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Liza of Lambeth
W. Somerset Maugham’s first novel is about the gloomy, poverty-stricken world of South London in the 1890s and how it affects one young girl who tries to escape from it.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1897
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1664 people want to read
About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,115 books6,065 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
April 25, 2025
*3.5 stars*
Somerset Maugham’s debut novel, Liza of Lambeth, is set in this working class community of London, in the 1890’s.
The story begins with the eponymous Liza dancing along the street with all the neighbourhood watching ‘”…She was getting excited at the admiration of the onlookers, and her dance grew wilder and more daring. She lifted her skirts higher, brought in new and more difficult movements into her improvisation, kicking up her legs she did the wonderful twist, backwards and forwards, of which the dancer is proud.
However, there’s another side to Liza - she’s extremely brusque in manner, and thinks she can treat people any way she chooses, but when she falls in love the tables are completely turned.
Maugham paints a portrait of a poor, working class community, with women being treated very badly in the main, usually by their drunken other half.
Hearing some of the women’s voices, it’s also evident that gaslighting isn’t a new phenomenon! Although there were bad times, it’s not all gloom and doom, there were also some joyous occasions with which the people threw themselves into wholeheartedly.
Maugham wrote his debut novel whilst studying to be a doctor, but he also clearly spent time studying the voices of those people, with authentic use of Cockney slang throughout - something which some readers might find difficult to follow. An interesting piece of social history.
Somerset Maugham’s debut novel, Liza of Lambeth, is set in this working class community of London, in the 1890’s.
The story begins with the eponymous Liza dancing along the street with all the neighbourhood watching ‘”…She was getting excited at the admiration of the onlookers, and her dance grew wilder and more daring. She lifted her skirts higher, brought in new and more difficult movements into her improvisation, kicking up her legs she did the wonderful twist, backwards and forwards, of which the dancer is proud.
However, there’s another side to Liza - she’s extremely brusque in manner, and thinks she can treat people any way she chooses, but when she falls in love the tables are completely turned.
Maugham paints a portrait of a poor, working class community, with women being treated very badly in the main, usually by their drunken other half.
Hearing some of the women’s voices, it’s also evident that gaslighting isn’t a new phenomenon! Although there were bad times, it’s not all gloom and doom, there were also some joyous occasions with which the people threw themselves into wholeheartedly.
Maugham wrote his debut novel whilst studying to be a doctor, but he also clearly spent time studying the voices of those people, with authentic use of Cockney slang throughout - something which some readers might find difficult to follow. An interesting piece of social history.
November 7, 2016
This story is set in Lambeth, a working class neighborhood in London, around the end of the 19th century. Liza Kemp is an 18 year old factory worker, living with her sickly mother. Liza is a very outgoing and likeable girl, a favorite with the boys, especially young Tom who is in love with her. But trouble begins when Jim Blakeston moves into the neighborhood. Jim is a 40 year old married man with children, but he has an eye for Liza and when he starts showering her with affection, she is powerless to resist. Their relationship can only end badly and the story winds it's way to it's inevitable conclusion.
September 5, 2017
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I purchased this during my birthday holiday in Hay-On-Wye back in July and only decided to pick up and read this last night since the story length was just under 140 pages long. Not hearing much about W. Somerset Maugham before, going into Liza of Lambeth, I wasn't sure what to expect or how his writing style was going to be like as a first-time reader. But for a quick, interesting read, Liza of Lambeth did the trick. My Vintage Classics edition of the book has an author's note at the very start before the actual novel talking about his writing process and how Liza of Lambeth was his first novel. This I found extremely interesting since finding out about the history of past authors from the 1800/1900s appeals to me. From this note, he explains how this book is his first novel and his experiences living in London at the time of writing it. Throughout the story setting, it's clear to see that he portrayed a visual image of London's streets well just because he physically went out to research the surrounding areas.
The story follows eighteen year old Liza who is a very mischievous character and likes to run up and down the streets and attract the street guys that live close to her and her Mum. In Vere Street, Lambeth, she is very well known by the locals and the area is very run-down. A guy called Tom who she has known for a while proposes to her but she declines. A new guy called Jim arrives in the area with his family and soon falls head over heels in love with Liza but he is married, setting up the story of an affair gone extremely wrong.
The way the characters spoke in the book using words like "Mornin" and "Yer" shows that W. Somerset Maugham actually took time to listen to how people in London spoke and made the story more realistic to me as a reader over 100 years on after it was first published. The ending was a real surprise to me, story length could have been a little bit longer since some of the scenes felt rushed but for a first novel, it was quick, visual and eye-opening!
