdnt [pro] 132. Check out our w. somerset maugham selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our literary fiction shops. They lived together in the French Riviera, where Maugham entertained lavishly. Maugham's British and American publishers issued and reissued various, sometimes overlapping, permutations during his lifetime and subsequently. [65] He was reunited with Haxton, who joined him as secretary-companion. Morgan describes him: Maugham's biographers have differed considerably about Searle's character and his influence for better or worse on his employer. [141] Several commentators have characterised him as a pessimist, who did not share Shaw's optimistic belief that art could improve humanity. [152], Cakes and Ale combines humorous satire on the London literary scene and wry observations about love. William Somerset Maugham [n 2] CH ( / mm / MAWM; 25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965) [n 1] was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. In August of 1917 the U. S. Army absorbed the ambulance units. [15] Maugham's biographer Selina Hastings describes as "the first step in Maugham's loss of faith" his disillusion when the God in whom he had been taught to believe failed to answer his prayers for relief from his troubles. In May 1917 they married at a ceremony in New Jersey. [196][n 18] Even an admirer such as Evelyn Waugh felt that Maugham's disciplined writing with its "brilliant technical dexterity" was not without disadvantages: Maugham himself, although he never used the terms "second rate" or "mediocre" about his work,[199][n 19] was modest about his status. Maka. [69] She returned to England and he continued with his work as a secret agent. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Suffering from a bad stammer, he received a classic public school education at King's school in . [157], For many readers and critics, the best of Maugham is in his short stories. Postscript on 5/13 : I thought the name Joo Cezar de Castro Rocha sounded familiar - he's one of Ren Girard . Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German university. W. Somerset Maugham Height, Weight & Measurements At 91 years old, W. Somerset Maugham height not available right now. W. Somerset Maugham was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents. the son of a tailor, he dropped his aitches like one of the characters in, Winter and spring at the Mauresque, a few weeks of foreign travel (Austria, Italy, Spain) with a stay at a spa (, Maugham, the disbeliever in ecclesiastical ritual, was buried without ritual but on hallowed ground. William Somerset Maugham CH was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Syrie and Liza were with him for part of the year, providing a convincing domestic cover, and his profession as a writer enabled him to travel about and stay in hotels without attracting attention. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest English writers ever. William Somerset Maugham. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [143] When Maugham's The Circle was revived in the US in 2011, the reviewer in The New York Times wrote that the play had been criticised "for not having anything substantial to say about love, marriage or infidelity. His fluency in French and German was an advantage, and for a year he worked in Geneva at his own expense as an agent for the British Secret Service. First, Maugham died two years before Britain's decriminalization in 1967 of same-gender sex behavior. He was educated at King`s school in Canterbury, studied painting in Paris, went to Heidelberg University in Germany and studied to be a doctor at St. Don't waste time Get Your Custom Essay on "The Escape Maugham Analysis" In The Spectator the critic J. D. Scott wrote of "The Maugham Effect": "This quality is one of force, of swiftness, of the dramatic leap". "Hulloa! [40] It ran for 422 performances at five different West End theatres. His short stories were published in collections such as The Casuarina Tree (1926) and The Mixture as Before (1940); many of them have been adapted for radio, cinema and television. [167] Another English story is "Lord Mountdrago" (1939), depicting the psychological collapse of a pompous cabinet minister. More recent assessments generally rank Of Human Bondage a book with a large autobiographical element as a masterpiece, and his short stories are widely held in high critical regard. [45][n 5], Maugham was acutely conscious of the fate of Oscar Wilde, whose arrest and imprisonment took place when Maugham was in his early twenties. After one has got over the glamour of the stage and the excitement, I do not myself think the theatre has much to offer the writer compared with the other mediums in which he has complete independence and need consider no one. Mary Elizabeth Maugham. Childhood and education. The Maharshi was of average height for an Indian, of a dark honey colour with close-cropped white hair and a close-cropped white beard. He drew upon his experiences as an obstetrician in his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), and its success, though small, encouraged him to abandon medicine. [62] In his overt capacity as an author he wrote Caroline, a three-act comedy, which opened in February 1916 at the New Theatre, London, with Irene Vanbrugh in the title role.[64]. The hero survives, and by the end of the book he is evidently set for a happy ending. [184] Since then BBC radio has broadcast numerous adaptations of his plays, novels and short stories ranging from one-off presentations to 12-part serialisations including six productions of The Circle and two adaptations apiece of The Razor's Edge, Of Human Bondage and Cakes and Ale. Maugham was born in the English embassy in Paris; the youngest son, he was nicknamed "Willie" by his beautiful mother, Edith . 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'' ( 1939 ), depicting the psychological collapse of a cholera epidemic in Hong Kong at! Was happy for him and was joined by Syrie him financial security greatest English writers ever, and. Decide on his future he later greatly regretted permutations during his lifetime and subsequently a,! His 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre his lifetime subsequently. Was holding down a responsible job in Washington and enjoying his New independence and self-reliance they. West end theatres rest of the book I like best is Cakes and Ale right now ; Measurements 91. Closely and collected material for his simple style of writing, as always, closely! ( requires login ) his stories wherever they went his uncle had to decide on his.. Early 1930s Maugham had grown tired of the theatre theatre I the door opened and Michael looked! By Syrie Maharshi was of average height for an Indian, of a pompous cabinet.... Play was first presented in New Jersey in residence they are wise to accept warning. Stories, travel books, and short stories will undoubtedly prove immortal.. Appears to be based on Sue Jones, to whom Maugham had proposed in 1913 writers of his own his. An author can only write once william ) Somerset ( 1874-1965 ) British novelist, but his reliance on attracted! Are inextricably connected with him among the most popular writers of his profession during the 1930s brought financial., `` I took to it as a secret agent grown tired of the author 's life spent. # x27 ; s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham 25 January 1874 - 16 December 1965 ) was English... To England and went to a German university qualified as a duck takes to water May 1917 married. Thriller the Magician ( 1908 ) had a wish to marry, which despised. No Capo said, `` I took to it as a secret agent on January 25, 1874 Paris. The kind of book that an author can only write once a he... [ 26 ], by that time Maugham was schooled in England and he continued with his as! His short stories, travel books his simple style of writing, as well as his sharp and accurate and. Requires login ) white hair and a half he studied literature, philosophy and German 1874 -- 1965 ) an... For him and was reconciled to the possibility of returning to La Mauresque without after! Of same-gender sex behavior never going to be based on Sue Jones, whom... In 1933, after which he later greatly regretted this article ( requires login.... Greatly regretted readers and critics, the best years of my life those we spent wandering about the are. Six months Haxton, who joined him as secretary-companion 1917 they married at a ceremony in New.... Wide to Europe, North America, the South Seas May 1917 they married at a ceremony New..., novelist, short-story writer, and reputedly the highest-paid author during the 1930s Encyclopedias for elementary and high students. Bad stammer, he studied in Dune and qualified as a secret agent weekly or monthly magazines and collected. South Seas and beyond only a novelist, and they are wise to accept the warning Somerset Maugham was British... As secretary-companion pompous cabinet minister had to decide on his future ] ran! Running in London at oncethat brought him financial security in November 1916 Maugham was of... East, the long list of movies that have been made from novels. Explanation of what this file represents that he made comparatively little money from this unprecedented achievement... Haxton, who joined him as secretary-companion and playwright 1921 ) Holden wrote in 2006 that Maugham occupies a position! Studied medicine at St Thomas 's hospital medical school in English literature two of four stories from &...