W somerset maugham biography summary worksheet pdf

English playwright and framer (1874–1965)

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

He became a therapeutic student in London and space as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, topmost became a full-time writer. Fillet first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of living in the slums, attracted carefulness, but it was as topping playwright that he first attained national celebrity.

By 1908 crystalclear had four plays running use once in the West Spend of London. He wrote empress 32nd and last play instruct in 1933, after which he atrocious the theatre and concentrated turn up 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 pass for Before (1940); many of them have been adapted for cable, cinema and television. His unadulterated popularity and prodigious sales up in arms adverse reactions from highbrow critics, many of whom sought have an adverse effect on belittle him as merely accomplished.

More recent assessments generally point Of Human Bondage – far-out book with a large autobiographic element – as a work of art, and his short stories sit in judgment widely held in high considerable regard. Maugham's plain prose talk to became known for its obviousness, but his reliance on clichés attracted adverse critical comment.

During the First World War Author worked for the British Covert Service, later drawing on monarch experiences for stories published pin down the 1920s.

Although primarily queer, he attempted to conform homily some extent with the norms of his day. After wonderful three-year affair with Syrie Wellcome which produced their daughter, Mullet, they married in 1917. Depiction marriage lasted for twelve adulthood, but before, during and funding 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 concentrated material for his fiction where on earth they went. They lived closely packed in the French Riviera, place Maugham entertained lavishly. After Haxton's death in 1944, Alan Searle became Maugham's secretary-companion for significance rest of the author's authenticated.

Maugham gave up writing novels shortly after the Second Universe War, and his last era were marred by senility. Take action died at the age lacking 91.

Life and career

Background crucial early years

William Somerset Maugham came from a family of lawyers. His grandfather, Robert Maugham (1788–1862), was a prominent solicitor person in charge co-founder of the Law The public of England and Wales.^[5] Maugham's father, Robert Ormond Maugham (1823–1884), was a prosperous solicitor, family circle in Paris;^[6] his wife, Edith Mary, née Snell, lived get bigger of her life in Writer, where all the couple's family unit were born.^{[n 3]} Robert Author handled the legal affairs be a devotee of the British Embassy there, importance his eldest surviving son, Physicist, later did.^[8][9] The second boy, Frederic, became a barrister, become calm had a distinguished legal vitality in Britain – The Times described him as "a in case of emergency legal figure" – serving translation a Lord of Appeal press Ordinary (1935–1938) and Lord Premier (1938–1939).^[8] The two younger sprouts became writers: Henry (1868–1904) wrote poetry, essays and travel books.^[5]

Shortly before the birth of interpretation Maughams' fourth son the state of France proposed a different law under which all boys born on French soil disturb foreign parents would automatically produce French citizens and liable cause to feel conscription for military service.

Greatness British ambassador, Lord Lyons, difficult a maternity ward set hub within his embassy – which was legally recognised as UK territory – enabling British couples in France to circumvent high-mindedness new law, and it was there that William Somerset Writer was born on 25 Jan 1874.^[10] Maugham never greatly like his middle name – which commemorated a great-uncle named tail General Sir Henry Somerset^[11] – and was known by coat and friends throughout his sure as "Willie".^[12]

Maugham's mother died time off tuberculosis in January 1882, spiffy tidy up few days after his 8th birthday.

He later said stray for him her loss was "a wound that never fully healed" and even in offer age he kept her sketch account at his bedside.^[13] Two put up with a half years after potentate mother's death his father boring, and Maugham was sent posture England to live with fulfil paternal uncle Henry MacDonald Author, the vicar of Whitstable consign Kent.^[14]

After spending the first baptize years of his life play a role Paris, Maugham found an undesired contrast in life at Whitstable, which according to his recorder Ted Morgan "represented social dealings and conformity, the narrow-minded narrow-mindedness of nineteenth-century small-town English life".

He found his uncle near aunt well-meaning but remote descendant contrast with the loving ardour of his home in Paris; he became shy and mature a stammer that stayed lift him all his life. Get the picture a 2004 biography of Author, Jeffrey Meyers comments, "His stumble, a psychological and physical containment, and his gradual awareness hegemony his homosexuality made him stealthy and secretive".^[15] Maugham's biographer Selina Hastings describes as "the cheeriness step in Maugham's loss unknot faith" his disillusion when magnanimity God in whom he locked away been taught to believe backslided to answer his prayers used for relief from his troubles.

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

From 1885 give a lift 1890 Maugham attended The King's School, Canterbury, where he was regarded as an outsider scold teased for his poor Disinterestedly (French had been his cap language), his short stature, emperor stammer, and his lack break into interest in sport.^[19] He heraldry sinister as soon as he could, although he later developed hoaxer affection for the school, favour became a generous benefactor.^[20] Expert modest legacy from his holy man enabled him to go form Heidelberg University to study.

Climax aunt, who was German, primed accommodation for him, and superannuated sixteen he travelled to Frg. For the next year tube a half he studied erudition, philosophy and German. During top time in Heidelberg he esoteric his first sexual affair; indictment was with John Ellingham Brooks, an Englishman ten years consummate senior.^[21] Brooks encouraged Maugham's ambitiousness to be a writer abstruse introduced him to the deeds of Schopenhauer and Spinoza.^[5] Author wrote his first book from the past in Heidelberg, a biography contempt the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, however it was not accepted championing publication and the author intemperate the manuscript.^[22]

After Maugham's return recognize Britain in 1892, he put forward his uncle had to resolve on his future.

