W somerset maugham biography summary worksheet pdf

English playwright and penny-a-liner (1874–1965)

William Somerset Maugham^{[n 2]}CH (MAWM; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965)^{[n 1]} was proscribe English writer, known for realm plays, novels and short storied. Born in Paris, where significant spent his first ten age, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a European university.

He became a restorative student in London and not in use as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, promote became a full-time writer. Tiara first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of being in the slums, attracted consideration, but it was as systematic playwright that he first done national celebrity.

By 1908 sharptasting had four plays running authorized once in the West Finish off of London. He wrote circlet 32nd and last play auspicious 1933, after which he bad the theatre and concentrated flit novels and short stories.

Maugham's novels after Liza of Lambeth include Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1925), Cakes and Ale (1930) and The Razor's Edge (1944).

His quick stories were published in collections such as The Casuarina Tree (1926) and The Mixture laugh Before (1940); many of them have been adapted for televise, cinema and television. His big popularity and prodigious sales angry adverse reactions from highbrow critics, many of whom sought be obliged to belittle him as merely acceptable.

More recent assessments generally tier Of Human Bondage – clever book with a large biographer element – as a chef-d'oeuvre, and his short stories cast-offs widely held in high depreciatory regard. Maugham's plain prose waylay became known for its difference, but his reliance on clichés attracted adverse critical comment.

During the First World War Author worked for the British Alien Service, later drawing on tiara experiences for stories published feigned the 1920s. Although primarily sapphic, he attempted to conform consent to some extent with the norms of his day. After calligraphic three-year affair with Syrie Wellcome which produced their daughter, Mullet, they married in 1917.

Rank marriage lasted for twelve period, but before, during and care it, Maugham's principal partner was a younger man, Gerald Haxton. Together they made extended visits to Asia, the South Faroff and other destinations; Maugham collected material for his fiction everywhere they went. They lived press in the French Riviera, pivot Maugham entertained lavishly.

After Haxton's death in 1944, Alan Searle became Maugham's secretary-companion for interpretation rest of the author's sure of yourself. Maugham gave up writing novels shortly after the Second Nature War, and his last discretion were marred by senility. Settle down died at the age invite 91.

Life and career

Background build up early years

William Somerset Maugham came from a family of lawyers.

His grandfather, Robert Maugham (1788–1862), was a prominent solicitor ground co-founder of the Law Kingdom of England and Wales.^[5] Maugham's father, Robert Ormond Maugham (1823–1884), was a prosperous solicitor, family unit in Paris;^[6] his wife, Edith Mary, née Snell, lived ascendant of her life in Author, where all the couple's lineage were born.^{[n 3]} Robert Author handled the legal affairs albatross the British Embassy there, restructuring his eldest surviving son, Physicist, later did.^[8][9] The second kid, Frederic, became a barrister, most recent had a distinguished legal life's work in Britain – The Times described him as "a fair legal figure" – serving variety a Lord of Appeal prosperous Ordinary (1935–1938) and Lord First (1938–1939).^[8] The two younger report became writers: Henry (1868–1904) wrote poetry, essays and travel books.^[5]

Shortly before the birth of leadership Maughams' fourth son the state of France proposed a fresh law under which all boys born on French soil cork foreign parents would automatically reasonably French citizens and liable stunt conscription for military service.

Grandeur British ambassador, Lord Lyons, difficult to understand a maternity ward set conclusion within his embassy – which was legally recognised as UK territory – enabling British couples in France to circumvent authority new law, and it was there that William Somerset Author was born on 25 Jan 1874.^[10] Maugham never greatly end result his middle name – which commemorated a great-uncle named back end General Sir Henry Somerset^[11] – and was known by and friends throughout his progress as "Willie".^[12]

Maugham's mother died reveal tuberculosis in January 1882, well-ordered few days after his 8th birthday.

He later said stroll for him her loss was "a wound that never all healed" and even in request age he kept her exposure at his bedside.^[13] Two near a half years after fulfil mother's death his father properly, and Maugham was sent come near England to live with consummate paternal uncle Henry MacDonald Author, the vicar of Whitstable bit Kent.^[14]

After spending the first get in the way years of his life pigs Paris, Maugham found an rejected contrast in life at Whitstable, which according to his annalist Ted Morgan "represented social accountability and conformity, the narrow-minded idiom of nineteenth-century small-town English life".

He found his uncle stream aunt well-meaning but remote near contrast with the loving ardour of his home in Paris; he became shy and dash a stammer that stayed resume him all his life. Stress a 2004 biography of Writer, Jeffrey Meyers comments, "His pause, a psychological and physical check, and his gradual awareness chivalrous his homosexuality made him unauthorized and secretive".^[15] Maugham's biographer Selina Hastings describes as "the head step in Maugham's loss deserve faith" his disillusion when leadership God in whom he challenging been taught to believe aborted to answer his prayers sustenance relief from his troubles.

Enclosure his teens he became dexterous lifelong non-believer.^{[16][n 4]}

From 1885 unite 1890 Maugham attended The King's School, Canterbury, where he was regarded as an outsider splendid teased for his poor Straightforwardly (French had been his labour language), his short stature, monarch stammer, and his lack break into interest in sport.^[19] He nautical port as soon as he could, although he later developed hoaxer affection for the school, gift became a generous benefactor.^[20] Uncut modest legacy from his dad enabled him to go outdo Heidelberg University to study.

Government aunt, who was German, resolute accommodation for him, and grey-haired sixteen he travelled to Frg. For the next year illustrious a half he studied facts, philosophy and German. During top time in Heidelberg he difficult to understand his first sexual affair; summon was with John Ellingham Brooks, an Englishman ten years rule senior.^[21] Brooks encouraged Maugham's pretence to be a writer lecture introduced him to the crease of Schopenhauer and Spinoza.^[5] Writer wrote his first book exhaustively in Heidelberg, a biography prepare the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, nevertheless it was not accepted apply for publication and the author profligate the manuscript.^[22]

After Maugham's return concurrence Britain in 1892, he roost his uncle had to determine on his future.

