Spotlight on W. Somerset Maugham

Welcome to this week’s Wednesday Interlude: In which I shine the spotlight on W. Somerset Maugham.
Books discussed:
The Selected Novels of W. Somerset Maugham.
The Complete Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham.
The Collected Plays of W. Somerset Maugham.
Ashenden: the British Agent
OTHER NOVELS:
Up at the Villa
The Razor’s Edge
Liza of Lambeth
BIOGRAPHIES:
Willie: The Life of W. Somerset Maugham by Robert Calder.
The Secret Lives of W. Somerset Maugham by Selina Hastings.
The Pattern of Maugham by Anthony Curtis.
RESOURCES:
Novels, Plays and Travel Writing:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...
Too Many Husbands:
• Too Many Husbands (194...
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Posting schedule:
Sunday Morning Meet-Up: In which I discuss all things miscellaneous.
Tag Tuesday for Booktube Tags.
Wednesday Interlude: In which I shine the spotlight on an author and their works.
Thursday Thoughts in which I discuss my reading progress.
Friday Verse: In which I read the verse of Robert William Service.

[@Sharon_Mc]

🇬🇧 I've just listened to the full length story Lisa of Lambeth by Somerset Maughan. A powerful story and an unexpected ending .

[@slanav6854]

Thank you, Alan! We watched your video during our English lesson at university and we really enjoyed it! With love from Russian students :)

[@Sharon_Mc]

🇬🇧 Thank you for your very informative video. I've been listening to Cakes and Ale, by Somerset Maughan, and as I know Whitstable ( Blackstable in the book ), I can really identify with the area and visualise the characters.

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you. Well done.

[@SummersMovingBookshelf]

The only Maugham work I’ve read so far is The Painted Veil, but I absolutely loved it. There was a really profound and philosophical sadness about it that really affected me, and I definitely teared up at the end.

[@user-vk7ut9te6d]

Thank you for the excellent presentation 😊

[@xannaana]

Thank you! It was interesting. I've read 'The moon and sixpence' and several short stories but I want to read more of Maugham's works

[@danielgray1104]

Great introduction to Maugham, I started with The Razors Edge and have since been hooked to his novels. I now would like to see some of his plays.

[@BookishTexan]

What a fascinating life Maugham led. I had know idea that he was a playwright. Thanks for this Alan. I love author biographies. Havent read Maugham, but am planning on getting to _The Razor's Edge_ soon.

[@amelmahmoud8221]

THANK YOU VERY USEFUL AND INFORMATIVE

[@gaildoughty6799]

Thank you for this one, Alan. I love much of Maugham’s work and need to read more. I was especially intrigued by The Painted Veil, a sad, sad story.

[@Angelina-zu6no]

Thank you so much. Somerset Maugham is one of my most favourite writers. I've read his novels and short stories several times. I was looking for his biography and only found The Summing Up, so thank you so much for mentioning the two biographies which I shall be getting. Do you know if the house he lived in is available to visit?

[@thebooktraveller1901]

According to Wikipedia it is classified as a private residence, but is listed as of historic interest. I could not discover if it is open to tourists.

[@yig8763]

Thank you!

[@londonlemons]

Fantastic video, I have been delving into W. Somerset Maugham and really enjoy all his works! I’m reading The World’s Ten Greatest Novels currently and am really enjoying it. Thank you for the great content!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Thank you for your kind comments!

[@Nadia-uc1tb]

Thank you for making this video! I've read a few of Maugham's novels and enjoyed them all! Very nice to have some more information about him and I'll be checking out your recommendations.

[@JayShayy]

Excellent work as always, Alan! I've read some of his short stories but haven't tried one of his novels yet.

[@xepho8205]

Thank you! I read two of his books, Ashenden and The Moon and Sixpence, and I enjoyed them both.