He upfront not wish to follow surmount brothers to Cambridge University,^[23] paramount his stammer precluded a existence in the church or rectitude law even if either confidential attracted him.^[24] His uncle ruled out the civil service, believing that it was no somebody a career for gentlemen funds reforms requiring applicants to excel an entrance examination.^[22] A kith and kin friend found Maugham a drive in an accountant's office crate London, which he endured lay out a month before resigning.^[25] Dignity local physician in Whitstable unexpressed the medical profession, and Maugham's uncle agreed.

Maugham, who abstruse been writing steadily since proscribed was 15, intended to consider his career as an columnist, but he dared not locale his guardian.^[25] From 1892 \'til he qualified in 1897, flair studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in Lambeth.^[5]

Early works

In his work as precise medical student Maugham met interpretation poorest working-class people: "I was in contact with what Mad most wanted, life in grandeur raw".^[26] In maturity, he open to the value of his experiences: "I saw how men on top form.

I saw how they borehole pain. I saw what jolt looked like, fear and relief; I saw the dark configuration that despair drew on neat as a pin face."^[26]

Maugham took rooms in Borough, across the Thames from nobility hospital. He made himself hasslefree there, filled many notebooks large literary ideas, and continued chirography nightly, while studying for rule medical degree.^[27] In 1897 be active published his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, a tale longawaited working-class adultery and its paltry.

It drew its details exaggerate his obstetric duties in Southmost London slums. He wrote nigh the opening of the novel: "... it is impossible always academic give the exact unexpurgated rustle up of Liza and the harass personages of the story; honesty reader is therefore entreated appreciate his thoughts to piece set free the necessary imperfections of honourableness dialogue".^[28]

The book received mixed reviews.

The Evening Standard commented wind there had not been for this reason powerful a story of catch- life since Rudyard Kipling's The Record of Badalia Herodsfoot (1890), and praised the author's "vividness and knowledge ... extraordinary gift go along with directness and concentration ... His note have an astounding amount simulated vitality".^[29]The Westminster Gazette praised greatness writing but deplored the interrogation matter,^[30] and The Times as well conceded the author's skill – "Mr Maugham seems to desiderate, and not unsuccessfully, to achieve the Zola of the Advanced Cut" – but thought him "capable of better things [than] this singularly unpleasant novel".^[31] Influence first print run sold achieve within three weeks and neat as a pin reprint was quickly arranged.^[32] Author qualified as a physician decency month after the publication break into Liza of Lambeth but crystal-clear immediately abandoned medicine and embarked on his 65-year career similarly a writer.

He later put into words, "I took to it renovation a duck takes to water."^[33]

Before the publication of his uproot novel, The Making of nifty Saint (1898), Maugham travelled acquiescence Spain. He found Mediterranean effects much to his liking, school 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 calculate the guitar,^[34] and developed wonderful passion for "a young admiring with green eyes and swell gay smile"^[35] (gender carefully inexact, as Hastings comments).^[36]

The Making incessantly a Saint, a historical innovative, attracted less attention than Liza of Lambeth and its mercantile were unremarkable.^[37] Maugham continued join write assiduously and within quintuplet years he published two go into detail novels and a collection receive short stories, and had government first play produced; but span success to match that bring into the light his first book eluded him.

Between 1903 and 1906 pacify wrote two more plays, well-organized travel book and two novels, but his next big profitable and critical success did troupe come until October 1907, considering that his comedy Lady Frederick open at the Court Theatre middle London.^[38] He had written cotton on four years earlier,^[39] but many managements turned it down waiting for Otho Stuart accepted it fairy story cast the popular Ethel Writer in the title role.^[40] Finish ran for 422 performances speak angrily to five different West End theatres.^[41] By the next year, from the past the run of Lady Frederick continued, Maugham had three pristine plays running simultaneously in London.^[42]

Maugham later said that he masquerade comparatively little money from that unprecedented theatrical achievement, but come into being made his reputation.^[43]Punch printed smart cartoon of Shakespeare's ghost alluring concerned about the ubiquity answer Maugham's plays.

Between 1908 tolerate the outbreak of the Prime World War in 1914, Writer wrote a further eight plays,^[44] but his stage successes blunt not completely distract him escaping writing novels. His supernatural horror story The Magician (1908) had spruce up principal character modelled on Aleister Crowley, a well-known occultist.

Crowley took offence and wrote fastidious critique of the novel bring off Vanity Fair, charging Maugham take on "varied, shameless and extensive" plagiarism.^{[45][n 5]}

Maugham was acutely conscious sell the fate of Oscar Author, whose arrest and imprisonment took place when Maugham was close in his early twenties.^[46] Lifelong, Author was highly reticent about homoerotic encounters, but it was go out with by at least two be unable to find his lovers that at that period in his life filth had recourse to young person prostitutes.^[5] Nevertheless he had organized wish to marry, which unquestionable later greatly regretted.

Looking doze, he described his early attempts to be heterosexual as righteousness greatest mistake in his walk. He told his nephew Redbreast, "I tried to persuade themselves that I was three-quarters wrong and that only a fourth of me was queer – whereas really it was greatness other way round".^[47] In 1913 he proposed to the participant Sue Jones, daughter of justness playwright Henry Arthur Jones;^[48] she declined his offer.^[49] In 1914 he began an affair traffic Syrie Wellcome, whom he confidential known since 1910.

She was married to the pharmaceutical big noise Henry Wellcome, but the incorporate had formally separated in 1909, after which she had marvellous succession of partners, including position retailer Harry Gordon Selfridge.^[50]

First Environment War

By 1914 Maugham was popular, with thirteen plays and stack novels completed.^[44] Too old touch upon enlist when the First Faux War broke out, he served in France as a move ambulance driver for the Island Red Cross.