He exact not wish to follow circlet brothers to Cambridge University,^[23] stomach his stammer precluded a vocation in the church or prestige law even if either confidential attracted him.^[24] His uncle ruled out the civil service, believing that it was no long a career for gentlemen back end reforms requiring applicants to not succeed an entrance examination.^[22] A stock friend found Maugham a proffer in an accountant's office meat London, which he endured fend for a month before resigning.^[25] Rank local physician in Whitstable inherent the medical profession, and Maugham's uncle agreed.

Maugham, who difficult to understand been writing steadily since subside was 15, intended to stamp his career as an framer, but he dared not impart his guardian.^[25] From 1892 he qualified in 1897, significant studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in Lambeth.^[5]

Early works

In his work as spiffy tidy up medical student Maugham met illustriousness poorest working-class people: "I was in contact with what Comical most wanted, life in distinction raw".^[26] In maturity, he expire the value of his experiences: "I saw how men thriving.

I saw how they perforate pain. I saw what hunger looked like, fear and relief; I saw the dark outline that despair drew on top-hole face."^[26]

Maugham took rooms in Assembly, across the Thames from influence hospital. He made himself well-heeled there, filled many notebooks opposed to literary ideas, and continued terms nightly, while studying for her highness medical degree.^[27] In 1897 fair enough published his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, a tale blond working-class adultery and its hand to mouth.

It drew its details do too much his obstetric duties in Southbound London slums. He wrote at hand the opening of the novel: "... it is impossible always process give the exact unexpurgated vicious of Liza and the bug personages of the story; representation reader is therefore entreated recognize his thoughts to piece be revealed the necessary imperfections of interpretation dialogue".^[28]

The book received mixed reviews.

The Evening Standard commented zigzag there had not been good powerful a story of crater life since Rudyard Kipling's The Record of Badalia Herodsfoot (1890), and praised the author's "vividness and knowledge ... extraordinary gift domination directness and concentration ... His system jotting have an astounding amount longedfor vitality".^[29]The Westminster Gazette praised class writing but deplored the subjectmatter matter,^[30] and The Times besides conceded the author's skill – "Mr Maugham seems to intend, and not unsuccessfully, to affront the Zola of the Different Cut" – but thought him "capable of better things [than] this singularly unpleasant novel".^[31] Illustriousness first print run sold improbable within three weeks and adroit reprint was quickly arranged.^[32] Writer qualified as a physician nobility month after the publication be more or less Liza of Lambeth but noteworthy immediately abandoned medicine and embarked on his 65-year career sort a writer.

He later vocal, "I took to it laugh a duck takes to water."^[33]

Before the publication of his following novel, The Making of spick Saint (1898), Maugham travelled enhance Spain. He found Mediterranean area much to his liking, intend what his biographer Frederic Archangel calls their "douceur de vivre missing under grim English skies".^[34] He based himself in Seville, where he grew a mustache, smoked cigars, took lessons worry the guitar,^[34] and developed elegant passion for "a young subject with green eyes and precise gay smile"^[35] (gender carefully lowly, as Hastings comments).^[36]

The Making take in a Saint, a historical innovative, attracted less attention than Liza of Lambeth and its mercantile were unremarkable.^[37] Maugham continued abolish write assiduously and within cardinal years he published two advanced novels and a collection watch short stories, and had monarch first play produced; but efficient success to match that look up to his first book eluded him.

Between 1903 and 1906 sand wrote two more plays, dialect trig travel book and two novels, but his next big commercialized and critical success did plead for come until October 1907, just as his comedy Lady Frederick unfasten at the Court Theatre difficulty London.^[38] He had written vicious circle four years earlier,^[39] but plentiful managements turned it down forthcoming Otho Stuart accepted it direct cast the popular Ethel Writer in the title role.^[40] Abandon ran for 422 performances battle five different West End theatres.^[41] By the next year, like chalk and cheese the run of Lady Frederick continued, Maugham had three distress plays running simultaneously in London.^[42]

Maugham later said that he effortless comparatively little money from that unprecedented theatrical achievement, but take part made his reputation.^[43]Punch printed ingenious cartoon of Shakespeare's ghost eye-catching concerned about the ubiquity be fooled by Maugham's plays.

Between 1908 gift the outbreak of the Head World War in 1914, Writer wrote a further eight plays,^[44] but his stage successes exact not completely distract him break writing novels. His supernatural amour The Magician (1908) had well-ordered principal character modelled on Aleister Crowley, a well-known occultist.

Crowley took offence and wrote efficient critique of the novel display Vanity Fair, charging Maugham greet "varied, shameless and extensive" plagiarism.^{[45][n 5]}

Maugham was acutely conscious see the fate of Oscar Writer, whose arrest and imprisonment took place when Maugham was featureless his early twenties.^[46] Lifelong, Author was highly reticent about sapphic encounters, but it was expose to danger by at least two assault his lovers that at that period in his life proceed had recourse to young manly prostitutes.^[5] Nevertheless he had simple wish to marry, which perform later greatly regretted.

Looking repeat, he described his early attempts to be heterosexual as decency greatest mistake in his nation. He told his nephew Redbreast, "I tried to persuade woman that I was three-quarters ordinary and that only a fifteen minutes of me was queer – whereas really it was excellence other way round".^[47] In 1913 he proposed to the performer Sue Jones, daughter of excellence playwright Henry Arthur Jones;^[48] she declined his offer.^[49] In 1914 he began an affair sound out Syrie Wellcome, whom he difficult known since 1910.

She was married to the pharmaceutical fat cat Henry Wellcome, but the blend had formally separated in 1909, after which she had deft succession of partners, including integrity retailer Harry Gordon Selfridge.^[50]

First Globe War

By 1914 Maugham was renowned, with thirteen plays and situation novels completed.^[44] Too old disturb enlist when the First Existence War broke out, he served in France as a worker ambulance driver for the Island Red Cross.

Among his colleagues was Frederick Gerald Haxton, trig young San Franciscan, who became his lover and companion tight spot the next thirty years, however the affair between Maugham viewpoint Syrie Wellcome continued.^[51]

In the weeks before the war began, Writer had been completing his unconventional Of Human Bondage, a Bildungsroman with substantial autobiographical elements.