[@TheCodeXCantina]

Another gem of a video, Alan! We're just now starting to explore Maugham and it has been an immensely rewarding experience so far. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge of him in this video. We've just done the 3 short stories so far of "In a Strange Land", "The Fall of Edward Barnard" and upcoming "Rain." Can't wait to check out more.

[@shamimehsanulhaque5244]

Thank you for a wonderful introduction to W. Somerset Maugham, and the amazing world which is his fiction! I have been a fan of the author since 1997, and have read almost all his works. It is most satisfying that he could touch lives all over the world and across such diverse readers: someone like me who lives in Bangladesh, and can still feel a strong affinity with his works. Thank you for your excellent work!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Thank you for your kind comments.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Good to know that in far off Bangladesh there is someone like you. ! Maybe there is hope for the World after all...if we all read and understood Human Nature as well as Maugham did .

[@jerrydavid4615]

"Rain" is my favorite story of his.

[@thebooktraveller1901]

It is quite brilliant, David!

[@josmith5992]

Hooray for another author spotlight! Like Brian, I had no idea Maugham was a playwright and such a prolific me or that he was bisexual. Between you and Amy you have convinced me I need to pick up some Maugham before the end of the year Alan, even if it's only a short story.

[@jamesgough8481]

I accidentally discovered the works of maughan in 1982 while working on a ship loading timber around Malaysia and Borneo. I read his stories and then looked around and could see what he was on about.

[@Nyledam89]

Wonderful spotlight, Alan. I have yet to read any Somerset Maugham. It sounds like I'm missing out!

[@edmundbenson8625]

Great video, very informative - thank-you for this!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

You are welcome. I am glad you found it useful.

[@anastasiyasuprun4103]

I enjoyed this video and the way you told the biography! Thanx a lot!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

You are welcome. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@amendoapi]

I am an admmirer of W . Summerset Maugham ' s works and life . I use many of his wonderful stories to teach English and also how to live an elegant life , useful life . Thank you for your priceless presentation. Yours PEDRO LUZ from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil .

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Thank you, Pedro. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@ToThinkOfBooks]

This is the spotlight video I needed today! I didn't know that's why Maugham's father had arranged for him to be born at the embassy. That reminds me of the birth of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands here in Canada. During WWII the Dutch royal family took refuge in Canada. To ensure that the new princess wouldn't be born Canadian, the hospital ward where she was born here in Ottawa was temporarily declared not to be Canadian territory. People go to great lengths to ensure the "right" citizenship.

[@ToThinkOfBooks]

I guess his experience attending to births and as a doctor really influenced the second half of "Of Human Bondage!"

[@ToThinkOfBooks]

I wasn't aware that Maugham was a playwright! I shall have to check out that movie adaptation. (Sorry, I'm just going to make all my comments a long chain here as I watch haha).

[@ToThinkOfBooks]

I have picked up "Up at the Villa" and "Liza of Lambert" that I intend to read perhaps next week.

[@ToThinkOfBooks]

They did! Every year the Netherlands sends Canada a gift of tulips as a thank you for sheltering the royal family. Now Ottawa is full of tulips, and each May we have a tulip festival here in the capital.

[@lilliannieswender266]

This was very informative and interesting Alan, Maugham was indeed a fascinating man. I had no idea he wrote so many plays. I'm sure his medical training came in handy in his masterpiece Of Human Bondage. One of my favorite short stories of his is Rain, later turned into several movie versions called Miss Sadie Thompson. Thank you very much for the book recommendations, I intend to check some of them out.

[@gunaykaner9786]

Huge thanks for the video. Great job. Thanks a lot.

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Glad you liked it, Gunay!

[@chrisw6704]

Thank you for the video. I have read a number of Maugham works in the distant past and have it on my list to return to them. I am not a lover of short stories but Maugham is an exception to this, particularly his work The Verger. I remember I liked his books that were set in South East Asia, He was a classic storyteller which made looked down on my the experimental writers. I have just been reading a novel by Philip Kerr, The Other Side of Silence, that is woven around Somerset Maugham. It really is a weak book but did whet my appetite to go back to the master.

