What do you think?
Rate this book
The Best Short Stories of William Somerset Maugham
17 stories:
The letter --
The verger --
The vessel of wrath --
The hairless Mexican --
Mr. Harrington's washing --
Red --
Mr. Know-all --
The alien corn --
The book-bag --
The round dozen --
The voice of the turtle --
The facts of life --
Lord Mountdrago --
The colonel's lady --
The treasure --
Rain --
P. & O.
The letter --
The verger --
The vessel of wrath --
The hairless Mexican --
Mr. Harrington's washing --
Red --
Mr. Know-all --
The alien corn --
The book-bag --
The round dozen --
The voice of the turtle --
The facts of life --
Lord Mountdrago --
The colonel's lady --
The treasure --
Rain --
P. & O.
Hardcover
First published June 1, 1957
41 people are currently reading
883 people want to read
About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,130 books6,112 followersWilliam 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 almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clichés' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
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 almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clichés' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 20, 2017
I really didn't expect to like these - but Maugham's style lies at this nice intersection of 19th and 20th century where you get the best of both. Funny, observant, diverse. Boom.
November 26, 2020
A collection of 17 stories that provides an excellent representation of Maugham's wonderful short stories. Maugham has a remarkable insight into human behavior, and demonstrates it with sharp wit along with substantial sympathy. Maugham strikes me as a person I'd love to have as a friend, although I'd rather not show up as a character in one of his stories!
February 16, 2022
I never thought I would be writing this review, as I started reading this collection of short stories just to take a glimpse of how short stories were written like almost a century ago. But, let me confess, there have been very few books of stories that have given me such pleasure in reading as this has. It was difficult to put this back down once I started going through it, but the perfect length of these stories make them a fluent read which you can pick up whenever you have time.
The collection that I have, contains 11 short stories along with an introduction and a brief biography of the author. The short stories include the Letter, the Verger, the Vessel of Wrath, The Book-Bag, the Round Dozen, The Facts of Life, Lord Mountdrago, The Colonel’s Lady, The Treasure, Rain, and P&O.
The setting of the stories might seem like old era, but the characters of Somerset Maugham are universal and timeless and one can easily relate with them. Maugham bases his stories on some peculiar incident of the protagonist’s life and keeps the readers hinged throughout with suspense and continuously unwinding series of events. The description both of characters and setting is appropriately balanced and you can imagine the perfect picture without ever getting bored or skipping the text. I think I would keep going back to it time and again.
The collection that I have, contains 11 short stories along with an introduction and a brief biography of the author. The short stories include the Letter, the Verger, the Vessel of Wrath, The Book-Bag, the Round Dozen, The Facts of Life, Lord Mountdrago, The Colonel’s Lady, The Treasure, Rain, and P&O.
The setting of the stories might seem like old era, but the characters of Somerset Maugham are universal and timeless and one can easily relate with them. Maugham bases his stories on some peculiar incident of the protagonist’s life and keeps the readers hinged throughout with suspense and continuously unwinding series of events. The description both of characters and setting is appropriately balanced and you can imagine the perfect picture without ever getting bored or skipping the text. I think I would keep going back to it time and again.
April 24, 2012
I loved every single one of these stories. Maugham never disappoints.
February 12, 2016
Brilliant collection of classic short stories.
Before this, I had read Of Human Bon dage, The Moon & Sixpence, and The Razor's Edge, and I really enjoyed all three. This was the first I had read of Maugham's short stories, though, and the man was truly a master of the short tale just as much as the novel.
While many of the stories do feature an O. Henry-esque turn at the end, they are not nearly as plot-oriented or sentimental as Henry's. Maugham's tended to be much deeper and more psychological revelations, ones which illuminate profound and surprising truths of a character's nature. What I particularly love is that nearly all of them have a slow-burn quality. Maugham's stories take their time to flesh out the characters, but obviously in brief enough fashion for the short story format. However, this efficiency robs the stories of none of their power. It is merely that their strength often truly emerges at the very end. I found the wait well worth it for almost every story here.
Of the 17 stories here, several are outstanding, such as The Vessel of Wrath, The Voice of the Turtle, and Rain. Even the weaker or more overtly humorous ones are very good.
This was a great collection by master storyteller. Highly recommended for any who enjoy good short stories that can each be read in one or two short sittings.