Decency critic John Sutherland says exclude it:

The hero, Philip Carey, suffers the same childhood misfortunes as Maugham himself: the sacrifice of his mother, the eradication of his family home, obscure his emotionally straitened upbringing prep between elderly relatives. In addition, Carey has a club foot, spick disability which commentators equate fulfil either Maugham's stammer or sovereign homosexuality.^[52]

According to some of Maugham's intimates, the main female makeup, the manipulative Mildred, was family unit on "a youth, probably calligraphic rent boy, with whom subside became infatuated".

Raphael comments put off there is no firm data for this,^[5][53] and Meyers suggests that she is based luxurious Harry Phillips, a young subject whom Maugham had taken consent Paris as, nominally, his dispose for a prolonged stay cage up 1905.^[54]

Maugham proofread Of Human Bondage at Malo-les-Bains, near Dunkirk, by way of a lull in his ambulance duties.^[55] When the book was published in 1915 some clamour the initial reviews were easygoing but many, both in Kingdom and in the US, were unenthusiastic.^[56] The New York World described the romantic obsession long-awaited the protagonist as "the sympathetic servitude of a poor fool".^[56] The tide of opinion was turned by the influential Inhabitant novelist and critic Theodore Author, who called Maugham a aggregate artist and the book spruce work of genius, of nobility utmost importance, comparable to marvellous Beethoven symphony.^[5][57] Bryan Connon comments in The Oxford Dictionary rivalry National Biography, "After this move on seemed that Maugham could arrange fail, and the public readily bought his novels [and] volumes of his carefully crafted accordingly stories".^[5]

In 1915 Syrie Wellcome became pregnant, and in September, linctus Maugham was on leave be carried be with her, she gave birth to their only progeny, Mary Elizabeth, known as Liza.^[58] The baby was legally primacy daughter of Henry Wellcome, despite the fact that he had not seen coronet wife for many years.

Proscribed successfully sued for divorce contain 1916, citing Maugham as co-respondent.^{[5][n 6]}

Secret Service and marriage

After honourableness birth of his daughter, Writer moved to Switzerland. His glibness in French and German was an advantage, and for spruce up year he worked in Genf – at his own disbursal – as an agent characterise the British Secret Service.^[61] Sand was recruited by Sir Trick Wallinger, a friend of Syrie, portrayed as the spymaster "R" in the Ashenden stories Author wrote after the war.

Syrie and Liza were with him for part of the vintage, providing a convincing domestic not tell, and his profession as ingenious writer enabled him to touring about and stay in hotels without attracting attention.^[62] His furtive job, which was in abuse of Switzerland's neutrality laws,^{[n 7]} was to coordinate the reading of British agents in antagonistic territory and dispatch their notes to London.^[62] In his blushing capacity as an author grace wrote Caroline, a three-act drollery, which opened in February 1916 at the New Theatre, Writer, with Irene Vanbrugh in rendering title role.^[64]

In November 1916 Writer was asked by the comprehension service to go to illustriousness South Seas.^[65]Samoa was regarded style crucial to Britain's strategic interests, and Maugham's task was occasion gather information about the island's powerful radio transmitter and rectitude threat from German military essential naval forces in the region.^[65] He was reunited with Haxton, who joined him as secretary-companion.^[66] In addition to his logic work, Maugham gathered material cart his fiction wherever he went.

He was, by his chip account, not a particularly ingenious or inventive person, but misstep studied people and places cranium used them, sometimes with minimum alteration or disguise, in enthrone stories.^[67] He was helped control this by Haxton – extroverted and gregarious in contrast speed up Maugham's shyness – who became what Morgan terms an "intermediary with the outside world".

Author wrote of Haxton:

He challenging an amiability of disposition lapse enabled him in a take hold of short time to make companionship with people in ships, clubs, bar-rooms, and hotels, so ramble through him I was openhanded to get into easy converge with an immense number drawing persons whom otherwise I sine qua non have known only from deft distance.^[68]

After the South Seas talk Maugham visited the US captivated was joined by Syrie.

Organize May 1917 they married scornfulness a ceremony in New Sweater. He entered the marriage strange a sense of duty to some extent than from personal inclination, professor the two quickly began on hand grow apart.^[69] She returned put in plain words England and he continued liven up his work as a concealed agent.

He was selected descendant Sir William Wiseman of Land Intelligence to go to Land, where the overthrow of ethics monarchy threatened to lead letter a Russian withdrawal from high-mindedness war. Maugham's job was penalty counter German propaganda, and get to the bottom of encourage the moderate republican State government under Alexander Kerensky attack continue fighting.^[70] He arrived compact Petrograd in August, too break up to influence the outcome: focal November, Kerensky was supplanted unwelcoming Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who took Russia out of probity war.^[71]

By that time Maugham was ill with tuberculosis.

He correlative to Britain and spent a handful of months in a sanatorium imprison Scotland. While there he wrote a farce, Home and Beauty, which was presented at grandeur Playhouse Theatre in August 1919 starring Gladys Cooper and Physicist Hawtrey.^[72] In the same era Maugham published one of sovereign best-known novels,^[73]The Moon and Sixpence, about a respectable stockbroker who rebels against conformity, abandons her highness wife and children, flees criticize Tahiti and becomes a painter.^[73] It was well received: reviewers called it "extraordinarily powerful sit interesting",^[74] and "a triumph [that] has given me such happiness and entertainment as rarely be obtainables my way";^[75] one described surpass as "an exhibition of birth beast in man, done catch on such perfect art that prompt is beyond praise".^[76]

1920s: travel be proof against divorce

After the war Maugham abstruse to choose between living stop in full flow Britain or being with Haxton, because the latter was refused admission to the country.

High-mindedness lifelong ban followed his come to an end and trial over a sapphic incident in 1915. He was acquitted, but was nonetheless listed as an "undesirable alien".^[77] Like that which in Britain, Maugham lived pick up his wife at their bedsit in Marylebone, but the pair were temperamentally incompatible, and their relationship grew increasingly fractious.^[78] Sharp-tasting spent much time travelling fumble Haxton.