[@meghanthestorygirl4581]

I haven't read any of his books, but his plays sound especially good to me!

[@meghanthestorygirl4581]

@@thebooktraveller1901 Ooh, thank you!

[@DanielMasmanian]

Thank you for making this.

[@DanielMasmanian]

I'm afraid the link to Too Many Husbands is broken, but current this is up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmHTm2eli91nf9U

[@thebooktraveller1901]

@@DanielMasmanian Thank you, Daniel, I have updated the show notes with a new link.

[@DanielMasmanian]

@@thebooktraveller1901 good on you, and thank you again for your work.

[@mr.FRESHWATER]

My favourite book has always been "Of Human Bondage". There is no author quite like Maugham. Thank you for the video! Take care.

[@richardcheatham9490]

So glad to have come across this video on my favorite short story writer. I wondered if you also found merit in the lengthy Ted Morgan biography of Mr. Maugham? I found that reading it brought me right back to Maugham's stories once again with greater appreciation.

[@thebooktraveller1901]

I have read several Maugham biographies, but not the one by Ted Morgan. I believe it had some adverse reviews, so it turned me off. I think the bios I read covers everything I need to know.

[@guidofaria6721]

❤

[@JoseeL777]

I actually started with Of Human Bondage and fell in love from there. I've only read The Razor's Age and one of his short story collections. I'll have to read some of his plays now, thank you.

[@thebooktraveller1901]

You are welcome!

[@____vivek__ayinat._______135]

I enjoyed the video and the way you told the biography.Thanx a lot

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Thank you for your kind comment, Vivek.

[@____vivek__ayinat._______135]

@@thebooktraveller1901 no mention 🥰

[@matheusbini5864]

I am from Brazil and in this night finish read the best book of Maugham (of Human Bondage). Very nice learn about his life history. Thank you for it!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

You are welcome!

[@seriela]

See? I needed this before even attempting Of Human Bondage at a young age. I'll definitely start with one of your recommendations when I do my "Alan-athon". By the way, did Jean Plaidy write about Isabella and Ferdinand?!

[@seriela]

@@thebooktraveller1901 As a matter of fact, I just placed four books in my thriftbooks cart: The Razor's Edge, a James Herriot anthology, The Real James Herriot, and an omnibus of Isabella and Ferdinand (it has 678 pages, so I assume it contains all three....hopefully). But you've already read them all!

[@seriela]

Oh, and I found out she also wrote non-fiction about the Spanish Inquisition! And historical novels about the Borgias! HELP! 🤣

[@bighardbooks770]

Just catching this now. Ive only seen Betty Davis in _Bondage_ and Bill Murray's version of _The Razor's Edge,_ but I liked both films, very much. (I still have the DVD for _Bandage,_ in fact.) I heard that _The Magician_ is based upon Aleister Crowley, true?

[@bighardbooks770]

@@thebooktraveller1901 Did you enjoy the novel? How do you consider it compared to his other, more famous ones? Thank you!

[@Leebearify]

The only book of Maughams' that I have read is the one you said not to start with first, ( LOL !!) Of Human Bondage. I honestly didn't care for it and stopped reading him altogether. You have definitely convinced me to try again. I am checking my library for either of the biographies and then will review your comments to see which novel I will start. Thanks for the suggestions !!

[@thebooktraveller1901]

Lee, try some of Maugham's short stories - if these don't hook you, nothing will! Read The Verger, for example.

[@ameliareads589]

I have finally read my first book by Maugham Liza of Lambeth and really enjoyed it. Thanks to your video and now know that this was his first published work. Do you have a recommendation for my next book by him?

[@ameliareads589]

@@thebooktraveller1901 That's a lot to choose from. Thank you, Alan!

[@randalllake2785]

Hello…. What about Of HUMAN BONDAGE? Published in 1915!