W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965)

I picked up Maugham because I had just finished Tan Twan Eng’s House of Doors which tells the story of Maugham in Malaya in the 1920s; while there, Maugham witnesses events that he later fictionalized in one of his best-known short stories, “The Letter.” Having read Tan’s version of Maugham in Penang, I wanted to see how Maugham handled things. And, of course, one story led to another. And another. Many critics contend that Maugham’s short stories are his best writing, though I note that his short stories are rarely short, more often falling somewhere between short stories and novellas. Maugham set his stories in many different locales, though many of them were based in Asia and the Pacific where he spent much of his life traveling. Many of the stories are about the lives of ordinary British folks in the colonial service, especially their lives among the people they ruled. (It is also worth pointing out that Maugham was a creature sharing many of the prejudices—especially racial prejudices—of his time.) I have read only about a dozen of his stories so far but although I do not think he is a brilliant writer—I find the conclusions of his stories a bit too melodramatic, a bit too clever for my taste—I have not the slightest doubt that he is a master of characterization. His ability to describe his characters is impressive and he is able to situate them in their surroundings—whether it be the Federated Malay States or England or anywhere else in the world—in a way that makes those surroundings essential to the story. Maugham is also a master of unhappiness: unhappiness in love, unhappiness in life, unhappiness in any number of circumstances. And though I have grown to dislike his fondness for the unexpected twist at the end of the story, I will also say this: I enjoy his stories so much that I have just replaced my one-volume "selected" stories with the multi-volume complete collection. I can’t seem to put them down. (If you want specific recommendations, I offer “The Letter,” “The Book-Bag,” “Footprints in the Jungle,” “Rain,” [generally considered his best story] and “The Force of Circumstance.”)… (more)

Maugham has once again created a story that has carved a firm place in my heart. His comprehension of human duality and of the distance between different people groups is shown so brilliantly through Charley's exploits in Paris that one cannot but consider how these facts affect their own world. The word choice was superbly fitted to the novel, and each chapter ending filled me with a sense of contemplative satisfaction. Although there were moments when his zealous use of summary piqued my impatience, his ability to infuse even the most tedious recollections with distinct voices made the bridges between scenes worthwhile and even the minor characters more realistic. With its questions of human relations, desire, understanding of others, and understanding of self, this was the perfect novel with which to start my Christmas holiday.… (more)