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I purchased this during my birthday holiday in Hay-On-Wye back in July and only decided to pick up and read this last night since the story length was just under 140 pages long. Not hearing much about W. Somerset Maugham before, going into Liza of Lambeth, I wasn't sure what to expect or how his writing style was going to be like as a first-time reader. But for a quick, interesting read, Liza of Lambeth did the trick. My Vintage Classics edition of the book has an author's note at the very start before the actual novel talking about his writing process and how Liza of Lambeth was his first novel. This I found extremely interesting since finding out about the history of past authors from the 1800/1900s appeals to me. From this note, he explains how this book is his first novel and his experiences living in London at the time of writing it. Throughout the story setting, it's clear to see that he portrayed a visual image of London's streets well just because he physically went out to research the surrounding areas.
The story follows eighteen year old Liza who is a very mischievous character and likes to run up and down the streets and attract the street guys that live close to her and her Mum. In Vere Street, Lambeth, she is very well known by the locals and the area is very run-down. A guy called Tom who she has known for a while proposes to her but she declines. A new guy called Jim arrives in the area with his family and soon falls head over heels in love with Liza but he is married, setting up the story of an affair gone extremely wrong.
The way the characters spoke in the book using words like "Mornin" and "Yer" shows that W. Somerset Maugham actually took time to listen to how people in London spoke and made the story more realistic to me as a reader over 100 years on after it was first published. The ending was a real surprise to me, story length could have been a little bit longer since some of the scenes felt rushed but for a first novel, it was quick, visual and eye-opening!
My social medias:
Twitter- www.Twitter.com/MarriedToBooks3
Instagram- www.Instagram.com/alicetiedthebookish...
Book Blog 1- www.marriedtobooksreviewsandblog.word...
March 18, 2018
I liked this book so I am giving it three stars. Please do not think a three star book is not worth reading! Give it a chance; it takes a while to get pulled in.
One can look at this book in two ways.
You can look at the plot and see what happens. There are three, let’s say four, central characters. Liza Kemp is eighteen and lives in Lambeth, a slum area in southern London. The year is 1887. We follow what happens from August to December of that year. She is vibrant, she is bewitching, she has zest and she loves to live, and of course she is interested in men. She has a beau—Tom, but she is bored by him. So guess what, there turns up another. His name is Jim Blakeston, but he is married, has five kids and is about twenty years her senior. As you might guess, she falls for him. The fourth character is Liza’s mother. Another interesting character is a midwife, Mrs. Hodges. She lives upstairs in the same building as the Kemps. I did not guess how the story would end, but I did guess quite a bit along the way. The plot line is just not all that unique.
The second way of looking at the book is by observing the milieu, the London slum area and its inhabitants that reside there. It is this that I liked. The author wrote Liza of Lambeth while he was a medical student interning at the obstetric unit of St. Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth. There is the connection. Maugham is writing about people and a milieu he knows. It is for this reason that what is described is perceived as so very real. We see life on the street--the brawls, the drinking and the dancing. Domestic violence, high mortality and lack of health care are the norm. Gender roles are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion. We are not delivered a fairy tale story or a didactic lesson. What the characters do, feel and say may not always be nice, but is believable. We are given a mirror image of reality. I’ll take reality any day over fantasy!
I listened to an audiobook narrated by Annie Adlington. The author’s characters speak a South London dialect. Unusual slang words, shortened words and idioms pepper the dialogs. Adlington uses what sounds to me like a pronounced Cockney accent. This reflects the author’s written words well, but makes the lines even more difficult to understand. From the context one can usually grasp approximately what is meant. Due to the dialect and depending upon one’s own capability and preference, it might be better to choose the paper book. I have given the narration three stars. Clarity is important to me.
My ratings of Maugham’s books:
Mrs Craddock 4 stars
Cakes and Ale 4 stars
The Painted Veil 4 stars
Liza of Lambeth 3 stars
The Razor's Edge 3 stars
Christmas Holiday 3 stars
Theatre 2 stars
The Moon and Sixpence 2 stars
Of Human Bondage 2 stars
One can look at this book in two ways.
