THE PROMISE, Somerset Maugham

What to do when your spouse is always late? A clever tale by Maugham.

[@verenamaharajah6082]

The description of the men and women in the restaurant was so lovely! So sad no one can ever describe the guests in a restaurant like that today.

[@snowyowl6892]

People are so self focused these days, they barely notice that there is a whole world around them. Sad

[@cvbzizou]

Wonderful audiobook quality! Excellent choice! I suffer from migraines and this has prevented me from enjoying my favorite hobby, reading. Thank you for posting your videos for us who are struggling with debilitating migraines. Now I get to close my eyes, rest, listen to your audiobook and fly ❤ Good luck to you and keep up the great work! 🎉

[@practiceyourinfinitysabrin6648]

S.Maughan😍elegant, deep, unconventional, fascinating writer.

[@Ppw1982]

I didn’t want this to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it so much.

[@lemorab1]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this! The first and last time I read "The Promise" was in 1968, when I was 20 years old. It's wonderful to hear it again!! This is my favorite Somerset Maugham story. Next, I'm going to enjoy "The Three Fat Women of Antibes." People may not know that Lady Elizabeth Vermont was based upon the real Idina Sackville, daughter of the Earl of De La Warre. You can read a biography written by Idina's great granddaughter, Frances Osborne, "The Bolter." Idina's first husband, Euan Wallace, left her for fortune hunter Barbie Lutyens. Idina never stopped loving him. When she died, his photograph was by her bed.

[@martaparsons5633]

Lovely listening. Thank you.

[@danremenyi1179]

A master with the English language.

[@sarahhayse-gregson689]

Always a fan of Somerset Maugham. I have a set of his novels. Need to re read them again.

[@robertmackenzie3995]

Great - even the pronunciation of “wound” as in hurt, rather than winding up a watch 🤣But really enjoying these uploads - thank you!

[@mariabean1786]

Ai

[@soumitrajhuntu467]

I can't imagine what could be so praiseworthy about a certain mispronunciation ! 😮

[@RobertSweet-nw4tm]

The wrong pronunciation is because the narrator is a computer. Even with AI it is difficult to make an accurate rendition. The context is needed which for a story like this is too difficult for AI

[@bobrussell3602]

@@RobertSweet-nw4tm Al therefore, holds the promise of being a bit like computers. Upon their leap onto the worlds stage, we were promised the paperless office, time saving etc, etc. I think, like the aforementioned, Al will be a mixed blessing.

[@00keziah]

I’m so glad I stumbled on this channel. Elizabeth the original cougar. How wonderful that she found to be true to herself. At 69 I truly enjoyed the lady as much as the gentleman.

[@dianesleeman5940]

Absolutely. Wonderful story telling. Rediscovering 60 years on😊

[@jiyushugi1085]

Of all the great writers my parents introduced me to I remain forever grateful that they introduced me to Somerset Maugham.

[@theresamills5095]

It did end very abruptly almost unfinished.

[@dianesleeman5940]

Ditto from Australia 60 years after first reading The Three Fat Women of Antibes.😊

[@wendischofield4543]

No-one could ever love an elephant, as another elephant does- they are the most noble of all creatures, and deserve our undying love, and loyalty. I will love you, all of you, for ever. God bless you always. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@maryelizabethwhite8420]

??

[@MJ-hl1kk]

Elephants are wonderful, divine creatures, sadly horrendously abused all over Asia and Africa.

[@bobrussell3602]

I don't wish to be rude, (and I really mean that) but what have elephants got to do with the story ? Whom is God blessing, us, or the elephants ?

[@kayhuiutan6498]

😢😮😮😅😢😅😢😅😅😅😅😢p😅​@@maryelizabethwhite8420

[@richardlippincott8881]

wow. I just stumbled on your channel!! I so hope to see more videos like this! Thanks.

[@emmahardesty4330]

Great. Maugham portrays women so accurately, and equally writes his male characters. Always a story--or two--within a story. This one makes me hope good manners and simplicity return someday.

[@phyllislovelace8151]

Thank you so much for these pieces, much appreciated

[@daviddean6032]

How I love this story. ❤

[@belleforever3256]

Excellent reading. Another era with the elegance of the time now almost completely lost !!!

[@roxanneseitz7464]

Nicely read! I wished the story to continue: perhaps someone should try to pick up where Maugham left off.

[@dontaylor7315]

I pray no one does. Any Somerset Maugham story taken up by someone trying to write like him will go downhill fast.

[@ireminsel]

A story of excellently told.

[@davewarwicker2512]

The writing made me feel like I was living the story. Nice :-)

[@Riklott1111]

Loved it !

[@natalinaconidi6313]

Second best use of regal vocabulary after my fave, the late Queen Elzabeth speech. I agree with Mr. Ravi Shankar, in an interview he stated that there is a sublime and spine chill running feeling about listening to a proper, somewhat ever classic english idiom. When conveyed to the very sensitive ears of the lovers of the english language. I wish to thank my english language teacher Mrs Regina Squiccimarro Wytt, for sharing her love for the english language in my class, here in southern Italy in the late 70ies of the last century. Thank you to the Perryman family in Ditchling for making my stay unforgettable. God bless the english language❤

[@nohaylamujer]

"WOONd it"? Does AI stab watches?

[@jillianstokoe4697]

Excellent!

[@maryarigho5868]

Lovely. But 'wownd' not 'woond'. Watches used to be wound every night. Seems a long time ago.

[@Nannas-cp5nd]

The best writer ever,such a pleasure to watch this. Thanks a lot ❤

[@granthurlburt4062]

Thank you for posting. Too bad some people think it is just bland description. Terrific writing. It hasnt been until I reached my later years that I appreciate his subtlety.

[@NoosaHeads]

I recommend anyone to read "The Necklace" (Guy de Maupassant) - is very much in the same vein as The Promise.

[@margaretgreenwood4243]

Elizabeth sounds Wonderful

[@pearpo]

This one is so pleasant and then piercing 🥹🥲

[@MaryWalton]

Very , joyous, revealing inside into a person character. I have to read some other books by him. He was powerful.

[@brendabiffibaldovino8306]

Thanks so much for sharing💙💙💙

[@iainradvan6867]

The AI voice is almost perfect. A lovely reading tone.

[@carmencollor1224]

Brilliant.

[@muse4297]

As a young college girl I read Forever Amber novel. MY cousin Dhruva brought over after his long train journey where he read.

[@merrylmarsh9037]

Most enjoyable.

[@c.a.savage5689]

Most enjoyable. Thank you very much.

[@mehranossia3828]

Loved it. Thank you

[@leoniekutsch5375]

❤ thank you 🙏

[@magnacarta740]

Just lovely 🌹🌹🌹

[@buniluvr]

Wow - You’ve surprised me with this story, wherever did you find it? I’m a huge WSM fan and thought I knew all his stories! Thank you!

[@judymoraign7078]

It was ok but I was disappointed with the ending

[@marilynrosen4608]

Summary the promise, Somerset maughm

[@dawnjohnson8739]

Except maybe him saying she was honest woman - but no one could tell she had a broken heart.

[@johncairney2303Sunshine]

Charming

[@shirleyjordan5941]

Charming story

[@BeachClubNovaScotia]

"I will be in London all the autumn. Do ring me up." ❣💔

[@verenamaharajah6082]

Ravaged beauty~ at 50? My goodness!

[@Shineon83]

lol….She obviously had never visited an L.A, plastic surgeon…

[@user-px2mu1rd5b]

“ Before very long her hands with their long red painted nails would take on the appearance of the talons of a bird of prey.!” 😅😅

[@pamdice9633]

White America. Lost forever….. coarsened by multi cultural largesse. White America mourned….but not forgotten.

[@rogerbernard9572]

My best friend worked at the Vatican for several years. He said you could always tell who the American tourists - fat and badly dressed.

[@JoaninFlorida]

At least Americans bathe daily and wear clean clothes. In other words, they don't stink like lots of Europeans.

[@tdterry76]

AI narration is getting quite good.

[@fiddlersthree8463]

A very good copy of Simon Stanhope's voice but lacks proper pronunciation of some simple word, and the emphasis is odd at times. I let Simon know someone is using his voice. Check out the real Simon Stanhope at Bitesized Audio Classics.

[@samsum3738]

Perhaps too good .

[@VickersDoorter]

Complete with lisp! I did like that the watch was woond, instead of wound.

[@00keziah]

I am curious as to the music. It would be nice to know name and artist.

[@rozalialuks6583]

Thank you!!!

[@ilonadavid2453]

genius🥰😍🤩😘😊

[@jennifercader8055]

Wound as in round!

[@pserghini]

Anyone know the name of the narrator?

[@carmencollor1224]

It is probably AI, that is, a machine.

[@marilynread8557]

Scary, not being able to tell the difference. Who needs humans when you have Ai.

[@carmencollor1224]

@@marilynread8557 I find it easy to detect, because it lacks the natural flow & intonation of human speach. It is not as beautifully modulated

[@marilynread8557]

@@carmencollor1224 Ai is getting too good,who wants to live in a future when we cannot tell a human voice from Ai☹️

[@deborahtrapper7421]

It is AI. Not perfect but better than some human readers. I appreciate both.

[@Dougal13]

Am I missing something. Otherthan the excellent and well written prose, the storyseemed to haave no point.

[@missmurrydesign7115]

Utterly delicious...

[@lagringa7518]

Why don't they declare that these things are only verbal narrations? While I have adored Somerset Maughm's books for many decades, I'd rather read him... there is no point in reading him on YT.

[@deborahtrapper7421]

Surely, you can still read the books while the audio versions are godsend for me and my fading eyesight.

[@irenejohnston6802]

Not so simple, it betrays the personality of the character.

[@thomassaehler9038]

Sounds like Richard Harris

[@kellym.9453]

😊

[@marymcgarry1545]

3 commercials in 15.5 minutes, YIKES

[@Karen-ul9hd]

KZbin Premium, the best thing!

[@joannajones8533]

whilst the colonised nations by the British Goverments were deprived of their freedom and natural resources of their own countries....so that the people in the UK could enjoy what is described here....

[@Shineon83]

Waaay too easy (and too woke) an explanation ….Do you have ANY idea how many constant, tribal dramas resulted in wars?….Or, the constant corruption-and the far, FAR worse treatment of the poor -BY native leaders-seeing the British as being much more fair….… Anyone with eyes (or who, like me, studies Sociology) has had enough examples of the utter rubbish that has resulted from “African self-rule” : the corruption, the plundering of resources by leaders-in order to spend them living in Europe… .

[@bartholomewsorrentino9013]

How sad.

[@lidiawolanskyj5560]

"wow-ned" not "woo-ned" lol

[@HROM1908]

Yeah, great but men did NOT wear hats in restaurants, in those or any other days.

[@DelvingEye]

1:34 "The watch might go if she wound it" -- wooned??? He pronounces "wound" like wooned, as in an injury, instead of wowned, as in past tense of what a person does who winds a clock. Honestly! Awful narration!

[@patriciamay6396]

Don’t even have to check; can tell Maugham was a snarky gay man

[@user-gd4wt6oi7y]

a simple narrative with nothing remarkable in it, thousand times such incidents happen in everyday lives, maybe at that time it must have been salacious to write.