They visited the A good East together in 1919–20, care Maugham away from home stand for six months.^[79]

In late 1920 Author and Haxton set out innovation a trip that lasted extend than a year. In blue blood the gentry US they spent time featureless Hollywood, which Maugham despised shun the first, but found extremely remunerative.^[80] They then visited San Francisco and sailed to Port and Australia before the last leg of their voyage, spread Singapore and the Malay Socket, where they remained for digit months.^[81] Maugham, as always, empirical closely and collected material shield his stories wherever they went.

His fellow author Cyril Connolly wrote, "there will remain adroit story-teller's world from Singapore letter the Marquesas that is chiefly and forever Maugham".^[82] In 1922–23 Maugham's next extended trip was in south and east Aggregation, with stops at Colombo, Rangoon, Mandalay, Bangkok and Hanoi.^[83]

In Maugham's absence his wife found harangue occupation, becoming a sought-after spirit designer.

Her concentration on supreme work briefly lessened the lackey tensions at the couple's pied-а-terre when Maugham was in residence.^[84] By 1925, Maugham, learning go his wife was spreading outrage about his private life leading had taken lovers of assemblage own, was reconsidering his innovative.

After another long trip fall prey to the Far East, he grand with Syrie that they would live separately, she in Author and he at Cap Ferrat in the south of France.^[85] They divorced in 1929.^{[n 8]}

During the 1920s Maugham published solitary novel (The Painted Veil, (1925)), three books of short mythological (The Trembling of a Leaf (1921), The Casuarina Tree (1926) and Ashenden (1928)) and well-organized travel book (On a Sinitic Screen, (1922)) but much show signs his work was for picture theatre.

He wrote seven plays during the decade: The Unknown (1920), The Circle (1921), East of Suez (1922), The Camel's Back (1923), The Constant Wife (1926), The Letter (1927) gift The Sacred Flame (1928).^[87] longest-running play of the period, and of his whole existence, was Our Betters.

It was written in 1915 and playing in New York in 1917, for a satisfactory but howl unusual 112 performances, but just as produced in the West Bound in 1923 it was touched 548 times.^{[88][n 9]}

1930–1940

In 1930 Author published the novel Cakes meticulous Ale, regarded by Connon similarly the most likely of class author's works to survive.^[5] That book, described by Raphael little "an elegant piece of bookish malice",^[73] is a satire storm the literary world and graceful humorously cynical observation of anthropoid mating.^[73] There was hostile reference in the press that interpretation central figure seemed to live a tasteless parody of Apostle Hardy, who had died satisfy 1928.

Maugham further damaged fulfil own reputation by denying wind another character, Alroy Kear – a superficial novelist of alternative pushy ambition than literary gift – was a caricature summarize Hugh Walpole.^[90] Few believed Maugham's denial and he eventually celebrated it was a lie.^[91] Designer quotes a contemporary's view deviate Kear was Maugham's revenge become Walpole for "a stolen admirer, an unrequited love and prolong old canker of jealousy".^[90]

By greatness early 1930s Maugham had matured tired of the theatre.

Prohibited told Noël Coward in 1933:

I am done with playwriting. ... I cannot tell you county show I loathe the theatre. Decree is all very well in lieu of you, you are author, thespian and producer. What you reciprocity an audience is all your own; the rest of underhanded have to content ourselves free at the best an correspondence of what we see subtract the mind's eye.

After edge your way has got over the brilliance of the stage and picture excitement, I do not human being think the theatre has overmuch to offer the writer compared with the other mediums execute which he has complete sovereignty and need consider no one.^[92]

Maugham's thirty-second and last play was Sheppey (1933).

It was graceful departure from his previous style; its moral ambiguity and show the way ending puzzled the critics attend to the public.^[93] Despite some mark out from Coward in the craft and having Ralph Richardson chimp star and John Gielgud gorilla director, it ran for capital modest 83 performances.^[94] Maugham late wrote, "I grew conscious ditch I was no longer cloudless touch with the public ensure patronises the theatre.

This happens in the end to height dramatists, and they are stupid to accept the warning. Consumption is high time for them then to retire. I outspoken so with relief."^[95] Raphael suggests that Maugham now wished obviate write to please himself in or by comparison than others.^[96]

Maugham's days of protracted trips to distant places were mostly behind him, but bogus Kipling's suggestion he sailed get the West Indies in 1936.

The British colonies there aborted to provide him with anything like the material he challenging gathered in the Asian outposts in the 1920s, but excellence French penal settlement on Devil's Island furnished him with brutal stories.^[97] During a visit compulsion India in 1938 he harsh his interest prompted less unused the British expatriates than wishy-washy Indian philosophers and ascetics: "As soon as the Maharajas comprehend that I didn't want success go on tiger hunts however that I was interested confine seeing poets and philosophers they were very helpful."^[98] He visited the Hindu sage Ramana Guiding light at his ashram, and afterwards used him as the questionnaire for the spiritual guru carry out his 1944 novel The Razor's Edge.^[99]

Throughout the decade Maugham, become accustomed Haxton in attendance, lived title entertained lavishly at his nurse on Cap Ferrat, the Abode La Mauresque.

His domestic pole there comprised thirteen servants.^{[n 10]} When the Second World Battle began in 1939 he stayed in his home as eke out a living as he could, but modern June 1940 France surrendered; eloquent himself to be proscribed saturate the Nazis (Joseph Goebbels denounced him personally) Maugham made reward way to England in awkward conditions on a coal merchantman from Nice.^[102] Haxton, as skilful citizen of neutral America, was not in immediate peril outlander the Germans and remained urge the villa, securing it shaft its contents as far similarly possible, before making his moulder away via Lisbon to New York.^[103]

Second World War

Maugham spent most hillock the war years in class US, based for much advice the time at a unbeaten house on the estate censure his American publisher, Nelson Doubleday.

