Robert Calder on W. Somerset Maugham, Part I.mov

[@ArleneBetts]

My grandfather, who came from New Romney, Kent went to school with Somerset Maugham at Kings School, Canterbury. I have a copy of "The Razor's Edge." which belong to my grandfather. After, my grandfather obtaining a law degree (which was expected of him in those days, being a generational thing) and then a engineering degree ended up being a dirt farmer north of Lloydminster Saskatchewan and lived happy ever after. I really enjoyed your talk.

[@jennyhirschowitz1999]

Delightful comment. Thank you. Miss Jenny

[@walker2640]

Thank you very much for such an insightful talk!

[@Gorboduc]

Amazingly this guy manages to cover 44 solid minutes without actually talking about Somerset Maugham!

[@Sharon_Mc]

🇬🇧 I know Whitstable and Canterbury very well. Whitstable, ( Blackstable in the book Cakes and Ale, ) give the well defined characters and the descriptive writings of the area, which, in turn allow one to really visualise everything.

[@MyMaughamCollection]

Thanks. This is a very enjoyable talk.

[@dr.ssrinivasrau8429]

Philip Kerr has a mystery novel The Other Side of .. in which the detective Bernie Gunther is involved with Somerset Maugham and unauthorised biographers. 😊

[@Wilhelm5381]

Thanks for posting this; most illuminating.

[@craigbenz4835]

Bill Murry's version of The Razor's Edge was my first introduction to Maugham. Despite Robert Calder's poo pooing of the movie it was compelling enough for me to read most of Maugham's novels and short stories.

[@mr.m8123]

Please watch the original! There is no comparison....!!!

[@craigbenz4835]

@@mr.m8123 I have. I didn't find it as good.

[@mr.m8123]

Sorry...I suppose I am a bit biased toward the older films. To be honest, Tyrone Power was not exactly a powerful presence either (IMO), Give 'Of Human Bondage' a try (Bette Davis/Leslie Howard....

[@craigbenz4835]

@@mr.m8123 That was good. "Of Human Bondage" was a pretty massive book to turn into a movie. The name of the movie escapes me, but the on done about the short story "Sadie" was good.

[@mr.m8123]

@@craigbenz4835 The film was also called "Of Human Bondage" The book was, according to Maugham, was originally going to be titled "From Ashes To Beauty"...not such a great title for novel that Maugham did not define as an autobiography but admits that most of it was autobiographical (Maugham's stammer and Philip Carey's club foot....). Re: biography, Ted Morgan's is very good and very 'kind' re Maugham's private life whereas Selina Hastings' biography is probably more accurate...Also Maugham's nephew, Robin, also wrote some insightful work about his uncle...Also suggest "A Writer's Notebook by Maugham (out of print but available from Abe Books)....

[@roberthuff3122]

What about Maugham?

[@elbabysnail4135]

If the rest of this man's book is as inaccurate as his remarks on Alan Searle are, don't waste your time...Alan Searle was NOT Willie's secretary for 30 or 40 years, as he states, but 15+...Searle didn't appear on the scene until after the death of Gerald Haxton in 1944...phooey

[@johnke7]

You're wrong. He was persuing a relationship with Searle years before Haxton died.

[@elbabysnail4135]

@@johnke7 prove it

[@johnke7]

@@elbabysnail4135 He first began a relationship with Searle in the thirties. After the second world war and the death of Haxton, Searle replaced him as a partner for Maugham, while also acting as his secretary, carer and general dogsbody. As you know, Maugham passed away in 1965, so the relationship between Searle and Maugham lasted 30 years. My source is the biography by Selina Hastings referred to in this talk. It is now regarded as the definitive Maugham biography.

[@johnke7]

It's still illegal in Britain to have sex in a public place. And Maugham, as a practising paedophile, would still have reason today to keep the details of his sexual activities private.

[@pillansc1]

Paedophile? Where the hell did you get that from ?

[@aevans-jl9ym]

​@pillansc1 He joked about how he was once able to "buy a 12-year-old Siamese girl for the price of a can of condensed milk"

[@Mahatma618]

Check out Se7en.One of the characters is called William Somerset,and there is a reference to Of human bondage. Love Somerset Maugham

[@pietrusabalardus1881]

God save us from “serious” scholarship

[@sockmonkey22]

Maugham did practice medicine, as a gynecologist in London’s slums.

[@johnke7]

Not quite correct. He held general doctor's surgeries in Lambeth and didn't just attend childbirths.

[@mr.m8123]

Not after he graduated; only while a student.

[@veritas6335]

Maugham didn’t want a biography written about him because he led quite a creepy and debauched life. He wrote a couple of good tales and a of strange and poorly structured short stories.

[@veritas6335]

This guy only talks about himself. BORING!!!

[@barbkaye2599]

That green baseball cap is ugly and very unprofessional. Grow up!

[@v8pilot]

Barb Kaye It matches his T-shirt. Well coordinated outfit.

[@johnking5433]

Calder wrote a book on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

[@roderickfernandez5382]

I never heard so much twaddle about a lousy ball cap don't you have anything else on your mind maybe? Think about your own balls for a while.

[@apexxxx10]

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[@apexxxx10]

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[@rhondagodwin1265]

Icky