Before this, I had read Of Human Bon dage, The Moon & Sixpence, and The Razor's Edge, and I really enjoyed all three. This was the first I had read of Maugham's short stories, though, and the man was truly a master of the short tale just as much as the novel.
While many of the stories do feature an O. Henry-esque turn at the end, they are not nearly as plot-oriented or sentimental as Henry's. Maugham's tended to be much deeper and more psychological revelations, ones which illuminate profound and surprising truths of a character's nature. What I particularly love is that nearly all of them have a slow-burn quality. Maugham's stories take their time to flesh out the characters, but obviously in brief enough fashion for the short story format. However, this efficiency robs the stories of none of their power. It is merely that their strength often truly emerges at the very end. I found the wait well worth it for almost every story here.
Of the 17 stories here, several are outstanding, such as The Vessel of Wrath, The Voice of the Turtle, and Rain. Even the weaker or more overtly humorous ones are very good.
This was a great collection by master storyteller. Highly recommended for any who enjoy good short stories that can each be read in one or two short sittings.
June 18, 2025
The Back of Beyond by William Somerset Maugham – author of A String of Beads – my note on this is at https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... where I have a few hundred reviews
9 out of 10
The Back of Beyond is rather elaborate and quite long, so it was a surprise to find that there is little concerning this short story, if we google it, so let me contribute, and put something in this desert, if not the best information or note, still, if the problem is aridity, some vegetation might be welcome, even if it is only weeds
At the beginning of this Far Eastern Tale, we meet George Moon, the Resident at Timbang Belud, somewhere in the Federated Malay States, and we read about him, before his last evening in office, for he will be sailing back home to England for his retirement…at some point, he seems to complain about this to his ex-wife
He has met with her, after a long time after their separation, and she is quite heavy now, she has a daughter, something Geroge Moon has missed, did not know about her, this young woman is in her twenties, has married and the ex-spouse says she will be a grandmother and adds some comment on their ages
However, she states that Geroge is very fit, and she is surprised to hear that he is retiring, and he explains that it is not his wish, it is a question of age limitation, they have to let somebody else take over, at a certain stage, no matter what the situation is, which seems absurd, albeit this will have some advantages, as we will see
The man in charge with the ceremony – or something, a festivity, I forgot which – of going into retirement is Tom Saffary, and this is an indication that what had happened between him and the resident is now, if not forgotten, at least put behind, no hard feelings about the past incident more or less
Tom Saffary had found one of his coolies – or some other category of employee in his household or office, again, my memory is playing tricks, what was I saying – in the wrong and punished him severely, with a harsh beating, and that fell foul of the rules, and thus the Resident would have to take a potion on the matter
George Moon is a serious, just, but severe official, and although the native made a mistake, penalties, applying the law is the attribute of the representative of the crown in the colonies and because Tom Saffary had taken upon himself to do justice, that was some sort of usurpation and the Resident took action
He had imposed a fine, and Saffary was very upset about this, so much so that he would not play cards, engage with the official after that, but now that he was leaving for good, the fellow took charge of some part of the official activities, maybe the whole beano, only it would not work as planned, because of a tragedy
As the white men gather at the club one day, one of them reads in the newspaper that Knobby Clarke had died, he was on this ship, and he had to be buried at sea – which reminds me of another story P&O https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... where another white man dies on a ship
Tom Saffary is shocked to hear the news, indeed, all present are, and one has to read the notice in the paper to believe it, and Saffary was engaged in a game, and he feels he has to continue, because others had placed bets on the outcome, feeling sure he will conduct himself with panache and win money for them
Nonetheless, Tom Saffary will come before the farewell party to see the departing Resident and tell him that he will not be able to attend with his wife, Violet, and Geroge Moon can see that his guest is more than perturbed, he looks as if he has been through some serious grievance, a serious shock and he cannot leave
The visitor assures the host that he will not be absent because of the tension in the past, and then he asks if he can have some advice, because the man is leaving, he feels he can share an aspect that he would be ashamed to part with, if they would have been seeing each other again and so we get into the secret