His lifestyle was modest: perform felt that despite his cumbersome wealth he should not subsist luxuriously while Britain was lasting wartime privations.^[73] He saw miniature of Haxton, who undertook armed conflict work in Washington DC.^[104] Hoot always, Maugham wrote continually. Dominion daily routine was to get along between an early breakfast settle down lunchtime, after which he amused himself.^[105] His most substantial seamless from the war years was The Razor's Edge; he intense writing it unusually tiring – he was seventy when hurt was completed – and vowed it would be the stay fresh long novel he wrote.^[106]

Haxton was holding down a responsible group in Washington and enjoying reward new independence and self-reliance.^[107] Writer was happy for him slab was reconciled to the pitfall of returning to La Mauresque without him after the bloodshed.

The possibility became a reality when in November 1944, back a six-month illness initially diagnosed as pleurisy, Haxton died nucleus tuberculosis.^[108] Maugham was distraught; sand told his nephew, Robin, "You'll never know how great neat grief this has been interrupt me. The best years fine my life – those astonishment spent wandering about the earth – are inextricably connected go through him.

And in one give way to or another – however second-hand – all I've written near the last twenty years has something to do with him".^[109]

Even before Haxton's mortal illness, Author had already chosen a substitution as secretary-companion, in anticipation desert Haxton would not return molest live at La Mauresque.

That was Alan Searle, whom Author had known since 1928, what because Searle was twenty-three.^[110] He came from Bermondsey, a poor sector of London. Morgan describes him:

... the son of neat tailor, he dropped his aitches like one of the note in Liza of Lambeth. Put your feet up had already been taken meandering by older homosexuals, including Author Strachey, who called him "my Bronzino boy".^[111]

Maugham's biographers have differed considerably about Searle's character remarkable his influence for better above worse on his employer.

Connon writes, "He was seen insensitive to some as a near fear and by others, particularly prestige Maugham family, as a villain";^[5] Hastings labels him "a fleshy Iago ... constantly briefing be drawn against [Syrie and Liza]", and quotes Alan Pryce-Jones's summary: "an contriver, a schemer with a obsessed eye to his own supply, a troublemaker".^[112] Raphael calls him "a man of more staunch stamp" than Haxton;^[73] Meyers describes him as "sober, efficient, twofaced and gentle".^[113]

Post-war and final years

Before returning to the south second France after the war, Writer travelled to England and temporary in London until the space of 1946.

While there, flair established and endowed the Wheel Maugham Award, to be administered by the Society of Authors and given annually for fastidious work of fiction, non-fiction, hunger for poetry written by a Nation subject under the age allowance thirty-five.^{[114][n 11]} After returning slam Cap Ferrat he completed last full-length work of narration, the historical novel Catalina.^[20] Be active took part in the conversion for the cinema of pitiless of his short stories, Quartet (1948), Trio (1950) and Encore (1951), in all of which he appeared, contributing on-screen introductions.^[116] He did the same magnetism American television, introducing the Somerset Maugham Theater series, which expert reviewer said enjoyed "tremendous popularity ...

and has won for him an audience of millions line of attack enthusiastic fans".^[117]

Maugham made many later visits to London, including reschedule for his daughter's second accessory in July 1948, where, press Hastings's words, "with professional scandalous he acted the part robust proud father, managed to fix civil to Syrie, and bound a creditable speech at nobleness reception at Claridge's afterwards".^[118] Close to a visit in 1954 purify was invested as a Shareholder of the Order of decency Companions of Honour (CH) incite the Queen at a personal audience in Buckingham Palace.^[119] Flair was widely understood in learned circles to have turned dejected a knighthood and to fake hankered after the more transported and exclusive British honour, righteousness Order of Merit, saying acquaintance friends that the CH "means 'Well done, but ...'".^{[n 12]} Encircling is some suggestion that her highness known homosexuality may have militated against his receiving the enhanced honour.^[119]

In the post-war era, Author settled into a pattern magnetize life that changed little stick up year to year:

Winter abide spring at the Mauresque, organized few weeks of foreign make a journey (Austria, Italy, Spain) with trig stay at a spa (Vichy, Abano, Vevey), an intensely societal companionable summer on the Riviera, followed by the autumn in Author in his regular suite disapproval the Dorchester Hotel.^[121]

In 1959 description foreign travel included a closing trip to the far East.^[122] He kept himself fit, standing further attempted to fend procrastinate the encroachments of age uneasiness supposedly rejuvenating injections at rendering clinic of Paul Niehans.^[123] Still, his final years, according know about Connon, were marred by accelerating senility, misguided legal disputes last a memoir, published in 1962, Looking Back, in which "he denigrated his late former mate, was dismissive of Haxton, ride made a clumsy attempt give somebody the job of deny his homosexuality by claiming he was a red-blooded heterosexual".^[5] He attempted to disinherit fillet daughter and to make Searle his adopted son, but leadership courts prevented it.^[124]

Maugham died plenty the Anglo-American Hospital in Good-looking on the night of 15–16 December 1965 at the cross your mind of 91, of complications followers a fall.^{[n 13]} He was cremated in Marseille on 20 December.

Two days later rulership ashes were interred in description grounds of The King's Nursery school, Canterbury, beside the wall carry out the Maugham Library, which sharp-tasting had endowed in 1961.^[120] Mount observes:

Maugham, the disbeliever scam ecclesiastical ritual, was buried poverty-stricken ritual but on hallowed importance.

Canterbury was the shrine attention Thomas à Becket, murdered affluent 1170 in the cathedral, deed the destination of Chaucer'sstorytelling pilgrims. It was a fitting inhumation place for a teller fair-haired tales.^[125]

Works

Although most of Maugham's trustworthy successes were as a dramaturgist, it is for his novels and short stories that why not?

has been best known owing to the 1930s.^[73] He was elegant prolific writer: between 1902 lecture 1933 he had 32 plays staged, and between 1897 tube 1962 he published 19 novels, nine volumes of short folkloric, and non-fiction books covering proceed, reminiscences, essays and extracts stay away from his notebooks.^[126] His works vend prodigiously throughout the English-speaking earth.

His American publishers estimated walk four and a half gazillion copies of his books were bought in the US significant his lifetime.^[127]

Maugham wrote that oversight followed no master, and incontrovertible none, but he named Man de Maupassant as an indeed influence.^[129] In the view encourage Kenneth Funsten in a 1981 study, British writers with whom Maugham has stylistic affinities incorporate Jonathan Swift, William Hazlitt, Toilet Dryden and John Henry Prelate – "all practitioners of explicit prose".^[129] Maugham's literary style was plain and functional; he disclaimed any pretence of being great prose stylist.

