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Cakes and Ale (1930)

by W. Somerset Maugham, Dodie Masterman (Illustrator)

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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1,946428,407 (3.78)192
Cakes and Ale is a delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. Social climber Alroy Kear is flattered when he is selected by Edward Driffield's wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. But then Kear discovers the great novelist's voluptuous muse (and unlikely first wife), Rosie. The lively, loving heroine once gave Driffield enough material to last a lifetime, but now her memory casts an embarrissing shadow over his career and respectable image. Wise, witty, deeply satisfying, Cakes and Ale is Maugham at his best.… (more)
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» See also 192 mentions

English (39)  Spanish (1)  Italian (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (42)
Showing 1-5 of 39 (next | show all)
Not a bad read, but not grabbling. ( )
  SteveMcI | Dec 14, 2023 |
210mm x 130mm (8" x 5"). 9000pp. Dark blue/gilt hardback leatherette cover.
  TeamYankeeKiwi | Oct 1, 2023 |
Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars, but I don't feel right about rounding up this time.

There are several rambling parts that are deadly boring, just blah blah blah about beauty or The Writer's Life or whatever; I strongly suggest skipping these bits. Basically, whenever you sense that Maugham is straying from the plot just skim until he picks the thread back up, it makes the book much more enjoyable.

That being said, I'm glad I finished it because I liked the way he ended things quite a bit. ( )
  blueskygreentrees | Jul 30, 2023 |
This “social satire” was an interesting read. I felt it was meandering at times and I sometimes struggled to determine the tone Maugham was going for. Nonetheless, I felt there was some unique commentary on sexual liberation of women as well as class. The internal thoughts of the narrator seemed to dip into nonfiction/literary criticism at times. Content warning for casual antisemitism and use of the n-word in dialogue. ( )
  psalva | Jul 8, 2023 |
Tanmese a viktoriánus emlékezetről, avagy miből lesz a cserebogár. Ashenden, az író nyugalmát két kollégája zavarja meg: az egyikük, Alroy Kear él, a másikuk, Driffield épp most halt meg. Eme sajnálatos tény (mármint az elhalálozás) indítja arra az élő írót, hogy felkeresse Ashendent, mégpedig abból a célból, hogy csepegtessen már neki némi életrajzi adatot az elhunytról, merthogy Ashenden hamvas kölyökfóka korában állítólag jól ismerte őt. Csakhogy amit Ashenden tud Driffieldről (és amit nosztalgikus visszaemlékezések füzérén keresztül meg is oszt az olvasóval), az aligha építhető bele organikusan egy szalonképes életrajzba – és itt kezdődnek a problémák. Maugham regénye egy kettős átváltozás története: egyfelől láthatjuk, ahogy szegény Driffieldből kiszipolyozza a vért környezete, mert túl elevennek találja ahhoz, hogy egy viktoriánus mítosz tárgya legyen – ha már szobrot formáznak belőle, legalább legyen élettelen. Másrészt pedig (és talán elsősorban) Ashenden átalakulásának története is, aki nem kis részben Driffield (pontosabban felesége, Rosa) hatására válik hétköznapi konformista brit fiatalemberből művésszé. Elegáns, hajlékony, okos (néha okoskodó) kötet a művészről, és arról, milyennek akarja látni a művészt a társadalom, és hogy e két elem között mekkora szakadék tud lenni. Végig belengi valami finom avíttság, ez elfeledett Anglia emléke, amit én különösen sokra értékeltem. Jó volt. ( )
  Kuszma | Jul 2, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 39 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (25 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Maugham, W. Somersetprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Masterman, DodieIllustratormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Birdsall, DerekCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Eggink, ClaraTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Peccinotti, HarriCover photographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shakespeare, NicholasIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Snow, PeterIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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I have noticed that whenever someone asks for you on the telephone and, finding you out, leaves a message begging you to call him up the moment you come in, as it's important, the matter is more often important to him than to you.
Quotations
I have noticed that when I am most serious people are apt to laugh at me, and indeed when after a lapse of time I have read passages that I wrote from the fullness of my heart I have been tempted to laugh at myself. It must be that there is something naturally absurd in a sincere emotion, though why there should be I cannot imagine, unless it is that man, the ephemeral inhabitant of an insignificant planet, with all his pain and all his striving is but a jest in an eternal mind.
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Cakes and Ale is a delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. Social climber Alroy Kear is flattered when he is selected by Edward Driffield's wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. But then Kear discovers the great novelist's voluptuous muse (and unlikely first wife), Rosie. The lively, loving heroine once gave Driffield enough material to last a lifetime, but now her memory casts an embarrissing shadow over his career and respectable image. Wise, witty, deeply satisfying, Cakes and Ale is Maugham at his best.

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