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

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Күн бұрын

On January 19, 2013, Robert Calder, the world's foremost authority on W. Somerset Maugham, talked about his research and books he has written on W. Somerset Maugham. This was Mr. Calder's first appearance at D.G. Wills Book Store in La Jolla, California.

Пікірлер: 48

@ArleneBetts 4 ай бұрын

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 24 күн бұрын

Delightful comment. Thank you. Miss Jenny

@walker2640 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for such an insightful talk!

@jamilibrahim884 2 жыл бұрын

Monte Carlo. A sunny place for shady people, Maugham used to joke. Love the guy.

@eymerichinquisitore9022 Жыл бұрын

Or the gay?

@Sharon_Mc 3 ай бұрын

🇬🇧 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.

@dr.ssrinivasrau8429 4 жыл бұрын

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

@Gorboduc 3 ай бұрын

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

@MyMaughamCollection 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks. This is a very enjoyable talk.

@Wilhelm5381 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting this; most illuminating.

@Mahatma618 10 жыл бұрын

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

@elbabysnail4135 4 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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

@elbabysnail4135 Жыл бұрын

@@johnke7 prove it

@johnke7 Жыл бұрын

@@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.

@roberthuff3122 3 ай бұрын

What about Maugham?

@craigbenz4835 Жыл бұрын

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 4 ай бұрын

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

@craigbenz4835 4 ай бұрын

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

@mr.m8123 4 ай бұрын

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 4 ай бұрын

@@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 4 ай бұрын

@@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)....

@johnke7 Жыл бұрын

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 6 ай бұрын

Paedophile? Where the hell did you get that from ?

@aevans-jl9ym 4 ай бұрын

@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"

@pietrusabalardus1881 6 жыл бұрын

God save us from “serious” scholarship

@sockmonkey22 Жыл бұрын

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

@johnke7 Жыл бұрын

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

@mr.m8123 4 ай бұрын

Not after he graduated; only while a student.

@veritas6335 Ай бұрын

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.