After finding about the death of his best friend, Knobby Clarke, Saffary finished his game, and then went home, to share the news with his spouse, Violet, and the wife has a violent reaction, she falls apart, and cries ‘what will happen to me now’, words to the effect of ‘she will be devasted, unable to survive this tragedy’
The husband is trying to alleviate the pain, but then he becomes intrigued, and starts questioning, ‘why do you wonder what will happen to you, yes, he was a good friend, but your mother died recently, and you did not have this reaction’, again, I do not have the quote, but that was the gist of it, and then they kept at it
She tried to say it was so unexpected and sudden, and yes, this is what happened with the mother too, so gradually, we get to the big question, and we see that the two had had an affair, and furthermore, they were planning to sail together to Sydney, where Knobby will look for a job, until things got out of control
They had discovered they love each other, and it was the first time they felt this feeling they realized, their husband and wife did not count anymore, but then Tom Saffary gets a better position, higher pay, only in a different colony, and he ahs to go and Knobby’s wife discovers she is three months pregnant, and that is a paradigm change – a hilarious definition of that you can find in the Booker Prize Winner Vernon God Little https://realini.blogspot.com/2016/06/... by DBC Pierre
9 out of 10
The Back of Beyond is rather elaborate and quite long, so it was a surprise to find that there is little concerning this short story, if we google it, so let me contribute, and put something in this desert, if not the best information or note, still, if the problem is aridity, some vegetation might be welcome, even if it is only weeds
At the beginning of this Far Eastern Tale, we meet George Moon, the Resident at Timbang Belud, somewhere in the Federated Malay States, and we read about him, before his last evening in office, for he will be sailing back home to England for his retirement…at some point, he seems to complain about this to his ex-wife
He has met with her, after a long time after their separation, and she is quite heavy now, she has a daughter, something Geroge Moon has missed, did not know about her, this young woman is in her twenties, has married and the ex-spouse says she will be a grandmother and adds some comment on their ages
However, she states that Geroge is very fit, and she is surprised to hear that he is retiring, and he explains that it is not his wish, it is a question of age limitation, they have to let somebody else take over, at a certain stage, no matter what the situation is, which seems absurd, albeit this will have some advantages, as we will see
The man in charge with the ceremony – or something, a festivity, I forgot which – of going into retirement is Tom Saffary, and this is an indication that what had happened between him and the resident is now, if not forgotten, at least put behind, no hard feelings about the past incident more or less
Tom Saffary had found one of his coolies – or some other category of employee in his household or office, again, my memory is playing tricks, what was I saying – in the wrong and punished him severely, with a harsh beating, and that fell foul of the rules, and thus the Resident would have to take a potion on the matter
George Moon is a serious, just, but severe official, and although the native made a mistake, penalties, applying the law is the attribute of the representative of the crown in the colonies and because Tom Saffary had taken upon himself to do justice, that was some sort of usurpation and the Resident took action
He had imposed a fine, and Saffary was very upset about this, so much so that he would not play cards, engage with the official after that, but now that he was leaving for good, the fellow took charge of some part of the official activities, maybe the whole beano, only it would not work as planned, because of a tragedy
As the white men gather at the club one day, one of them reads in the newspaper that Knobby Clarke had died, he was on this ship, and he had to be buried at sea – which reminds me of another story P&O https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... where another white man dies on a ship
Tom Saffary is shocked to hear the news, indeed, all present are, and one has to read the notice in the paper to believe it, and Saffary was engaged in a game, and he feels he has to continue, because others had placed bets on the outcome, feeling sure he will conduct himself with panache and win money for them
Nonetheless, Tom Saffary will come before the farewell party to see the departing Resident and tell him that he will not be able to attend with his wife, Violet, and Geroge Moon can see that his guest is more than perturbed, he looks as if he has been through some serious grievance, a serious shock and he cannot leave
The visitor assures the host that he will not be absent because of the tension in the past, and then he asks if he can have some advice, because the man is leaving, he feels he can share an aspect that he would be ashamed to part with, if they would have been seeing each other again and so we get into the secret