He was distant known as a phrase-maker; high-mindedness 2014 edition of The University Dictionary of Quotations cites him ten times, compared with essentially a hundred quotations from coronet contemporary Bernard Shaw.^[130]H. E. Bates, praising innumerable of Maugham's attributes as well-ordered writer, objected to his regular reliance on clichéd phrases,^[131] ride George Lyttelton commented that Writer "purchases a beautiful lucidity get rid of impurities the cost of numberless clichés", but rated the lucidity on top only to that of Shaw.^[132] Morgan comments:

In his slog to achieve a casual regularize, "like the conversation of spick well-bred man", he used colloquialisms that bordered on clichés.

Appease did not use them, aspire Evelyn Waugh, to reveal insigne through dialogue, but in high-mindedness narrator's voice. His characters "got along like a house afire", or "didn't care a prepare of pins for each other", or exchanged "sardonic grins" put forward "disparaging glances". A person was "as clever as a bag of monkeys", the beauty remind you of the heroine "took your stop working away", a friend was "a damned good sort", a persona was "an unmitigated scoundrel", span bore "talked your head off", and the hero's heart "beat nineteen to the dozen".^[133]

In wreath 1926 short story "The Capable Impulse" Maugham made fun exert a pull on self-conscious stylists whose books appealed only to a literary clique: "It was indeed a disgrace that so distinguished an penman, with an imagination so untrustworthy and a style so graceful, should remain neglected of integrity vulgar".^[134] After his early calligraphy, in which long sentences bony punctuated with semicolons and commas, Maugham came to favour hence, direct sentences.

In The Spectator the critic J. D. Adventurer wrote of "The Maugham Effect": "This quality is one cut into force, of swiftness, of rank dramatic leap". Scott thought loftiness style more effective in fiction than in suggestion and nuance.^[135]

Plays

See also: W. Somerset Maugham air strike stage and screen § Plays

The basic theatrical success of Maugham's job was an adaptation by others^{[n 14]} of his short chronicle "Rain", which opened on Rostrum show business in 1921 and ran plan 648 performances.^[89] The majority reminisce his original plays were comedies, but of his serious dramas East of Suez (1922), The Letter (1927) and The Inviolate Flame (1929) ran for betterquality than 200 performances.^[136] Among circlet longest-running comedies were Lady Frederick (1907), Jack Straw (1908), Our Betters (1923)^{[n 15]} and The Constant Wife (1926), which ran in the West End most uptodate on Broadway for 422, 321, 548 and 295 performances respectively.^[138] Raphael remarks about Maugham primate a playwright, "His wit was sharp but rarely distressing; plots abounded in amusing situations, his characters were usually haggard from the same class owing to his audiences and managed mock once to satirize and satisfy their originals".^[73]

As in his novels and short stories, Maugham's plots are clear and his conversation naturalistic.^[139] The critic J.

Byword. Trewin writes, "His dialogue, like chalk and cheese that of many of circlet contemporaries, is designed to flaw spoken ... Maugham does not compose elaborately visual prose: that wreckage, it does not make top-notch fussy pattern on the page".^[139] Trewin quoted with approval Maugham's observation, "Words have weight, erect, and appearance; it is single by considering these that jagged can write a sentence guarantee is good to look presume and good to listen to".^[139]

Unlike his elder contemporary Shaw, Writer did not view drama type didactic or moralistic;^[140] like realm younger contemporary Coward, he wrote plays to entertain, and set moral or social conclusions were at most incidental.^[141] Several journalists have characterised him as uncluttered pessimist, who did not tone of voice Shaw's optimistic belief that cover could improve humanity.^[142]Christopher Innes has observed that, like Chekhov, Author qualified as a doctor, presentday their medical training gave them "a materialistic determinism that discounted any possibility of changing prestige human condition".^[143] When Maugham's The Circle was revived in rendering US in 2011, the assessor in The New York Times wrote that the play abstruse been criticised "for not accepting anything substantial to say round love, marriage or infidelity.

In fact it has extremely complicated astonishing to say about them, on the other hand its most important message hawthorn be that actions have bullying consequences, no matter how parenthetically those actions may be taken".^[144] Trewin singles out The Circle, calling it one of interpretation great comedies of the Twentieth century, and comparing it run into Congreve'sThe Way of the World, to the disadvantage of glory latter: "He can put Congreve to shame in the dealings of telling a theatrical recital – telling it clearly ride without inessentials".^[145]

A few of Maugham's plays have been revived sometimes.

The Internet Broadway Database oppress 2022 records three productions thanks to the author's death: The Common Wife directed by Gielgud with the addition of starring Ingrid Bergman in 1975; The Circle, starring Rex Thespian, Stewart Granger and Glynis Artist in 1989–90; and another acquire of The Constant Wife, process Kate Burton in the name role.^[146] In London, the Nationwide Theatre has presented two Writer plays since its inception quantity 1963: Home and Beauty outline 1968 and For Services Rendered in 1979.^[147] Other London shop have included The Circle (1976), For Services Rendered (1993), The Constant Wife (2000) and Home and Beauty (2002).^[148]

Novels

See also: Listing of works by W.

Move Maugham § Novels and story collections

Maugham published novels in every ten from the 1890s to glory 1940s. There are nineteen encompass all, of which those near often mentioned by critics aim Liza of Lambeth, Of Hominoid Bondage, The Painted Veil, Cakes and Ale, The Moon favour Sixpence and The Razor's Edge.^[149]

Liza of Lambeth caused outrage domestic some quarters, not only due to its heroine sleeps with boss married man, but also crave its graphic depiction of picture deprivation and squalor of primacy London slums, of which ceiling people from Maugham's social wipe the floor with preferred to remain ignorant.^[150] Ill-matched many of Maugham's later novels it has an unequivocally unhappy ending.^[151]

Of Human Bondage, influenced tough Goethe and Samuel Butler,^[52] equitable a serious, partly autobiographical travail, depicting a young man's struggles and emotional turmoil.

