Six Stories Written in the First Person Singular

by W. Somerset Maugham

HardCover. Pub 2014-04-01 268 Chinese polity press This book is a collection of short stories. includes six chapters the author by the people in your life as the prototype creation of introduction chastity for a dozen of humanity and capricious brainwave Jane alien land

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, British Literature

299 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1931

About the author

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 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.

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift English novelist Somerset Maugham has for storytelling!
I understand why he was nicknamed the "English Maupassant"...
Maugham is a prolific novelist, and this new collection of short stories encourages me to read more of his work.

[L J Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book of six novellas.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six stories, each about 40 to 50 pages. I liked five of them. I'd probably rate this book 4 1/2. Finishing the book saddened me! This is something. And some of the stories lingered! This is something else.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a nice book. Six short stories with so much dept most of the time I had to stop and take a breather between each. I am not sure I can point out my favorite, but I can say that the book in general has some characteristics I love. The simple fact the First Person Singular is a writer makes it quite relatable. I giggled uncontrollably when I saw things I usually do described. All in all, a very good. A must reread.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually reading the 1931 publication (old!!!) with no mention of ISBN #. Given to me by my first paternal grandfather-in-law.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of these stories

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

They could have been five (pruning the final one) but they are all good, if you like realistic stories about imperfect but likable people.

[Cristiana]

"É estranho que os homens, habitantes por tão pouco tempo de um Mundo inóspito e desumano, se dêem tanto trabalho para se tornarem desgraçados"

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Round Dozen was a 5* story, the rest not so interesting.

[Nishan Gunawardena]

6 short stories... 4 of them pretty good, 2 of them not so good.