After finding about the death of his best friend, Knobby Clarke, Saffary finished his game, and then went home, to share the news with his spouse, Violet, and the wife has a violent reaction, she falls apart, and cries ‘what will happen to me now’, words to the effect of ‘she will be devasted, unable to survive this tragedy’
The husband is trying to alleviate the pain, but then he becomes intrigued, and starts questioning, ‘why do you wonder what will happen to you, yes, he was a good friend, but your mother died recently, and you did not have this reaction’, again, I do not have the quote, but that was the gist of it, and then they kept at it
She tried to say it was so unexpected and sudden, and yes, this is what happened with the mother too, so gradually, we get to the big question, and we see that the two had had an affair, and furthermore, they were planning to sail together to Sydney, where Knobby will look for a job, until things got out of control
They had discovered they love each other, and it was the first time they felt this feeling they realized, their husband and wife did not count anymore, but then Tom Saffary gets a better position, higher pay, only in a different colony, and he ahs to go and Knobby’s wife discovers she is three months pregnant, and that is a paradigm change – a hilarious definition of that you can find in the Booker Prize Winner Vernon God Little https://realini.blogspot.com/2016/06/... by DBC Pierre
March 30, 2023
L’autore ha una grande capacità descrittiva, molto utile quando l’aspetto più interessante dei suoi racconti era (e in parte è ancora) l’esotismo dell’ambientazione. Non si lascia andare a descrizioni barocche, cariche di aggettivi, ma è capace di trovare le parole giuste, per evocare davanti agli occhi del lettore i luoghi, senza tuttavia privarli della loro aurea un po’ misteriosa/magica (come la metafora delle farfalle per gli spettatori della corrida o la descrizione dei palazzi nobiliari). A ciò accosta la sottile inquietudine un po’ onirico-surreale dei racconti, che non lasciano quasi mai intuire in modo trasparente dove vogliano andare a parare (tranne nel racconto Point of honour, in cui si intuisce piuttosto rapidamente l’identità dei due spagnoli), cosicché l’altro come luogo (lontano e misterioso, solo parzialmente comprensibile) si ripercuote anche sulla trama, che rimane sempre un po’ diversa rispetto allo svolgimento normale di vicende analoghe, come nei sogni, dove tutto è al contempo familiare e strano.
In questi racconti brevi si possono individuare due costanti (che possono avvicinare l’autore a Conrad, benché con minore profondità riflessiva): la capacità di creare personaggi umani a tutto tondo, dilaniati dalle contraddizioni, schiacciati dalle meschinità e dall’incapacità di agire in un determinato modo, quello più logico per la loro felicità, a causa della pressione dei sentimenti e delle emozioni (spesso dimidiati tra la cultura del paese natale e quella in cui i personaggi vivono e investono i loro affetti, poiché appunto l’ancora sentimentale della educazione europea impedisce lo slancio libero nella realtà esotica); dall’altro lato, benché collegato alla precedente, emerge il continuo contrasto tra paese natale (per lo più l’Inghilterra) e paese esotico, che non riesce mai a scacciare del tutto il desiderio del paese natale, nonostante tutto quello che offre. Personaggi come Masterson, dilaniati dall’impossibilità di concedersi totalmente al paese in cui vivono, appunto per l’infrangibile ancoraggio all’Inghilterra, risultano così esclusi da una vita piena, poiché alla fine vivono sempre in due posti (l’autore così incrina il mito del paese esotico, additando come poche persone riescano a girare completamente pagina, abbracciando davvero una cultura così diversa; insomma, l’altro può anche essere affascinante da sondare, ma abbandonarsici è tutt’altro discorso). Si creano così questi personaggi straziati e strazianti, che vivono nel costante ricordo dell’Inghilterra (malinconico e anche un po’ sfalsato, con tutta probabilità), ma che se ci tornassero, come Grosely, scapperebbero via dopo poco tempo, incapace dopo aver vissuto i paesi esotici, di tornare alla grigia quotidianità inglese. Alla fine è la condanna della memoria: il luogo dove non si è tende ad assumere una bellezza nostalgica, che attrae come una falsa promessa (e infatti Grosely vuole mantenere la Cina come un miraggio).
L’ultimo racconto, di tipo fiabesco in stile Mille e una notte, se per la sua morale e per il suo stile si può definire un testo dotato di un suo senso interno molto forte, risulta molto meno interessante per l’assenza delle tensioni individuate nei precedenti testi. La moralità di una fiaba, se la rende adatta a una prima riflessione esplicita e circoscritta su dati temi, proprio per la schematicità con cui vengono rappresentati, e se ha la sua utilità soprattutto per un determinato target di lettori (giovani), paga queste caratteristiche con un grosso limite in quelle che sono le sfumature psicologiche e umane presenti in quasi tutte le situazioni e realtà.
