A BAD EXAMPLE, a Short Story by Somerset Maugham

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neuralsurfer

Күн бұрын

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@nityaraman556 6 ай бұрын

It’s like unearthing hidden treasures ! What joy listening to these gems 🌹

@1stDoNoPharma 4 ай бұрын

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your channel is a great gift. ❤

@jeanhounsell4199 6 ай бұрын

Somerset Maughm never disappoints. How cleverly he makes us laugh at the clergyman whose 'faith is dead without works'. Brilliant.....

@irenadziovaliene7082 6 ай бұрын

I listened with pleasure. Thank you ❤

@novascheller5957 6 ай бұрын

Such picky listeners! Yes there are a few mispronunciations… I don’t care! I love having this kind of literature available to me via readings. I can go about many things during my day and yet at the same time savour the quality of the language, observations and implications. Very much appreciative of this channel and all the great stories you are bringing to us. And I’m not paying for individual content or anything outside the KZbin commercial free app. It’s money well spent.!!!

@wg8859 4 ай бұрын

I so agree.

@1stDoNoPharma 4 ай бұрын

❤❤❤

@patmae2031 Ай бұрын

Well said! I'm loving this channel!❤

@albie7581 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for posting and reading a great Story and a good reading Of it.

@JavierBonillaC 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for making these videos. I have enjoyed them tremendously.

@paulalb-n2f 5 ай бұрын

How 1:56 wonderful, to have him sitting right there, looking at us as he goes on... i so enjoy this other world you've given us.

@अस्मिरीति 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for another story that I had not read. Brilliant author who seemed to "know" how men and women think, feel and how they react when circumstances change beyond their comfort zone. Mr Clinton was judged a madman because he read the bible and followed the righteous path.

@melindadurchholz3738 5 ай бұрын

Very interesting story. It was fascinating to see where his compassion led him. Also, in the 1990s I worked for an elderly British woman. One day she explained that the men long ago used macassar oil for grooming their hair. To protect the furniture, women used antimacassars on their furniture. They were usually placed over the backs of chairs.

@thelmacharles7947 5 ай бұрын

I have just found these gems on utube. I am writing before finishing the story. What strikes me is how the 'poor' suffer throughout time, even to July 2024.

@Michael-bp5im 5 ай бұрын

I loved this story .. I never read it before.. I thought I read all of Maugham work

@mattc825 5 ай бұрын

But alas you had not

@justaplainspokengirl 5 ай бұрын

A NEW VOICE!! And a GOOD one . TY neuralsurfer for giving me fresh company for dinner tonight

@NannyOggins 6 ай бұрын

I love the ironic treatment of this story. Very witty indeed.

@Charles-oo8bq 6 ай бұрын

Excellent. Love the new voice selection. Danke

@curaticac5391 6 ай бұрын

Is this synthesized speech??? It would be disappointing. Anyway, if it is, it sounds amazingly natural.

@Charles-oo8bq 6 ай бұрын

@curaticac5391 yes,it is.

@TiffyVella1 6 ай бұрын

@@curaticac5391 The voice does sound smooth. I thought it was a real narrator until a few slip-ups. It gets confused by dropped haitches!

@Give_Peace_a_Chance123 4 ай бұрын

@@TiffyVella1 That's the old London, England accent.

@TiffyVella1 4 ай бұрын

@@Give_Peace_a_Chance123 Well, it is based on a generic "old London" accent, but it is definitely AI generated. Every now and again it accentuates the wrong part of a sentence. And it certainly has no idea of "haitches/aitches". It is aiming for what you may call "old London" but glitches.

@blueolive76 6 ай бұрын

Great story, great reading! Thank you!

@mattneillninasmom 6 ай бұрын

If this same scenario was presented today, the outcome would be the same.

@SunnySmile-fr5yg 6 ай бұрын

Seriously -- people who complain and criticize don't need to listen. They can read stories to themselves, or establish their own channel.

@Juhani139 6 ай бұрын

I was waiting for the curate to quote: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." And "If a man will not work, he shall not eat"

@granthurlburt4062 6 ай бұрын

Where are these quotes from? Dont you have the slightest idea of what life was like for these people? The relevant quote is from Luke"Sell all thou hadst and distribute it among the poor." (59:00 minutes)

@shanecomeback8296 6 ай бұрын

@@granthurlburt4062 To give ALL away would only create MORE poor destitute people-himself, his wife, his kids. He would not see reason. Even if he gave 75 % away, save some for the family. But no, it was his way or the highway. In his own way, he was selfish-abandoning his family to poverty so he can feel like Lord Bountiful.

@laurahale9309 6 ай бұрын

Those are also scriptures@@granthurlburt4062

@amsbestunderstanding1646 5 ай бұрын

1Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. God does call believers to make sacrifices on behalf of others, but He never calls anyone to starve their own young children in order to feed someone else's children. We can share & the Lord will multiply it. Rightly dividing the word of God requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ told the rich young man to go & sell all he had & give to the poor, (Mark 10:22) was speaking specifically to the young man who had kept the law of the O.T. since his youth, thinking that was sufficient, Jesus highlighted the one thing the young man loved more than anything including God. Read all the verses before & after. Jesus loved the rich young man, & when questioned about who can be saved then? Mark 10:27 clears up the matter. 27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.. Thank you for these short stories which are sometimes just reflections of human nature, struggling to do something right or otherwise, but somehow still out of whack. Without God, we are all out of whack.

@princecrocodyle 6 ай бұрын

Sensational many thanks

@Edo9River 6 ай бұрын

I experienced a shocking self reaction. I felt relieved at the author’s decision to end it as he did. I think I was in a better position to view the history of Victorian society because of this story. The marching of the Presbyterian missionaries across the world, the colonization of India, the preservation and expansion of the British morality. True, the cracks were there from the First World War, the ultimate decline despite heart felt sacrifices by the people.Maugham shows alll of this in the story. And we know how to ends beyond that ending.

@rbrtjernigan 6 ай бұрын

Yes, yes, the bible is good, as long as it serves our purpose.

@loyceschoices8658 6 ай бұрын

Condition ing

@brendabiffibaldovino8306 6 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for sharing ❤❤❤

@emmahardesty4330 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for another grand story by Maugham. Truly he examines so many human types that we recognize even if we've never known them. I suppose the Far RIght doesn't read Maugham. (Note: Mr Clinton isn't an "elderly" man.)

@arthuroldale-ki2ev 5 ай бұрын

AHH!!! A proper narrator !

@EvangeliseGood 3 ай бұрын

Sounds like AI to me, a lot of words used & said strangely. Still lovely to hear the stories though.

@suze6of6 6 ай бұрын

I Love❤️ your stories❤️🌺🇺🇲👍🌹

@glendajones3791 6 ай бұрын

This is one of the most revelatory short stories ever written, I believe!! Thanks so much!!

@billdauphine951 6 ай бұрын

The hypocrisy of our societies...

@susanpetropoulos1039 5 ай бұрын

@@billdauphine951 Hypocracy of the Heart.

@granthurlburt4062 6 ай бұрын

Great story.

@CasperLCat 6 ай бұрын

I love how they assume Clinton is ill, because he’s suddenly talking about loving his neighbor, and actually means it. He DID turn out to be a fanatic, but they all thought so BEFORE he started neglecting his family, etc.

@JohnGleeson-cx5lg 6 ай бұрын

You wouldn't love it if you were one of his dependents

@NannyOggins 6 ай бұрын

Ironically one of the most important Christian tenets is that on marriage you promise to care for one another before any other. That doesn’t just mean romantic love it also means mutual support and care of your future children. Personally I have great respect for the idea of giving ten percent of your savings to others each year, given anonymously!

@Brainteaser5639 6 ай бұрын

@NannyOggins I feel this kind of giving is helpful as it may not seek anything back assuming those entrusted with the giving do a thorough job but unfortunately they are the problem so how can the do a good job. Are they really devoted to eliminating poverty for all on earth while they have been involved in the exact thing that causes man to be poor. Let’s start with history and religion. I respect your giving. The ten per cent is the subconscious which produces such a state in man. The things that happen to us as we pursue life and are deposited in the subconscious mind to eat us alive and reduce us the ones we are asked to commit to forever giving 10%. In the meantime any giving to the poor will carry on but will not eliminate it. Have a good look on Leo Tolstoys on this matter.

@ritamartin4782 6 ай бұрын

Those pricks of conscience can be violent!

@Juhani139 6 ай бұрын

He IS ill. Scripture also says: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." He was either ill, a hypocrite or a complete moron. An intelligent person would know the money will run out, then he can't help anyone.

@danawinsor1380 Ай бұрын

This is wonderful. You can't do better than the stories of Maugham, and this reading of "A Bad Example" was delightful. Having said this, I would like to make the following comment: the description of the story isn't quite accurate. I believe the main character is not an elderly, wealthy man, but a respectable middle-class man who earns his living at a respectable job. It is clear from Maugham's description that he is not wealthy nor did he have an "outward appearance of opulence . . . ". Please note: I wouldn't have bothered to leave this comment if this was such a fantastic offering. I look forward to listening to many more!

@Shineon83 6 ай бұрын

Maugham is such a cat : his disdain for middle class England & its values comes through in every sarcastic sentence….

@Give_Peace_a_Chance123 4 ай бұрын

@Shineon83 I'd fully agree with his openion, especially as an Irish person.

@amazingandrea9983 6 ай бұрын

A hint of Dickens' A Christmas Carol...

@Tinyflypie 6 ай бұрын

Maughen himself didn't suffer that brand of madness. He was a very wealthy man.

@Riklott1111 6 ай бұрын

He was born wealthy

@Michael-bp5im 5 ай бұрын

Highest paid writer in the world at his peak

@Michael-bp5im 5 ай бұрын

@@Riklott1111

@SunnySmile-fr5yg 6 ай бұрын

Excellent 👍

@teresadelacanal1065 6 ай бұрын

Magnificent!

@rys2754 6 ай бұрын

House M.D, the "Charity case" episode features a patient with the same lethal generosity problem. They diagnosed it as Plummer's disease and cured by removing a tiny nodule.

@rozalialuks6583 6 ай бұрын

Not a few times he went to where the Russian Literature is! Thank you very very much!

@elaineedwards3189 6 ай бұрын

Another great one!😂❤

@nanettew4398 6 ай бұрын

Wonderfully read, wished it was not done anonymous ….. the story is actually a terrible satire….. I read it long, long ago, but listening to it I only now realised it to the full….thank you for these recordings ❤

@MargitSzallosFarkas 6 ай бұрын

It is done by AI, therefore anonymous. Nevertheless, very well done and thank you for uploading!

@nanettew4398 6 ай бұрын

@@MargitSzallosFarkas 💝

@barbarabarclay6769 5 ай бұрын

This does not sound like an AI reading to me Reading is good.

@AriaSuperBass 5 ай бұрын

@@barbarabarclay6769 It's a cloned AI voice.

@amanda-clairebennett6132 6 ай бұрын

🙏🙏

@ginamori4970 4 ай бұрын

This is all too much, but at time's😂 I've been laughing at the point to being on the floor😂❤

@buniluvr Ай бұрын

Well done YOU! Leave it to W. S. Maugham! “That’s the worst of these half educated people - they get some idea in their heads which they don’t understand and, of course, do idiotic things”. Pretty much hit the nail on the head with 2024 election :). Cheers, julie

@martaz.9179 6 ай бұрын

He lost his mind over horrific truth that unexpectedly came to his face. So sad. Probably the same would happen to great majority of us if not defensive schemas.

@Angela-cc1hd 6 ай бұрын

A poignant story, very good, its always about money in the end. Although, l have to say, anything that becomes extreme one way or another is not good either and giving to charities never ends poverty because most of the money never gets to those who really need it🤔 So it goes on😮

@shirleenperkins7455 6 ай бұрын

I agree to some extent but I don't think it's entirely accurate to say that money given to charities *never* reaches the recipient. Many charities do excellent work that individuals can't, such as Greenpeace.

@sandraeastern9720 6 ай бұрын

Most charities are established with noble intentions but in many cases, much of the money collected is spent on administration, marketing and staff costs. I have learned to look for, and examine, the financial statements of charities which I consider supporting.

@doriellesoler7502 6 ай бұрын

Well that's a comfortable way of looking at things, not giving to charity because it might not reach the intended beneficiaries! Just be careful which charities to support but I do feel an obligation to help as far as i can.

@Angela-cc1hd 6 ай бұрын

@@doriellesoler7502 l have helped by volunteering on many occasions, time given also helps🙂

@susanpetropoulos1039 5 ай бұрын

Antimacassars! A wonderful word from the past. Lovingly made of linen for chair backs. And another strange Escher piece of furniture?

@Grace.allovertheplace 6 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏

@jeremypearson6852 6 ай бұрын

How sad that the wife was more troubled by her husband’s spiritual awakening than anything else. She may have attended church on Sunday, but Christianity was the furthest thing from her mind. This has shades of a Christmas Carol all over it.

@doriellesoler7502 6 ай бұрын

I'm all for practising charity but this was not spiritual awakening but madness

@ellenrichardson7819 6 ай бұрын

Disagree! I find the reader very good. The essence of the story well communicated.

@clarehsueh7683 6 ай бұрын

The man in the picture looks too impeccably well-groomed to be Mr.James Clinton.

@VickersDoorter 6 ай бұрын

It’s a Disneyfied American AI generate image.

@ranjanivaradpande381 3 ай бұрын

Thanks I have not read this story ,but may be this is not a SHORT STORY ?as the time shown is 1:11:43?!

@rakellcolotta3675 5 ай бұрын

Sad story

@brenodiasmagalhaes9691 6 ай бұрын

25:00

@judymoraign7078 6 ай бұрын

What a terrible end to that story

@robertleelucas 6 ай бұрын

Good story. Doesn't sound like Maugham to me though. Not in any of my collections.

@lorrainegladdish1519 6 ай бұрын

If you re not from the north of england you won't get the dialect!

@rosiemayrod 6 ай бұрын

I'm from the Caribbean I understand very well

@AriaSuperBass 5 ай бұрын

Hi @lorrainegladdish1519 Just interested in what you hear/see that makes you believe that? I didn't find anything that indicated the characters are speaking a northern English dialect.

@jeanreed1975 6 ай бұрын

A little awkwardly enacted at times. Is the speaker an actor or is it electronically generated?

@VickersDoorter 6 ай бұрын

It sounds horribly AI.

@rheinhartsilvento2576 6 ай бұрын

He's a robot is what he is😂

@clairegreenaway9653 6 ай бұрын

Not the end of the world, I am glad to listen.

@nickstone3113 6 ай бұрын

Quite a profound story

@VickersDoorter 6 ай бұрын

This AI reader is painful! No gaps between sentences or paragraphs, nor natural pauses for breath or effect.

@KateMelia-uv4jx 6 ай бұрын

And very strange pronounciation! Should just be called A. Forget about the intelligence bit.

@ellenrichardson7819 6 ай бұрын

Disagree 😐

@shondra4663 6 ай бұрын

I like the reading voice

@anaderol5408 6 ай бұрын

Agree - the cadence, when present, was more often than not incorrect. Of course if the individual programming the AI has a limited understanding of the requirements of a reading/narrating voice then it’s hardly surprising.

@DJKSB58 6 ай бұрын

Common wheel for Commonwealth! Plus emphasis on the wrong syllable