Some are more observational in nature without offering a clear resolution, feeling like sketches of people the writer knew in real life others end with an unexpected or shocking twist reminiscent of O. They vary wildly in length – some stories take up forty pages and others stop at four – and in tone, with some stories light-hearted and dryly comical, almost resembling a witty punchy epigram, while others are almost luridly tragic.Īt one end, there’s a humorous account of three plump ladies whose dutiful efforts at dieting come under strain when a food-loving newcomer joins their holiday on another there’s a harrowing story of a French girl who is raped by a German soldier during World War II, and the unexpected turn his relationship with her family takes. The thirty stories contained in the volume are grouped together by geography, as they move from the islands of the Pacific Ocean to England, France, Spain and back to Borneo. As in any collection, the quality varies somewhat, but most entries are great little gems of economical, elegant storytelling. This is the first one of a four volume collection, which I’ll no doubt complete one day as I love both short stories and Maugham’s brilliant writing. Short story collection by Maugham, screen adaptation by Maugham, T.E.I’ve read and loved a few Maugham novels without realising that he also excelled at short stories. Short story collection by Maugham, screen adaptation by Maugham, R.C. Short story collection comprises 20 stories Six Stories Written in the First Person Singular Short story collection comprises six storiesĬakes and Ale: or, the Skeleton in the Cupboard The Trembling of a Leaf: Little Stories of the South Sea Islands įrontispiece for The Trembling of a Leaf, 1921 Novels and story collections of W.
graced the world of English letters with more complete or more polished assurance". īy the time of his death in 1965 Maugham was one of the most commercially successful and gifted writers of the twentieth century, according to Bryan Connon, his biographer The Times obituarist called Maugham "the most assured English writer of his time", and wrote that "no writer of his generation . It was the first of many of his works that were produced for the stage, and with the later development of cinema, his novels and stories were also adapted for the big screen. In 1903 his first play was performed, A Man of Honour at the Imperial Theatre, London. Maugham was also editor on a number of works, which often included adding a preface or introductory chapter to the work of other writers.
Much of his non-fictional writing was published in book form, and covered a range of topics, including travel, current affairs, autobiography and belles lettres. Ī year after his first novel was published Maugham began contributing to magazines and periodicals initially these were short stories, but he also wrote opinion pieces, non-fictional and autobiographical work, and letters. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson Maugham instead trained as a doctor, although he never practised professionally, as his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, was published the same year he qualified. Born in the British Embassy in Paris, where his father worked, Maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer.
0 kommentar(er)