In questi racconti brevi si possono individuare due costanti (che possono avvicinare l’autore a Conrad, benché con minore profondità riflessiva): la capacità di creare personaggi umani a tutto tondo, dilaniati dalle contraddizioni, schiacciati dalle meschinità e dall’incapacità di agire in un determinato modo, quello più logico per la loro felicità, a causa della pressione dei sentimenti e delle emozioni (spesso dimidiati tra la cultura del paese natale e quella in cui i personaggi vivono e investono i loro affetti, poiché appunto l’ancora sentimentale della educazione europea impedisce lo slancio libero nella realtà esotica); dall’altro lato, benché collegato alla precedente, emerge il continuo contrasto tra paese natale (per lo più l’Inghilterra) e paese esotico, che non riesce mai a scacciare del tutto il desiderio del paese natale, nonostante tutto quello che offre. Personaggi come Masterson, dilaniati dall’impossibilità di concedersi totalmente al paese in cui vivono, appunto per l’infrangibile ancoraggio all’Inghilterra, risultano così esclusi da una vita piena, poiché alla fine vivono sempre in due posti (l’autore così incrina il mito del paese esotico, additando come poche persone riescano a girare completamente pagina, abbracciando davvero una cultura così diversa; insomma, l’altro può anche essere affascinante da sondare, ma abbandonarsici è tutt’altro discorso). Si creano così questi personaggi straziati e strazianti, che vivono nel costante ricordo dell’Inghilterra (malinconico e anche un po’ sfalsato, con tutta probabilità), ma che se ci tornassero, come Grosely, scapperebbero via dopo poco tempo, incapace dopo aver vissuto i paesi esotici, di tornare alla grigia quotidianità inglese. Alla fine è la condanna della memoria: il luogo dove non si è tende ad assumere una bellezza nostalgica, che attrae come una falsa promessa (e infatti Grosely vuole mantenere la Cina come un miraggio).
L’ultimo racconto, di tipo fiabesco in stile Mille e una notte, se per la sua morale e per il suo stile si può definire un testo dotato di un suo senso interno molto forte, risulta molto meno interessante per l’assenza delle tensioni individuate nei precedenti testi. La moralità di una fiaba, se la rende adatta a una prima riflessione esplicita e circoscritta su dati temi, proprio per la schematicità con cui vengono rappresentati, e se ha la sua utilità soprattutto per un determinato target di lettori (giovani), paga queste caratteristiche con un grosso limite in quelle che sono le sfumature psicologiche e umane presenti in quasi tutte le situazioni e realtà.
March 29, 2020
"The Voice of the Turtle" by William Somerset Maugham is dedicated to the same topic, which is later used in his novel "Theater". The author presented his views about actresses.
The main character of the story, an opera singer - a bitchy, greedy, selfish, heartless woman who turns any conversation to discussion about her roles, plans, stories of her life and so on. Under the magic of her talent, some people see her exactly the way she wants to be seen - as an unselfish servant of art, a bright and pure creature.
Maugham wrote the novel "Theater" a few years after this story. The two main characters which were revealed in his works represented the view of the writer for actresses as a type of personality. Because Maugham was a rather famous and successful playwright, his point of view toward actresses was based on the experience of personal communication with them.
Nevertheless, the attitude of the writer towards the main character of the story was more complicated. He wrote at the end of the story - "... people blame me because I rather like people who are a little worse than is reasonable. She was hateful, of course, but she was irresistible."
This is the link to the text of the story:
http://indbooks.in/mirror1/?p=284329
The main character of the story, an opera singer - a bitchy, greedy, selfish, heartless woman who turns any conversation to discussion about her roles, plans, stories of her life and so on. Under the magic of her talent, some people see her exactly the way she wants to be seen - as an unselfish servant of art, a bright and pure creature.
Maugham wrote the novel "Theater" a few years after this story. The two main characters which were revealed in his works represented the view of the writer for actresses as a type of personality. Because Maugham was a rather famous and successful playwright, his point of view toward actresses was based on the experience of personal communication with them.