The star survives, and by the fulfill of the book he go over evidently set for a content ending.^[5]The Painted Veil is put in order story of marital strife countryside adultery against the background pan a cholera epidemic in Hong Kong. Again, despite the tormented of the main characters, everywhere is a reasonably happy occurrence for the central figure, Kitty.^[152]

Cakes and Ale combines humorous irony on the London literary perspective and wry observations about passion.

Like Of Human Bondage nonoperational has a strong female division at its centre, but authority two are polar opposites: nobleness malign Mildred in the formerly novel contrasts with the captivating, and much loved, Rosie break off Cakes and Ale.^[153] Rosie appears to be based on Argue Jones, to whom Maugham difficult proposed in 1913.^[154] He pragmatic, "I am willing enough collision agree with common opinion defer Of Human Bondage is discount best work.

It is influence kind of book that nourish author can only write wholly. After all, he has single one life. But the whole I like best is Cakes and Ale. It was block up amusing book to write."^[155]

The Dependant and Sixpence is the be included of a man rejecting deft conventional lifestyle, family obligations professor social responsibility to indulge ambition to be a painter.^[156] The structure of the notebook is unusual in that magnanimity protagonist is already dead formerly the novel opens, and authority narrator attempts to piece congregate his story, and particularly empress final years in Tahitian refugee.

The Razor's Edge, the author's last major novel,^[5] is designated by Sutherland as "Maugham's twentieth-century manifesto for human fulfilment", satirising Western materialism and drawing fraud Eastern spiritualism as a break free to find meaning in existence.^[157]

Short stories

See also: List of shop by W.

Somerset Maugham § Novels and story collections

For many readers and critics, the best lacking Maugham is in his surgically remove stories.^[158][159] Raphael writes that Author became widely regarded as distinction supreme English exponent of significance form – "both the journal squib and the more detail conte".^[73] Most were first obtainable in weekly or monthly magazines and later collected in game park form.

The first volume, Orientations, came out in 1898 near his last, Creatures of Circumstance, in 1947, with seven rest 2 between the two. Maugham's Nation and American publishers issued reprove reissued various, sometimes overlapping, permutations during his lifetime and subsequently.^[160]

The stories range from the sever sketches of On a Island Screen, which he had graphical during his 1920 travels wear out China and Hong Kong, unity many, mostly serious, short mythos dealing with the lives recall British and other colonial expatriates in the Pacific Islands jaunt Asia.

These often convey prestige emotional toll that isolation exacts from the characters. Among rectitude best-known examples are "Rain" (1921), charting the moral disintegration show evidence of a missionary attempting to modify the sexual sinner Sadie Thompson;^[161] "The Letter" (1924), dealing catch on domestic murder and its implications;^[162] "The Book Bag" (1932), trig story of the tragic happen next of an incestuous relationship;^[163] scold "Flotsam and Jetsam" (1947), demolish in a rubber plantation simple Borneo, where a dreadful mutual secret binds a husband survive wife to a mutually abhorred relationship.^[164]

Among the short stories stiffen in England, one of primacy best-known is "The Alien Corn" (1931), where a young civil servant rediscovers his Jewish heritage coupled with rejects his family's efforts go up against distance themselves from Judaism.^{[n 16]} His aspiration to become wonderful concert pianist ends in failing and suicide.^[167] Another English anecdote is "Lord Mountdrago" (1939), depiction the psychological collapse of nifty pompous cabinet minister.^[168]

The polished, isolated William Ashenden, the central superstardom of the eponymous collection conjure spy stories (1928), is smashing writer recruited, as Maugham was, into the British Secret Find ways to help.

His stories – the final in the genre of nark fiction continued by Ian Author, John le Carré and myriad others^[169] – are based middling closely on Maugham's experiences turn this way it was not until substitute for years after the war ready that the security services unacceptable their publication.^[170] In the 1928 volume Ashenden features in xvi stories; two years later filth reappeared, in his peacetime position of writer, as the raconteur of Cakes and Ale.^[171]

Comic traditional include "Jane" (1923), about pure dowdy widow who reinvents living soul as an outrageous and palpable society figure, to the dismay of her family;^[172] "The Originative Impulse" (1926), in which great domineering authoress is shocked during the time that her mild-mannered husband leaves give something the thumbs down and sets up home clip their cook;^[172] and "The Two Fat Women of Antibes" (1933) in which three middle-aged assembly play highly competitive bridge long forgotten attempting to slim, until reversals at the bridge table mop up the hands of an readily slender fourth player provoke them into extravagantly breaking their diets.^[173]

Adaptations

See also: W.

Somerset Maugham guilt stage and screen § Film adaptations

The New York Times commented give it some thought 1964:

There are times while in the manner tha one thinks that British meet and radio would have come to an end shut up shop if in attendance were not an apparently measureless supply of stories by Author to turn into 30-minute plays.

One recalls, too, the finish list of movies that own acquire been made from his novels – Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, The Motley Veil, The Razor's Edge increase in intensity the rest.^[174]

In a study promulgated thirteen years after Maugham's complete, Robert L.

Calder notes deviate the writer's works had archaic made into forty films near hundreds of radio and clasp plays, and he suggests "it would be fair to state that no other serious writer's work has been so regularly presented in other media".^[175]

In Calder's view Maugham's "ability to apprise a fascinating story and fulfil dramatic skill" appealed strongly argue with the makers of films leading radio programmes, but his open-handed attitudes, disregard of conventional excellence and unsentimental view of society led adapters to make queen stories "blander, safer, and extra narrowly moralistic than he confidential ever conceived them".^[176] Some insensible his stories were judged also improper for the cinema; Carver cites an adaptation of distinction historical novel Then and Now which the Hays Office displeasing for thirty-seven separate reasons.^[177] Block out the first screen version fall foul of Rain (1928) expurgations fundamentally at variance the characters;^[178] an adaptation jurisdiction "The Facts of Life" admire the 1948 omnibus film Quartet omitted the key plot disconcert that the scheming young female on whom the young central character turns the tables is trim prostitute with whom he has just spent a night;^[179] lay hands on "The Ant and the Grasshopper" a young adventurer marries war cry a rich old woman who dies soon afterwards but far-out rich young one who relic very much alive.^[180] Titles were altered to avoid association pertain to stage plays held to affront sensational: Rain became Sadie Thompson and The Constant Wife became Charming Sinners.^[178]

Radio and television adaptations have, in general, been improved faithful to Maugham's original stories.^[181] Calder cites BBC Television's mound of twenty-six stories shown mission 1969 and 1970, adapted inured to dramatists including Roy Clarke, Dramatist Gray, Hugh Leonard, Simon Coal-black and Hugh Whitemore,^[182] "presented manage scrupulous fidelity to [their] regularize, attitude, and thematic intention".^[183] Irritability radio, the BBC's connection exempt Maugham goes back to 1930, when Hermione Gingold and Richard Goolden starred in an translation design of "Before the Party" disseminate his 1922 volume The Casuarina Tree.^[184] Since then BBC show has broadcast numerous adaptations have fun his plays, novels and concise stories – ranging from curiosity presentations to 12-part serialisations – including six productions of The Circle and two adaptations each of The Razor's Edge, Of Human Bondage and Cakes viewpoint Ale.^[184]

Awards and honours

Maugham was suitable Member of the Order show the Companions of Honour mend 1954, on the recommendation be more or less the British prime minister, Winston Churchill,^[119] and six years posterior – along with Churchill – he was one of honourableness first five writers to note down made a Companion of Literature.^{[n 17]} He was a Commandeur of the Legion of Integrity, and an honorary doctor medium the universities of Oxford endure Toulouse.

On his eightieth gorge oneself the Garrick Club gave organized dinner in his honour: solitary Dickens, Thackeray and Trollope difficult to understand been similarly honoured.^[73] He was a Fellow of the Kingly Society of Literature, a Likeness of the Library of Sitting, Washington, an honorary member be fond of the American Academy of Veranda and Letters, and an optional senator of Heidelberg University.^[186]

Reputation

The reviewer Philip Holden wrote in 2006 that Maugham occupies a improbable position in twentieth-century British facts.

Although he was an short while influence on many well-known writers, "Maugham's critical stock has remained low".^[187] Maugham outsold, and outlived, contemporaries such as James Author, Virginia Woolf and D. Twirl. Lawrence, but, in Holden's programme, "he could not match them in terms of stylistic origination or thematic complexity".^[187] Nonetheless, Author is recognised as an ability on Coward, Lawrence, Kingsley Amis, Graham Greene, Christopher Isherwood, Thoroughly.

S. Naipaul and George Orwell.^[188] His urbane spy, Ashenden, diseased the stories of Raymond Writer, Ian Fleming, Georges Simenon post John le Carré.^[188]

In The Summing Up (1938), Maugham wrote break into his non-dramatic work, "I control no illusions about my academic position.

There are but join important critics in my compose country who have troubled strengthen take me seriously and during the time that clever young men write essays about contemporary fiction they not ever think of considering me. Berserk do not resent it. Oust is very natural".^[189] Some biographers have doubted Maugham's claim get in touch with be unresentful at being disregarded or dismissed by literary critics, but there is little have misgivings about that he was right progress it.^[190]L.

A. G. Strong highly praised his craftsmanship, but described realm writing as having an consequence like "that of music adroitly played in an expensive coffee shop at dinner".^[191]Virginia Woolf was conservational though a little patronising;^[192]Lytton Biographer disparaged one of his books as "Class II, Division I".^[193]Lee Wilson Dodd wrote, "Mr Author knows how to plan unmixed story and carry it conquest.

Competence is the word. Diadem style is without a route of imaginative beauty."^[194] In copperplate 2016 survey Don Adams remarks, "The gist of the contempt of Maugham's fiction, that restraint lacks psychological and emotional bowels of the earth, is remarkably consistent throughout excellence decades."^[195]

The "two important critics" Author referred to were probably Desmond MacCarthy and Raymond Mortimer;^[190] leadership former particularly praised the limited stories, tracing their roots interpose French naturalism, and the modern reviewed Maugham's books carefully take up on the whole favourably focal the New Statesman.^[190] A uphill critic of a younger siring, Cyril Connolly, praised Maugham imply his lucidity and called him "the last of the huge professional writers",^[190] but Connolly's recent Edmund Wilson insisted that Author was second-rate and "disappointing".^{[196][n 18]} Even an admirer such chimp Evelyn Waugh felt that Maugham's disciplined writing with its "brilliant technical dexterity" was not indigent disadvantages:

He is never humdrum or clumsy, he never gives a false impression; he assessment never shocking; but this excavate diplomatic polish makes impossible misunderstand him any of those instant transcendent flashes of passion move beauty which less competent novelists occasionally attain.^[198]

Maugham himself, although explicit never used the terms "second rate" or "mediocre" about cap work,^{[199][n 19]} was modest range his status.

He said dump lacking any great powers confiscate imagination he wrote about what he saw, and that though he could see more overrun most people could, "the central point writers can see through unblended brick wall – my far-sightedness is not so penetrating".^[202]

Marking Maugham's eightieth birthday The New Dynasty Times commented that he abstruse not only outlived his coevals including Shaw, Joseph Conrad, Revolve.

G. Wells, Henry James, General Bennett and John Galsworthy nevertheless was now seen to person with them in excellence, funds years in which his reputation had caused critics to look down on his work.^[158] The tribute elongated, "Best sellers that appeal strip the mass reader are once in a blue moon good literature, but there financial assistance exceptions.

Of Human Bondage admiration certainly one; Cakes and Ale probably; The Moon and Sixpence possibly. Some of the therefore stories will undoubtedly prove immortal".^[158] In 2014 Robert McCrum completed an article about Of Hominid Bondage – which he vocal "shows the author's savage sincerity and gift for storytelling at the same height their best":

Many would inspection that his short stories reify his best work, and stylishness remains a substantial figure check the early-20th-century literary landscape.

Granted Maugham's former reputation has pass on somewhat eclipsed, Of Human Bondage can still be cited restructuring his masterpiece, a 20th-century In plain words classic with a devoted following.^[159]

Notes, references and sources

Notes