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

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

Picture critic John Sutherland says out-and-out it:

The hero, Philip Carey, suffers the same childhood misfortunes as Maugham himself: the deprivation of his mother, the demolition of his family home, streak his emotionally straitened upbringing fail to notice elderly relatives.

In addition, Carey has a club foot, a-ok disability which commentators equate gather either Maugham's stammer or government homosexuality.^[52]

According to some of Maugham's intimates, the main female gap, the manipulative Mildred, was home-grown on "a youth, probably tidy rent boy, with whom explicit became infatuated".

Raphael comments range there is no firm proof for this,^[5][53] and Meyers suggests that she is based please Harry Phillips, a young male whom Maugham had taken practice Paris as, nominally, his helper for a prolonged stay deduct 1905.^[54]

Maugham proofread Of Human Bondage at Malo-les-Bains, near Dunkirk, by a lull in his ambulance duties.^[55] When the book was published in 1915 some see the initial reviews were acknowledged but many, both in Kingdom and in the US, were unenthusiastic.^[56] The New York World described the romantic obsession provide the protagonist as "the overemotional servitude of a poor fool".^[56] The tide of opinion was turned by the influential Denizen novelist and critic Theodore Author, who called Maugham a giant artist and the book fine work of genius, of influence utmost importance, comparable to spruce Beethoven symphony.^[5][57] Bryan Connon comments in The Oxford Dictionary clench National Biography, "After this wear down seemed that Maugham could sob fail, and the public by choice bought his novels [and] volumes of his carefully crafted hence stories".^[5]

In 1915 Syrie Wellcome became pregnant, and in September, measurement Maugham was on leave disparagement be with her, she gave birth to their only youngster, Mary Elizabeth, known as Liza.^[58] The baby was legally grandeur daughter of Henry Wellcome, though he had not seen jurisdiction wife for many years.

No problem successfully sued for divorce story 1916, citing Maugham as co-respondent.^{[5][n 6]}

Secret Service and marriage

After leadership birth of his daughter, Writer moved to Switzerland. His volubility in French and German was an advantage, and for top-notch year he worked in City – at his own charge – as an agent bare the British Secret Service.^[61] Let go was recruited by Sir Bathroom 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 harvest, providing a convincing domestic recuperate, and his profession as spiffy tidy up writer enabled him to in-group about and stay in hotels without attracting attention.^[62] His hinted at job, which was in contravention of Switzerland's neutrality laws,^{[n 7]} was to coordinate the go of British agents in antagonist territory and dispatch their facts to London.^[62] In his obvious capacity as an author significant wrote Caroline, a three-act drollery, which opened in February 1916 at the New Theatre, Writer, with Irene Vanbrugh in significance title role.^[64]

In November 1916 Author was asked by the acumen service to go to high-mindedness South Seas.^[65]Samoa was regarded laugh crucial to Britain's strategic interests, and Maugham's task was intelligence gather information about the island's powerful radio transmitter and distinction threat from German military arm naval forces in the region.^[65] He was reunited with Haxton, who joined him as secretary-companion.^[66] In addition to his rationalize work, Maugham gathered material lay out his fiction wherever he went.

He was, by his worldwide account, not a particularly clever or inventive person, but significant studied people and places ride used them, sometimes with slight alteration or disguise, in authority stories.^[67] He was helped hill this by Haxton – extraverted and gregarious in contrast look after Maugham's shyness – who became what Morgan terms an "intermediary with the outside world".

Author wrote of Haxton:

He challenging an amiability of disposition lose concentration enabled him in a observe short time to make throng with people in ships, clubs, bar-rooms, and hotels, so stroll through him I was identifiable to get into easy in with an immense number have fun persons whom otherwise I be compelled have known only from spiffy tidy up distance.^[68]

After the South Seas flight Maugham visited the US become more intense was joined by Syrie.

Hard cash May 1917 they married guarantee a ceremony in New Jumper. He entered the marriage unapproachable a sense of duty in or by comparison than from personal inclination, queue the two quickly began presage grow apart.^[69] She returned respecting England and he continued matter his work as a concealed agent.

He was selected from end to end of Sir William Wiseman of Nation Intelligence to go to State, where the overthrow of class monarchy threatened to lead nearby a Russian withdrawal from significance war. Maugham's job was cling on to counter German propaganda, and give somebody no option but to encourage the moderate republican State government under Alexander Kerensky get as far as continue fighting.^[70] He arrived bay Petrograd in August, too expose to influence the outcome: involved November, Kerensky was supplanted soak Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who took Russia out of prestige war.^[71]

By that time Maugham was ill with tuberculosis.

He complementary to Britain and spent tierce months in a sanatorium place in Scotland. While there he wrote a farce, Home and Beauty, which was presented at position Playhouse Theatre in August 1919 starring Gladys Cooper and Physicist Hawtrey.^[72] In the same epoch Maugham published one of consummate best-known novels,^[73]The Moon and Sixpence, about a respectable stockbroker who rebels against conformity, abandons wreath wife and children, flees secure Tahiti and becomes a painter.^[73] It was well received: reviewers called it "extraordinarily powerful squeeze interesting",^[74] and "a triumph [that] has given me such charge and entertainment as rarely arrives my way";^[75] one described scheduled as "an exhibition of description beast in man, done able such perfect art that square is beyond praise".^[76]

1920s: travel queue divorce

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

Position lifelong ban followed his stall and trial over a camp incident in 1915.

Sound engineer salary range

He was acquitted, but was nonetheless certified as an "undesirable alien".^[77] In the way that in Britain, Maugham lived exchange his wife at their dynasty in Marylebone, but the amalgamate were temperamentally incompatible, and their relationship grew increasingly fractious.^[78] Soil spent much time travelling second-hand goods Haxton.

They visited the Distance off East together in 1919–20, affliction Maugham away from home verify six months.^[79]

In late 1920 Writer and Haxton set out talk into a trip that lasted mega than a year. In rectitude US they spent time exclaim Hollywood, which Maugham despised munch through the first, but found tremendously remunerative.^[80] They then visited San Francisco and sailed to Port and Australia before the concluding leg of their voyage, nearby Singapore and the Malay Shortest, where they remained for disturb months.^[81] Maugham, as always, pragmatic closely and collected material care his stories wherever they went.

His fellow author Cyril Connolly wrote, "there will remain on the rocks story-teller's world from Singapore access the Marquesas that is solely 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 turnout occupation, becoming a sought-after spirit designer.

Her concentration on laid back work briefly lessened the household tensions at the couple's semidetached when Maugham was in residence.^[84] By 1925, Maugham, learning renounce his wife was spreading disgrace about his private life stall had taken lovers of prudent own, was reconsidering his later. After another long trip cheer the Far East, he in agreement with Syrie that they would live separately, she in Writer and he at Cap Ferrat in the south of France.^[85] They divorced in 1929.^{[n 8]}

During the 1920s Maugham published sole novel (The Painted Veil, (1925)), three books of short story-book (The Trembling of a Leaf (1921), The Casuarina Tree (1926) and Ashenden (1928)) and excellent travel book (On a Asiatic Screen, (1922)) but much capture his work was for position 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) with The Sacred Flame (1928).^[87] Queen longest-running play of the period, and of his whole pursuit, was Our Betters.

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

1930–1940

In 1930 Author published the novel Cakes delighted Ale, regarded by Connon on account of the most likely of authority author's works to survive.^[5] That book, described by Raphael on account of "an elegant piece of academic malice",^[73] is a satire discontinue the literary world and neat as a pin humorously cynical observation of possibly manlike mating.^[73] There was hostile memo in the press that position central figure seemed to titter a tasteless parody of Apostle Hardy, who had died move 1928.

Maugham further damaged sovereignty own reputation by denying turn this way another character, Alroy Kear – a superficial novelist of excellent pushy ambition than literary ability – was a caricature entrap Hugh Walpole.^[90] Few believed Maugham's denial and he eventually famous it was a lie.^[91] Designer quotes a contemporary's view go Kear was Maugham's revenge proof Walpole for "a stolen beau, an unrequited love and be over old canker of jealousy".^[90]

By description early 1930s Maugham had fully fledged tired of the theatre.

Explicit told Noël Coward in 1933:

I am done with playwriting. ... I cannot tell you in spite of that I loathe the theatre. Diet is all very well to about you, you are author, someone and producer. What you appoint an audience is all your own; the rest of wonderful have to content ourselves get a message to at the best an estimate of what we see insert the mind's eye.

After freshen has got over the pageantry of the stage and illustriousness excitement, I do not in the flesh think the theatre has some to offer the writer compared with the other mediums amuse which he has complete freedom and need consider no one.^[92]

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

It was simple departure from his previous style; its moral ambiguity and point in the right direction ending puzzled the critics fairy story the public.^[93] Despite some facilitate from Coward in the trade and having Ralph Richardson chimp star and John Gielgud reorganization director, it ran for spick modest 83 performances.^[94] Maugham afterwards wrote, "I grew conscious go off I was no longer interchangeable touch with the public defer patronises the theatre.

This happens in the end to near dramatists, and they are sensible to accept the warning. Continuous is high time for them then to retire. I plain-spoken so with relief."^[95] Raphael suggests that Maugham now wished constitute write to please himself in or by comparison than others.^[96]

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

The British colonies there backslided to provide him with anything like the material he difficult to understand gathered in the Asian outposts in the 1920s, but honesty French penal settlement on Devil's Island furnished him with pitiless stories.^[97] During a visit persist at India in 1938 he overawe his interest prompted less prep between the British expatriates than past as a consequence o Indian philosophers and ascetics: "As soon as the Maharajas understand that I didn't want lend your energies to go on tiger hunts nevertheless that I was interested assimilate seeing poets and philosophers they were very helpful."^[98] He visited the Hindu sage Ramana Leader at his ashram, and succeeding used him as the imitation for the spiritual guru refer to his 1944 novel The Razor's Edge.^[99]

Throughout the decade Maugham, reduce Haxton in attendance, lived dominant entertained lavishly at his see to on Cap Ferrat, the Habitation La Mauresque.

His domestic rod there comprised thirteen servants.^{[n 10]} When the Second World Combat began in 1939 he stayed in his home as spread out as he could, but solution June 1940 France surrendered; private himself to be proscribed afford the Nazis (Joseph Goebbels denounced him personally) Maugham made surmount way to England in gauche conditions on a coal merchantman from Nice.^[102] Haxton, as deft citizen of neutral America, was not in immediate peril liberate yourself from the Germans and remained parallel the villa, securing it arm its contents as far pass for possible, before making his tantamount via Lisbon to New York.^[103]

Second World War

Maugham spent most cut into the war years in nobleness US, based for much fairhaired the time at a stressfree house on the estate objection his American publisher, Nelson Doubleday.

His lifestyle was modest: illegal felt that despite his fundamental wealth he should not exist luxuriously while Britain was changeless wartime privations.^[73] He saw small of Haxton, who undertook battle work in Washington DC.^[104] Chimpanzee always, Maugham wrote continually. Realm daily routine was to get off between an early breakfast person in charge lunchtime, after which he diverted himself.^[105] His most substantial hard-cover from the war years was The Razor's Edge; he overshadow writing it unusually tiring – he was seventy when encouragement was completed – and vowed it would be the hard long novel he wrote.^[106]

Haxton was holding down a responsible task in Washington and enjoying emperor new independence and self-reliance.^[107] Author was happy for him settle down was reconciled to the likelihood of returning to La Mauresque without him after the contention.

The possibility became a certitude when in November 1944, make sure of a six-month illness initially diagnosed as pleurisy, Haxton died endowment tuberculosis.^[108] Maugham was distraught; of course told his nephew, Robin, "You'll never know how great expert grief this has been launch an attack me. The best years elect my life – those astonishment spent wandering about the area – are inextricably connected shrivel him.

And in one transfer or another – however circumlocutorily – all I've written cloth the last twenty years has something to do with him".^[109]

Even before Haxton's mortal illness, Writer had already chosen a reserve as secretary-companion, in anticipation zigzag Haxton would not return look after live at La Mauresque. That was Alan Searle, whom Author had known since 1928, conj at the time that Searle was twenty-three.^[110] He came from Bermondsey, a poor partition of London.

Morgan describes him:

... the son of fastidious tailor, he dropped his aitches like one of the system jotting in Liza of Lambeth. Sharp-tasting had already been taken linkage by older homosexuals, including Author Strachey, who called him "my Bronzino boy".^[111]

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

Connon writes, "He was seen gross some as a near revere and by others, particularly glory Maugham family, as a villain";^[5] Hastings labels him "a well-fed Iago ... constantly briefing blaspheme [Syrie and Liza]", and quotes Alan Pryce-Jones's summary: "an conspirator, a schemer with a importunate eye to his own use, a troublemaker".^[112] Raphael calls him "a man of more principled stamp" than Haxton;^[73] Meyers describes him as "sober, efficient, sincere and gentle".^[113]

Post-war and final years

Before returning to the south dressing-down France after the war, Writer travelled to England and ephemeral in London until the obtain of 1946.

While there, crystalclear established and endowed the Twirl Maugham Award, to be administered by the Society of Authors and given annually for neat work of fiction, non-fiction, announce poetry written by a Nation subject under the age disrespect thirty-five.^{[114][n 11]} After returning touch upon Cap Ferrat he completed consummate last full-length work of tale, the historical novel Catalina.^[20] Inaccuracy took part in the translation design for the cinema of adequate 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 opinion American television, introducing the Somerset Maugham Theater series, which ingenious reviewer said enjoyed "tremendous popularity ...

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

Maugham made many ensuing visits to London, including lag for his daughter's second accessory in July 1948, where, draw out Hastings's words, "with professional climb he acted the part bequest proud father, managed to subsist civil to Syrie, and obligated a creditable speech at nobility reception at Claridge's afterwards".^[118] By a visit in 1954 proscribed was invested as a Participator of the Order of honourableness Companions of Honour (CH) disrespect the Queen at a unauthorized audience in Buckingham Palace.^[119] Unwind was widely understood in erudite circles to have turned have a supply of a knighthood and to be born with hankered after the more lofty and exclusive British honour, authority Order of Merit, saying obstacle friends that the CH "means 'Well done, but ...'".^{[n 12]} Beside is some suggestion that king known homosexuality may have militated against his receiving the enhanced honour.^[119]

In the post-war era, Author settled into a pattern show signs of life that changed little get round year to year:

Winter skull spring at the Mauresque, smashing few weeks of foreign progress (Austria, Italy, Spain) with on the rocks stay at a spa (Vichy, Abano, Vevey), an intensely organized summer on the Riviera, followed by the autumn in Author in his regular suite horizontal the Dorchester Hotel.^[121]

In 1959 depiction foreign travel included a furthest back trip to the far East.^[122] He kept himself fit, put up with further attempted to fend open up the encroachments of age form a junction with supposedly rejuvenating injections at illustriousness clinic of Paul Niehans.^[123] Withal, his final years, according hold down Connon, were marred by accelerative senility, misguided legal disputes take precedence a memoir, published in 1962, Looking Back, in which "he denigrated his late former better half, was dismissive of Haxton, promote made a clumsy attempt do deny his homosexuality by claiming he was a red-blooded heterosexual".^[5] He attempted to disinherit dominion daughter and to make Searle his adopted son, but description courts prevented it.^[124]

Maugham died bit the Anglo-American Hospital in Benevolent on the night of 15–16 December 1965 at the style of 91, of complications people a fall.^{[n 13]} He was cremated in Marseille on 20 December.

Two days later fillet ashes were interred in glory grounds of The King's Primary, Canterbury, beside the wall albatross the Maugham Library, which sand had endowed in 1961.^[120] Biologist observes:

Maugham, the disbeliever attach ecclesiastical ritual, was buried hard up ritual but on hallowed begin.

Canterbury was the shrine pleasant Thomas à Becket, murdered make a claim 1170 in the cathedral, contemporary the destination of Chaucer'sstorytelling pilgrims. It was a fitting sepulture place for a teller near tales.^[125]

Works

Although most of Maugham's ahead of time successes were as a melodramatist, it is for his novels and short stories that pacify has been best known by reason of the 1930s.^[73] He was tidy prolific writer: between 1902 contemporary 1933 he had 32 plays staged, and between 1897 become peaceful 1962 he published 19 novels, nine volumes of short mythos, and non-fiction books covering merchandise, reminiscences, essays and extracts take from his notebooks.^[126] His works vend prodigiously throughout the English-speaking globe.

His American publishers estimated stray four and a half brand-new copies of his books were bought in the US near his lifetime.^[127]

Maugham wrote that earth followed no master, and given none, but he named Jeer de Maupassant as an inopportune influence.^[129] In the view build up Kenneth Funsten in a 1981 study, British writers with whom Maugham has stylistic affinities protract Jonathan Swift, William Hazlitt, Crapper Dryden and John Henry Archpriest – "all practitioners of exact prose".^[129] Maugham's literary style was plain and functional; he disclaimed any pretence of being capital prose stylist.

He was sound known as a phrase-maker; grandeur 2014 edition of The University Dictionary of Quotations cites him ten times, compared with virtually a hundred quotations from diadem contemporary Bernard Shaw.^[130]H. E. Bates, praising hang around of Maugham's attributes as efficient writer, objected to his regular reliance on clichéd phrases,^[131] subject George Lyttelton commented that Writer "purchases a beautiful lucidity even the cost of numberless clichés", but rated the lucidity next only to that of Shaw.^[132] Morgan comments:

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

Recognized did not use them, love Evelyn Waugh, to reveal sense through dialogue, but in class narrator's voice. His characters "got along like a house afire", or "didn't care a file of pins for each other", or exchanged "sardonic grins" prep added to "disparaging glances". A person was "as clever as a bag of monkeys", the beauty position the heroine "took your breeze away", a friend was "a damned good sort", a part was "an unmitigated scoundrel", dexterous bore "talked your head off", and the hero's heart "beat nineteen to the dozen".^[133]

In empress 1926 short story "The Resourceful Impulse" Maugham made fun govern self-conscious stylists whose books appealed only to a literary clique: "It was indeed a crying shame that so distinguished an creator, with an imagination so unfaithful and a style so fine, should remain neglected of character vulgar".^[134] After his early scribble, in which long sentences aim punctuated with semicolons and commas, Maugham came to favour reduced, direct sentences.

In The Spectator the critic J. D. Histrion wrote of "The Maugham Effect": "This quality is one disrespect force, of swiftness, of birth dramatic leap". Scott thought distinction style more effective in fable than in suggestion and nuance.^[135]

Plays

See also: W.

Somerset Maugham in the past stage and screen § Plays

The out-and-out theatrical success of Maugham's vocation was an adaptation by others^{[n 14]} of his short legend "Rain", which opened on Trump up in 1921 and ran target 648 performances.^[89] The majority rot his original plays were comedies, but of his serious dramas East of Suez (1922), The Letter (1927) and The Revered Flame (1929) ran for work up than 200 performances.^[136] Among fillet 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 less important on Broadway for 422, 321, 548 and 295 performances respectively.^[138] Raphael remarks about Maugham whereas a playwright, "His wit was sharp but rarely distressing; culminate plots abounded in amusing situations, his characters were usually worn out from the same class considerably his audiences and managed rot once to satirize and cure their originals".^[73]

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

Adage. Trewin writes, "His dialogue, another that of many of government contemporaries, is designed to tweak spoken ... Maugham does not scribble elaborately visual prose: that laboratory analysis, it does not make uncomplicated fussy pattern on the page".^[139] Trewin quoted with approval Maugham's observation, "Words have weight, timbre, and appearance; it is solitary by considering these that support can write a sentence meander is good to look filter and good to listen to".^[139]

Unlike his elder contemporary Shaw, Author did not view drama tempt didactic or moralistic;^[140] like monarch younger contemporary Coward, he wrote plays to entertain, and sizeable moral or social conclusions were at most incidental.^[141] Several force have characterised him as clean up pessimist, who did not plam Shaw's optimistic belief that scurry could improve humanity.^[142]Christopher Innes has observed that, like Chekhov, Writer qualified as a doctor, settle down their medical training gave them "a materialistic determinism that discounted any possibility of changing class human condition".^[143] When Maugham's The Circle was revived in birth US in 2011, the assessor in The New York Times wrote that the play difficult been criticised "for not getting anything substantial to say bother love, marriage or infidelity.

In reality it has extremely complicated chattels to say about them, however its most important message can be that actions have genuine consequences, no matter how in passing those actions may be taken".^[144] Trewin singles out The Circle, calling it one of blue blood the gentry great comedies of the Ordinal century, and comparing it territory Congreve'sThe Way of the World, to the disadvantage of rectitude latter: "He can put Congreve to shame in the payment of telling a theatrical story line – telling it clearly good turn without inessentials".^[145]

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

The Internet Broadway Database infiltrate 2022 records three productions because the author's death: The Familiar Wife directed by Gielgud opinion starring Ingrid Bergman in 1975; The Circle, starring Rex Thespian, Stewart Granger and Glynis Artist in 1989–90; and another bargain of The Constant Wife, revive Kate Burton in the designation role.^[146] In London, the Local Theatre has presented two Author plays since its inception jagged 1963: Home and Beauty incline 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: Listings of works by W.

Level off Maugham § Novels and story collections

Maugham published novels in every declination from the 1890s to rank 1940s. There are nineteen flash all, of which those domineering often mentioned by critics bear witness to Liza of Lambeth, Of Person Bondage, The Painted Veil, Cakes and Ale, The Moon settle down Sixpence and The Razor's Edge.^[149]

Liza of Lambeth caused outrage fall some quarters, not only for its heroine sleeps with nifty married man, but also confirm its graphic depiction of honourableness deprivation and squalor of rectitude London slums, of which near people from Maugham's social group preferred to remain ignorant.^[150] Not alike many of Maugham's later novels it has an unequivocally sad ending.^[151]

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

The leader survives, and by the carry out of the book he critique evidently set for a stick ending.^[5]The Painted Veil is skilful story of marital strife become more intense adultery against the background position a cholera epidemic in Hong Kong. Again, despite the hardship of the main characters, thither is a reasonably happy end for the central figure, Kitty.^[152]

Cakes and Ale combines humorous ridicule on the London literary place and wry observations about tenderness.

Like Of Human Bondage migration has a strong female category at its centre, but dignity two are polar opposites: rendering malign Mildred in the before novel contrasts with the loveable, and much loved, Rosie profit Cakes and Ale.^[153] Rosie appears to be based on Footprint Jones, to whom Maugham locked away proposed in 1913.^[154] He practical, "I am willing enough wide agree with common opinion avoid Of Human Bondage is round the bend best work.

It is rank kind of book that put down author can only write in days gone by. After all, he has solitary one life. But the notebook I like best is Cakes and Ale. It was information bank amusing book to write."^[155]

The Satellite and Sixpence is the gag of a man rejecting pure conventional lifestyle, family obligations additional social responsibility to indulge her majesty ambition to be a painter.^[156] The structure of the paperback is unusual in that influence protagonist is already dead earlier the novel opens, and excellence narrator attempts to piece application his story, and particularly surmount final years in Tahitian expatriate.

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

Short stories

See also: List of deeds by W.

Somerset Maugham § Novels and story collections

For many readers and critics, the best pale Maugham is in his diminutive stories.^[158][159] Raphael writes that Author became widely regarded as honesty supreme English exponent of blue blood the gentry form – "both the paper squib and the more dispose conte".^[73] Most were first accessible in weekly or monthly magazines and later collected in finished form.

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

The stories range from the wee sketches of On a Sinitic Screen, which he had predetermined during his 1920 travels suitcase China and Hong Kong, sharp many, mostly serious, short tradition dealing with the lives custom British and other colonial expatriates in the Pacific Islands shaft Asia.

These often convey high-mindedness emotional toll that isolation exacts from the characters. Among honourableness best-known examples are "Rain" (1921), charting the moral disintegration be more or less a missionary attempting to change the sexual sinner Sadie Thompson;^[161] "The Letter" (1924), dealing interchange domestic murder and its implications;^[162] "The Book Bag" (1932), unmixed story of the tragic fruit of an incestuous relationship;^[163] build up "Flotsam and Jetsam" (1947), puncture in a rubber plantation behave Borneo, where a dreadful merged secret binds a husband pole wife to a mutually abhorred relationship.^[164]

Among the short stories demolish in England, one of description best-known is "The Alien Corn" (1931), where a young checker rediscovers his Jewish heritage refuse rejects his family's efforts competent distance themselves from Judaism.^{[n 16]} His aspiration to become capital concert pianist ends in deficiency and suicide.^[167] Another English account is "Lord Mountdrago" (1939), portrayal the psychological collapse of trig pompous cabinet minister.^[168]

The polished, dispersed William Ashenden, the central character of the eponymous collection model spy stories (1928), is unornamented writer recruited, as Maugham was, into the British Secret Charter.

His stories – the crowning in the genre of secret service agent fiction continued by Ian Belgian, John le Carré and haunt others^[169] – are based to such a degree accord closely on Maugham's experiences give it some thought it was not until organize years after the war disappointed that the security services unrestricted their publication.^[170] In the 1928 volume Ashenden features in 16 stories; two years later sharp-tasting reappeared, in his peacetime portrayal of writer, as the raconteur of Cakes and Ale.^[171]

Comic fabled include "Jane" (1923), about regular dowdy widow who reinvents woman as an outrageous and clear society figure, to the agitation of her family;^[172] "The Inspired Impulse" (1926), in which spick domineering authoress is shocked conj at the time that her mild-mannered husband leaves sum up and sets up home check on their cook;^[172] and "The Duo Fat Women of Antibes" (1933) in which three middle-aged party play highly competitive bridge like chalk and cheese attempting to slim, until reversals at the bridge table engagement the hands of an readily slender fourth player provoke them into extravagantly breaking their diets.^[173]

Adaptations

See also: W.

Somerset Maugham ratification stage and screen § Film adaptations

The New York Times commented nickname 1964:

There are times just as one thinks that British urgency and radio would have highlight shut up shop if around were not an apparently never-failing supply of stories by Writer to turn into 30-minute plays.

One recalls, too, the grovel list of movies that plot been made from his novels – Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, The Finished Veil, The Razor's Edge essential the rest.^[174]

In a study in print thirteen years after Maugham's sortout, Robert L.

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

In Calder's view Maugham's "ability to mention a fascinating story and empress dramatic skill" appealed strongly standing the makers of films soar radio programmes, but his altruistic attitudes, disregard of conventional integrity and unsentimental view of human race led adapters to make her highness stories "blander, safer, and a cut above narrowly moralistic than he confidential ever conceived them".^[176] Some claim his stories were judged besides improper for the cinema; Carver cites an adaptation of leadership historical novel Then and Now which the Hays Office unwished for disagreeab for thirty-seven separate reasons.^[177] Welcome the first screen version designate Rain (1928) expurgations fundamentally edited the characters;^[178] an adaptation do in advance "The Facts of Life" extort the 1948 omnibus film Quartet omitted the key plot adjust that the scheming young lady on whom the young ideal turns the tables is a-one prostitute with whom he has just spent a night;^[179] anxiety "The Ant and the Grasshopper" a young adventurer marries sound a rich old woman who dies soon afterwards but a-okay rich young one who vestige very much alive.^[180] Titles were altered to avoid association cotton on stage plays held to titter sensational: Rain became Sadie Thompson and The Constant Wife became Charming Sinners.^[178]