Nevertheless, the attitude of the writer towards the main character of the story was more complicated. He wrote at the end of the story - "... people blame me because I rather like people who are a little worse than is reasonable. She was hateful, of course, but she was irresistible."
This is the link to the text of the story:
http://indbooks.in/mirror1/?p=284329
November 18, 2022
This was my first experience reading this author. Competent short stories, some very good.
The author has a knack for creating a mood and for creating an arc of tension and release. See for example the short story "Rain" where the reader really feels the smo... [see the rest on my book review site.]
The author has a knack for creating a mood and for creating an arc of tension and release. See for example the short story "Rain" where the reader really feels the smo... [see the rest on my book review site.]
February 25, 2025
I alternate chapter of "Ulysses" with a Maugham short story. I know Maugham is considered middlebrow, but I enjoy him none the less. (William Saroyan, too!) A college librarian sneered at me when I checked out "Liza of Lambeth". My next checkout was Octave Mirbeau's "The Torture Garden". I didn't read it, but is restored my street cred.
October 23, 2020
A true gem. I have many more of his works ahead to read.
June 14, 2023
An excellent set of short stories by a master of the genre. Maugham's writing is powerful, smooth, and a joy to read.
Read
August 4, 2024Read several—well written but chillingly cynical. Mister Know-All, Three Fat Women of Antibes, The Happy Couple, The Lion’s Skin, Before the Party.
Very movie-ready.
Very movie-ready.
September 5, 2025
Legendary. Each story reels you in.
June 21, 2011
Not sure if this is the same version of what I have, but I got this one in Taiwan at a used book store. It only has four short stories in it, but for my first time reading Maugham I am addicted already. Rain, Red, Honolulu and The Four Dutchmen were all great short stores, all of which I thought could have easily been full novels in themselves, but Maugham intended them to be brief, important glimpses into the lives of these people.
Of the four, Red completely blew me away. One of the best short stories I have read in a long time. Hope to find more by Maugham in my travels.
Of the four, Red completely blew me away. One of the best short stories I have read in a long time. Hope to find more by Maugham in my travels.
October 13, 2015
(I put it on re-read because I am still working through the collection. Each story will have its own ranking in stars as past experience with Maugham indicates a varied range of my own reading preference.)
10/2015 -- Facts of Life. 3 stars.
A father gave three advices for his son for his first trip to Monte Carlo: don't gamble, don't lend money, don't get tangled with woman. Very much along the same advices as Polonius for Laertes. Would the Fate and Youth mock back the reasoned and seasoned Old? Of course they would. Amusing as it is, the story is a light piece of vignette.
10/2015 -- Facts of Life. 3 stars.
A father gave three advices for his son for his first trip to Monte Carlo: don't gamble, don't lend money, don't get tangled with woman. Very much along the same advices as Polonius for Laertes. Would the Fate and Youth mock back the reasoned and seasoned Old? Of course they would. Amusing as it is, the story is a light piece of vignette.
July 14, 2014
UMA ESTRANHA AVENTURA / WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM ; TRAD. S. MIRANDA
AUTOR(ES):
Maugham, W. Somerset, 1874-1965; Guilherme, Paulo, 1932-2010, il.; Miranda, S., trad.
PUBLICAÇÃO: Lisboa : Editorial Organizações, 1956
DESCR. FÍSICA: 125, [2] p., [2] f. ; 16 cm
COLECÇÃO: O livro de bolso ; 1
AUTOR(ES):
Maugham, W. Somerset, 1874-1965; Guilherme, Paulo, 1932-2010, il.; Miranda, S., trad.
PUBLICAÇÃO: Lisboa : Editorial Organizações, 1956
DESCR. FÍSICA: 125, [2] p., [2] f. ; 16 cm
COLECÇÃO: O livro de bolso ; 1
July 19, 2009
I just love W. Somerset Maugham. This was a nice collection of stories, quite a few of which I hadn't read before.
January 6, 2016
One of the best short story writers in the English language. Especially if you enjoy travel as I do. I love his travel stories as in The Painted Veil which was made into a decent movie.
July 21, 2023
This just grabbed me in grade 10
January 22, 2015
A book for all seasons.
I loved all the short stories in this collection
I loved all the short stories in this collection
June 14, 2017
I have re-read Somerset Maugham regularly over the years and never tire of him. The consummate short story writer.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews