Somerset maugham pdf william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and educated at the kings. Knowall i was prepared to dislike max kelada even before i knew him. Maugham was born in paris in the family of a solicitor of the british embassy and lived there until he was ten. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. Cakes and ale by william somerset maugham paperback. The moon and sixpence by william somerset maugham paperback. Frequently his writings, notably the short stories rain and. Twelfth night takes for its theme the doubleness of human character, ranging from the calculated hypocrisy of the virtuous exemplified by literary opportunist and wouldbe biographer alroy kear to the animal weaknesses of the goodhearted yet unreformable rosie, former barmaid.
A novelist, ashenden is befriended by the ambitious, selfserving alroy kear, who has been commissioned to write an official biography of the famous novelist edward driffield. An endwhich maugham approved, and which is the key to his style. He was noted as an expert storyteller and a master of the technique of fiction. Cakes and ale is a comedy of literary england in the early decades of the 20th century narrated by ashenden. His play lady frederick 1907 was his first theatrical success, and his largely autobiographical novel of. When i was and had just arrived at a new school, our first set text was cakes and ale. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. Per doubledays practice of designating first editions, first edition so stated on title page verso. Free downloadable version in various formats including kindle, epub, pdf and others. Somerset maugham, published by william heinemann in 1932 a quote from meditations, iii 10, by marcus aurelius, introduces the work.
Cakes and ale is a piercing satire of british literary circles, and features apparently very recognisable portraits of authors thomas hardy, and maugham s erstwhile friend horace walpole. Buy cakes and ale by william somerset maugham from amazons fiction. His parents died when he was still a child, and he was brought up by his uncle, vicar of whitstable in kent. Short therefore, is mans life, and narrow is the corner of the earth wherein he dwells. Maughams masterpiece is generally agreed to be of human bondage, a semiautobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character. Somerset maugham this study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of cakes and ale. Somerset maugham tells the story of author william ashendens series of contracts over decades with a greatly renowned novelist, and the need of his wouldbe biographer for details that william alone can provide. As we learn from selina hastings in her excellent biography, the secret lives of somerset maugham, cakes and ale was written in 1930 in maugham s sumptuous home, the villa mauresque on cap ferrat, at the time in his life when he was happiest and most content. In the story, set a good many years ago in what is now indonesia, a young australian, cruising the islands after. He spoke french even before he spoke a word of english, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style. Maugham, english novelist, shortstory writer, and playwright is best remembered for his novel of human bondage.
Somerset maugham,neil hunt for free with a 30 day free trial. Like his protagonist, maugham himself would live for many years in search of his calling and a place where he belonged. For literary reasons it starts with a vicious portrait of. Cakes and ale, or, the skeleton in the cupboard 1930 is a novel by the british author w. His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in of human bondage, maugham became a qualified physician. Although he was homosexual, he married once and had numerous affairs with women, many of his female characters mirroring real life. Of all somerset maughams novels this is the most entertaining and arguably his best ever. Somerset william somerset, 18741965, contrib the canadian, photoplay title of the land of promise. May 28, 2004 when i was and had just arrived at a new school, our first set text was cakes and ale. Maugham was not known as a bombthrower, but cakes and ale in 1930 changed that. Maugham was educated at kings school, canterbury and at heidelberg university. Somerset maugham s play with pictures from the photoplay. William somerset maugham, cakes and ale, heinemann 1953, frontispiece and illustrations by graham sutherland, signed by the author and artist, from a numbered edition of, morocco rubbed. A novelist, ashenden is befriended by the ambitious, selfserving alroy kear, who has been.
Instead, he turned to a medical career, studying at st. Jan 25, 2014 cakes and ale is probably the most cheerful of maugham s works, considering that it comprises chiefly of the narrators recollections of a carefree summer vacation due to a strange friendship with a middleaged writer, driffield, and his sensuous, friendly wife, rosie. Maugham s other famous novels include the moon and sixpence 1919, based on the life of the french painter paul gauguin. The novel deals with the craft of writing and the foibles of those who do it. Many of maugham s plays, novels, and short stories have been adapted into films. The war had just finished and the passenger traffic in the oceangoing liners was heavy. Esmx010, cakes and ale, 1930, 116, 616k, ebook, download pdf cakes and ale. Because of a severe stammer, maugham was unable to follow in his fathers and grandfathers footsteps as an attorney. Somerset maugham somerset maugham by anthony curtis the secret lives of somerset maugham by selina hastings maugham.
A novelist, ashenden is befriended by the ambitious, selfserving alroy kear, who has been commissioned to write an official biography of the. Something of his hospital experience is reflected, however, in the. Blackstable takes the place of whitstable as it did in of human bondage. Working in the slums of lambeth as an obstetric clerk, maugham s experiences led him to write liza of lambeth 1897.
Somerset maugham, published in 1930 the story is told by willie ashenden, a character who previously appeared in maugham s shortstory collection ashenden. Cakes and ale is probably the most cheerful of maugham s works, considering that it comprises chiefly of the narrators recollections of a carefree summer vacation due to a strange friendship with a middleaged writer, driffield, and his sensuous, friendly wife, rosie. Thomass hospital with a view to practice in medicine, but the success of his first novel, liza of lambeth 1897, won him over to letters. Somerset maugham primary author only author division. From nearly five decades, somerset maugham recorded an intimate journal.
Both maugham s parents died before he was 10, and the orphaned boy was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold. Somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Maugham 18941965 was safely settled in the south of france when the storm broke over this book. Somerset maugham is currently considered a single author. Cakes and ale or the skeleton in the cupboard by w. Cakes and aleroused a storm of controversy when it was first published in 1930. As an adventurous young man he traveled to greece, turkey and asia minor as well as to fez, in morocco. Contentment and a zest for life wafts off the pages like expensive french pefume. Novelist, playwright and spy somerset maugham was one of the most popular and commercially successful authors of the twentieth century. William somerset maugham,cakes and ale, heinemann 1953.
It still baffles me even now that someone thought a bunch of yearolds might enjoy somerset maugham s. In cakes and ale maugham makes only the slightest of attempts at disguising its autobiographical nature. Ebook cakes and ale as pdf download portable document format. Cakes and ale vintage international kindle edition by. Somerset maugham 36 editions first published in 1930 download daisy. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham mom, 18741965, english writer, b.
William somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. A near fine copy with foxing to the page edges, in a near fine dustwrapper, crisp and bright showing a touch of toning to the spine. Somerset maugham, seen here in 1939, was daring and ahead of his time. The story is told by willie ashenden, who previously appeared in maugham s short story collection ashenden. Of all somerset maugham s novels this is the most entertaining and arguably his best ever.
As he traces the fortunes of edward driffield and his extraordinary wife rosie, one of the most delightful heroines of twentiethcentury literature, maugham s sardonic wit and lyrical warmth expertly combine in this. Somerset maughams story, miss thompson, new york, boni and liveright, c1923, also by john colton and clemence randolph page images at hathitrust. Mar 14, 2004 maugham s father, robert ormond maugham, was born in 1823. Lord george, the local coal merchant, adds to the merriment and is to play. The play was first seen in london in 1907, and was very successful, running for 422 performances. It still baffles me even now that someone thought a bunch of yearolds might enjoy somerset maugham. Cakes and ale 1930, satirizing thomas hardy and hugh walpole. The story is told by willie ashenden, a character who previously appeared in maughams shortstory collection ashenden. Somerset maugham was born in thebritish embassy in paris. Maugham s 1930 novel cakes and ale is a thinly veiled portrait of thomas hardy, whose wild inclinations in youth were later tamed into the staid respectability expected of a great novelist by. Somerset 1 8741765 english novelist, short story writer, playwright, and essayist. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Definition of cakes and ale in the idioms dictionary. He courted much controversy through his works including accusations of a thinlyveiled satirical attack on thomas hardy in cakes and ale 1930.
Driffield to recall incidents relating to edward driffield for kears sanitized biography, the narrator. The story is told by willie ashenden, a character who previously appeared in. Henry shukman rereads somerset maugham books the guardian. Topics cakes, ale, maugham collection opensource language english. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt, in pictorial dustwrapper printed in black and red. Social climber alroy kear is flattered when he is selected by edward driffields wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller.
He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Somerset maugham, july 1, 1993, penguin classics edition, paperback in english. Filled with keen observations, autobiographical notes, and the seeds of many of maugham s greatest works, a writers notebook is a unique and exhilarating look into a great writers mind at work. Mar 04, 2010 cakes and ale is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs and a skilfully crafted study of freedom. Somerset maugham author of of human bondage the moon and sixpence the moon and sixpence chapter i i confess that when first i made acquaintance with charles strickland i never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the ordinary. When war broke out in 1914, somerset maugham was dispatched by the british secret service to switzerland under the guise of completing a play. Cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society between the wars. Includes new facsimile dust jacket in archival brodart sleeve. Multilingual, knowledgeable about many european countries and a celebrated writer, maugham had the perfect cover, and the assignment appealed to his love of romance, and of the ridiculous. Maugham exposes the misguided social snobbery levelled at the character rosie driffield, whose frankness, honesty, and sexual freedom make her a target of conservative propriety. Somerset william somerset 1874 1965 date of first publication. A literary biography within a novel that examined the private sin that accompanies public success.
Somerset maugham s cakes and ale dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale. In somerset maugham s novel the moon and sixpence, there is a scene in which dirk stroeve, a painter, visits an art dealer to inquire after the work of another artist, charles strickland. An introverted child afflicted with a stammer, maugham was orphaned at 10 and sent to live with his uncle, a vica. Full text of cakes and ale maugham internet archive. Lady frederick is a comedy by the british writer w. Cakes and ale and the moon and sixpence are subdued masterpieces yet he dont get no respect, was one pithy comment. In somerset maughams novel the moon and sixpence, there is a scene in which dirk stroeve, a painter, visits an art dealer to inquire after the work of another artist, charles strickland. William somerset maugham was born in paris in 1874. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham and other ebooks from all genres of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, historical documents and sheet music, all of which are available on a subscription basis. Cakes and ale is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs and a skilfully crafted study of freedom. He qualified as a doctor in 1897, but pursued his passion for writing following the publication of his first novel, liza of lambeth, in the same year. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Returning to settle in france in 1928, he wrote what many regard as his satirical masterpiece cakes and ale. Maughams 1930 novel cakes and ale is a thinly veiled portrait of thomas hardy, whose wild inclinations in youth were later tamed into the staid respectability expected of a great novelist by.
Auction details a leicestershire gentlemans private library of books. Cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society betwe. Review of cakes and ale by somerset maugham a writers. Maugham exposes the misguided social snobbery levelled at the character rosie driffield, whose frankness, honesty and sexual freedom make her a target of conservative propriety. Maugham, the moon and sixpence a thinly disguised fictionalization of paul gauguins life, cakes and ale maugham s own favorite and perhaps his best, a fic tionalization of the life of thomas hardy, and the razors edge a story of eastern mysticism which strangely presaged the. The narrow corner is a novel by the british writer w. Maugham s father, robert ormond maugham, was born in 1823. Accommodation was very hard to get and you had to put up with.
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