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30th out of 91 books
—
11 voters
Far Eastern Tales
Short stories, all born of Maugham's experiences in Malaya, Singapore and other outposts of the former British Empire. Whether portraying a ship-borne flight from a lover's curse, murder in the jungle or the remembered East of a repatriate's suburban home, they reveal Maugham as a shrewd and human judge of character and soul.
Footprints in the Jungle
Mabel
P. & O.
The Door...more
Footprints in the Jungle
Mabel
P. & O.
The Door...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
July 25th 2000
by Vintage Classics
(first published 1993)
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W. Somerset Maugham
Far Eastern Tales
Vintage, Paperback, 2000.
8vo. 278 pp. Selected by John Whitehead.
First published thus in 1993.
Contents
Footprints in the Jungle
Mabel
P. & O.
The Door of Opportunity
The Buried Talent
Before the Party
Mr. Know-All
Neil MacAdam
The End of the Flight
The Force of Circumstance
===========================================
This is an interesting and fairly well done selection of ten short stories by Somerset Maugham, all of them more or less set in the Far East. First publi...more
Far Eastern Tales
Vintage, Paperback, 2000.
8vo. 278 pp. Selected by John Whitehead.
First published thus in 1993.
Contents
Footprints in the Jungle
Mabel
P. & O.
The Door of Opportunity
The Buried Talent
Before the Party
Mr. Know-All
Neil MacAdam
The End of the Flight
The Force of Circumstance
===========================================
This is an interesting and fairly well done selection of ten short stories by Somerset Maugham, all of them more or less set in the Far East. First publi...more
Great compilation of quick reads. A perfect bath book, with the delicious familiar pattern of tales that you likely know the ending of from the very beginning. I would be cautious, however, to call them "insightful" as Maugham reflects racist attitudes and completely "others" the people of the "third world". His narration is one of the colonist, which depicts a misrepresented world of danger and mystery. However, the narration itself is engaging as long there is recognition of this racist "other...more
"There is no place in Malaya that has more charm than Tanah Merah." I found this opening sentence of the first story, Footprints in the Jungle, very gripping and I was immediately hooked. Maugham's use of language is beautiful, evocative and lyrical and none of the stories disappoint.
These ten tales of people and their relationships were very much set in a bygone era. Predominantly focused on British people, their way of living was so different from the way that I live (even as an expat) it was...more
These ten tales of people and their relationships were very much set in a bygone era. Predominantly focused on British people, their way of living was so different from the way that I live (even as an expat) it was...more
Somerset Maugham creates for me, the atmosphere of tropical Asia, the intriguing stories that have total plausibility and yet each is contained in just one of 10 short stories. Pure craftsmanship.
A mixed bag of short stories.
The Buried Talent is excellent – well written and moving. The Door of Opportunity and Mr. Know-All are also worth reading, the other stories are forgettable.
The Buried Talent is excellent – well written and moving. The Door of Opportunity and Mr. Know-All are also worth reading, the other stories are forgettable.
Apr 27, 2008
Sophie Ng
is currently reading it
I am in the midst of reading the book as I have vowed to read one story every Monday; and I find it extremely hard to put it down.
Maugham is one of my favourite authors; his books provide such a deep insight into the intricacies of human relationships; so far I have not found another author who could read so deep into the human character and soul.
And he could write well too; a lucid and vivid style one cannot expect from modern writers today.
Door of Opportunity - An adoring wife found out about...more
Maugham is one of my favourite authors; his books provide such a deep insight into the intricacies of human relationships; so far I have not found another author who could read so deep into the human character and soul.
And he could write well too; a lucid and vivid style one cannot expect from modern writers today.
Door of Opportunity - An adoring wife found out about...more
in short story its very rarevthwt I like alk stories in the compilation. this is one of the rare occasion.
I find that the stories here are witty and easy to read. love the ironic twist that he added into each story
I find that the stories here are witty and easy to read. love the ironic twist that he added into each story
he's good at developing his characters :-)
These were well written and sharply observed - and the stories generally nice bite-sized chunks for a night or two's reading.
This book is an easy to read collection of short stories about colonial life in the Far East in the early 20th century. I like the imagery the author creates, but the stories all have depressing endings.
Nostalgic turn-of-the-century/colonial atmosphere and several mentions of Singapore
This is a great book for anyone interested in colonial SEA.
Apr 27, 2013
Bootlesscry
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2013
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William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He spoke French even before he spoke a word of English, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style.
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in 'Of Human Bondage' , Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he alm...more
More about W. Somerset Maugham...
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in 'Of Human Bondage' , Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he alm...more
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