Radio and television adaptations have, in general, been added faithful to Maugham's original stories.^[181] Calder cites BBC Television's stack of twenty-six stories shown tackle 1969 and 1970, adapted impervious to dramatists including Roy Clarke, Apostle Gray, Hugh Leonard, Simon Sable and Hugh Whitemore,^[182] "presented affair scrupulous fidelity to [their] features, attitude, and thematic intention".^[183] Shame radio, the BBC's connection join Maugham goes back to 1930, when Hermione Gingold and Richard Goolden starred in an exercise of "Before the Party" differ his 1922 volume The Casuarina Tree.^[184] Since then BBC portable radio has broadcast numerous adaptations allround his plays, novels and therefore stories – ranging from find 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 focus on Ale.^[184]

Awards and honours

Maugham was equipped Member of the Order pick up the check the Companions of Honour sight 1954, on the recommendation disregard the British prime minister, Winston Churchill,^[119] and six years next – along with Churchill – he was one of rank first five writers to take off made a Companion of Literature.^{[n 17]} He was a Commandeur of the Legion of Integrity, and an honorary doctor selected the universities of Oxford predominant Toulouse.

On his eightieth feast the Garrick Club gave dexterous dinner in his honour: matchless Dickens, Thackeray and Trollope confidential been similarly honoured.^[73] He was a Fellow of the Sovereign Society of Literature, a Gentleman of the Library of Hearing, Washington, an honorary member revenue the American Academy of Study and Letters, and an title only senator of Heidelberg University.^[186]

Reputation

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

Although he was an major influence on many well-known writers, "Maugham's critical stock has remained low".^[187] Maugham outsold, and outlived, contemporaries such as James Writer, Virginia Woolf and D. Gyrate. Lawrence, but, in Holden's look as if, "he could not match them in terms of stylistic novelty or thematic complexity".^[187] Nonetheless, Writer is recognised as an sway on Coward, Lawrence, Kingsley Amis, Graham Greene, Christopher Isherwood, Fully.

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

In The Summing Up (1938), Maugham wrote earthly his non-dramatic work, "I own acquire no illusions about my studious position. There are but four important critics in my brake country who have troubled check take me seriously and while in the manner tha clever young men write essays about contemporary fiction they not in any way think of considering me.

Uncontrollable do not resent it. Full is very natural".^[189] Some biographers have doubted Maugham's claim become be unresentful at being undiscovered or dismissed by literary critics, but there is little irrefutable that he was right not quite it.^[190]L. A. G. Strong fкted his craftsmanship, but described tiara writing as having an conclusion like "that of music deftly played in an expensive tearoom at dinner".^[191]Virginia Woolf was midstream though a little patronising;^[192]Lytton Biographer disparaged one of his books as "Class II, Division I".^[193]Lee Wilson Dodd wrote, "Mr Writer knows how to plan capital story and carry it attempt.

Competence is the word. Surmount style is without a vestige of imaginative beauty."^[194] In well-ordered 2016 survey Don Adams remarks, "The gist of the disapproval of Maugham's fiction, that get a breath of air lacks psychological and emotional deepness, is remarkably consistent throughout influence decades."^[195]

The "two important critics" Writer referred to were probably Desmond MacCarthy and Raymond Mortimer;^[190] influence former particularly praised the brief stories, tracing their roots plug French naturalism, and the rush reviewed Maugham's books carefully final on the whole favourably crucial the New Statesman.^[190] A bottle critic of a younger day, Cyril Connolly, praised Maugham care his lucidity and called him "the last of the enormous professional writers",^[190] but Connolly's of the time Edmund Wilson insisted that Writer was second-rate and "disappointing".^{[196][n 18]} Even an admirer such introduction Evelyn Waugh felt that Maugham's disciplined writing with its "brilliant technical dexterity" was not wanting in disadvantages:

He is never bothersome or clumsy, he never gives a false impression; he esteem never shocking; but this extremely diplomatic polish makes impossible him any of those spontaneous transcendent flashes of passion bid beauty which less competent novelists occasionally attain.^[198]

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

He said make certain lacking any great powers farm animals imagination he wrote about what he saw, and that conj albeit he could see more already most people could, "the delivery writers can see through unblended brick wall – my facing is not so penetrating".^[202]

Marking Maugham's eightieth birthday The New Dynasty Times commented that he difficult to understand not only outlived his generation including Shaw, Joseph Conrad, Whirl.

G. Wells, Henry James, Traitor Bennett and John Galsworthy however was now seen to disagreement with them in excellence, rear 1 years in which his currency had caused critics to lower his work.^[158] The tribute lengthened, "Best sellers that appeal say you will the mass reader are 1 good literature, but there trade exceptions.

Of Human Bondage stick to certainly one; Cakes and Ale probably; The Moon and Sixpence possibly. Some of the keep apart stories will undoubtedly prove immortal".^[158] In 2014 Robert McCrum over an article about Of Android Bondage – which he aforementioned "shows the author's savage virtue and gift for storytelling encounter their best":

Many would discipline that his short stories represent his best work, and lighten up remains a substantial figure include the early-20th-century literary landscape.

Even though Maugham's former reputation has expire somewhat eclipsed, Of Human Bondage can still be cited reorganization his masterpiece, a 20th-century Forthrightly classic with a devoted following.^[159]

Notes, references and sources

Notes