You can look at the plot and see what happens. There are three, let’s say four, central characters. Liza Kemp is eighteen and lives in Lambeth, a slum area in southern London. The year is 1887. We follow what happens from August to December of that year. She is vibrant, she is bewitching, she has zest and she loves to live, and of course she is interested in men. She has a beau—Tom, but she is bored by him. So guess what, there turns up another. His name is Jim Blakeston, but he is married, has five kids and is about twenty years her senior. As you might guess, she falls for him. The fourth character is Liza’s mother. Another interesting character is a midwife, Mrs. Hodges. She lives upstairs in the same building as the Kemps. I did not guess how the story would end, but I did guess quite a bit along the way. The plot line is just not all that unique.
The second way of looking at the book is by observing the milieu, the London slum area and its inhabitants that reside there. It is this that I liked. The author wrote Liza of Lambeth while he was a medical student interning at the obstetric unit of St. Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth. There is the connection. Maugham is writing about people and a milieu he knows. It is for this reason that what is described is perceived as so very real. We see life on the street--the brawls, the drinking and the dancing. Domestic violence, high mortality and lack of health care are the norm. Gender roles are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion. We are not delivered a fairy tale story or a didactic lesson. What the characters do, feel and say may not always be nice, but is believable. We are given a mirror image of reality. I’ll take reality any day over fantasy!
I listened to an audiobook narrated by Annie Adlington. The author’s characters speak a South London dialect. Unusual slang words, shortened words and idioms pepper the dialogs. Adlington uses what sounds to me like a pronounced Cockney accent. This reflects the author’s written words well, but makes the lines even more difficult to understand. From the context one can usually grasp approximately what is meant. Due to the dialect and depending upon one’s own capability and preference, it might be better to choose the paper book. I have given the narration three stars. Clarity is important to me.
My ratings of Maugham’s books:
Mrs Craddock 4 stars
Cakes and Ale 4 stars
The Painted Veil 4 stars
Liza of Lambeth 3 stars
The Razor's Edge 3 stars
Christmas Holiday 3 stars
Theatre 2 stars
The Moon and Sixpence 2 stars
Of Human Bondage 2 stars
October 9, 2025
3,5*
#victober
- Mas a culpa não foi dele - acudiu Sally, entre soluços. - Foi apenas porque bebeu um copo a mais. Quando não bebe, é muito bom.
- Um copo a mais! Esse grande animal! Eu é que lhe dava uma lição, se fosse homem!
(...)
- Desculpa-me, Jim, mas fui ver a Sally, e o marido tinha-lhe batido, por isso é que me demorei lá mais um pouco.
- Bateu-lhe? Pois foi muito bem feito. E há por aí muitas outras que também andam a precisar de uma boa sova!
Esta história, publicada em 1897, decorre ainda na época vitoriana, em Lambeth, um bairro operário de Londres, onde abunda o álcool e a violência doméstica. Apesar de gostar de Maugham, reconheço que ele maltrata um bocado as suas heroínas, já que tende a avilaná-las ou a fazê-las pagar de forma trágica por actos considerados menos decentes de acordo com a moral da época. Neste caso, até a tradução do título em português é moralista, pois Liza of Lambeth passou de forma pouco católica para "Liza, a Pecadora", sendo que o pretenso pecado praticado não é, obviamente, apenas obra dela.
Juízos de valor à parte, é um excelente retrato social com diálogos muito expressivos.
#victober
- Mas a culpa não foi dele - acudiu Sally, entre soluços. - Foi apenas porque bebeu um copo a mais. Quando não bebe, é muito bom.
- Um copo a mais! Esse grande animal! Eu é que lhe dava uma lição, se fosse homem!
(...)
- Desculpa-me, Jim, mas fui ver a Sally, e o marido tinha-lhe batido, por isso é que me demorei lá mais um pouco.
- Bateu-lhe? Pois foi muito bem feito. E há por aí muitas outras que também andam a precisar de uma boa sova!
Esta história, publicada em 1897, decorre ainda na época vitoriana, em Lambeth, um bairro operário de Londres, onde abunda o álcool e a violência doméstica. Apesar de gostar de Maugham, reconheço que ele maltrata um bocado as suas heroínas, já que tende a avilaná-las ou a fazê-las pagar de forma trágica por actos considerados menos decentes de acordo com a moral da época. Neste caso, até a tradução do título em português é moralista, pois Liza of Lambeth passou de forma pouco católica para "Liza, a Pecadora", sendo que o pretenso pecado praticado não é, obviamente, apenas obra dela.
Juízos de valor à parte, é um excelente retrato social com diálogos muito expressivos.
November 18, 2022
Cried.
Smiled.
Got angry.
Felt compassion.
Read a Somerset Maugham, to sum it up.
Smiled.
Got angry.
Felt compassion.
Read a Somerset Maugham, to sum it up.
November 11, 2023
A slight but evocative novella which vividly depicts inner-city London at the close of the Victorian era. Dickensian in characterisation - but never sentimental - Maugham places himself at the centre of a rumbustious and brazen community, depicting with tenderness both its brutality and warmth.
Alcohol and domestic violence are both visible and hidden companions, emotion and loyalty are on constant display and throughout is a sense of a community both crushed by poverty yet invigorated by possibility.
This was Maugham’s first fictional work, published in 1897 and the hallmarks of his later work are magnificently visible.
Alcohol and domestic violence are both visible and hidden companions, emotion and loyalty are on constant display and throughout is a sense of a community both crushed by poverty yet invigorated by possibility.
This was Maugham’s first fictional work, published in 1897 and the hallmarks of his later work are magnificently visible.
August 6, 2018
I am reading first novels from some of my favorite authors and Somerset Maugham was on my list.
Having read Of Human Bondage this year, it was fresh in my mind and I could not help compare Liza and Mildred. Mildred was such a despicable character whereas Liza had a good heart but it sent her in the wrong direction. Maugham's female characters are quite strong in mind. The Londoner's dialect is manageable and I kept thinking of Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady as I read the story. Maugham was accused of being overly influenced by novels like Arthur Morrison's Child of Jago which lead to critics accusing him of copying the "slum atmosphere", not having read Morrison yet, I can not comment myself until I read Jago. Maugham's slum has marriage troubles, drunkenness, abuse and starvation but it also has a spirit of enjoying life when one can, so life is not all bleak and dreary. When Liza comes into the neighborhood it brightened but her life soon changed and all around her after a chance encounter. I did not read this edition by Delphi collection of his works. An unforgettable tale, really he did know how to make them memorable or at least they are for me!
Having read Of Human Bondage this year, it was fresh in my mind and I could not help compare Liza and Mildred. Mildred was such a despicable character whereas Liza had a good heart but it sent her in the wrong direction. Maugham's female characters are quite strong in mind. The Londoner's dialect is manageable and I kept thinking of Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady as I read the story. Maugham was accused of being overly influenced by novels like Arthur Morrison's Child of Jago which lead to critics accusing him of copying the "slum atmosphere", not having read Morrison yet, I can not comment myself until I read Jago. Maugham's slum has marriage troubles, drunkenness, abuse and starvation but it also has a spirit of enjoying life when one can, so life is not all bleak and dreary. When Liza comes into the neighborhood it brightened but her life soon changed and all around her after a chance encounter. I did not read this edition by Delphi collection of his works. An unforgettable tale, really he did know how to make them memorable or at least they are for me!
June 10, 2024
Liza is a blossoming teenage girl from a tough neighbourhood who lives with a tough mother. A young boy by the name of Tom fancies her; but she’s more attracted to the burly and rougher, Jim, an older man who's married with kids. Somerset Maugham’s first novel (from 1897) was written when he was still a medical student in Lambeth. The book displays his sharp observational skills for the characters and situations that he encountered in this seedy environment – which is a universe away from the lives and settings that would feature in many of his later books.
[I’ve just finished three Patrick Hamilton novels and felt I was still in the same desperately down and out world].
I’m not generally patient with long passages of dialect heavy speech (and I suspect speed readers will have difficulty, considering that much of the dialogue is written in cockney), but at my slow pace it wasn’t a problem; there’s also the fact that many of the words are repeated often enough for immediate recognition, and even to form its own spoken rhythm.
The simple tale is straightforwardly told. The opening, with Liza parading her new dress by dancing in the street, is a joy to read:-
‘”…She was getting excited at the admiration of the onlookers, and her dance grew wilder and more daring. She lifted her skirts higher, brought in new and more difficult movements into her improvisation, kicking up her legs she did the wonderful twist, backwards and forwards, of which the dancer is proud.
“Look at ‘er legs!” cried one of the men.
“Look at ‘er stockin’s!” shouted another; and indeed they were remarkable, for Liza had chosen them of the same brilliant hue as her dress, and was herself most proud of the harmony.
Her dance became gayer: her feet scarcely touched the ground, she whirled round madly.
“Tike care yer don’t split!” cried out one of the wags, at a very audacious kick.
The words were hardly out of his mouth when Liza, with a gigantic effort, raised her foot and kicked off his hat. The feat was greeted with applause, and she went on, making turns and twists, flouring her skirts, kicking higher and higher, and finally, among a volley of shouts, fell on her hands and turned head over heels in a magnificent catharine-wheel; then scrambling to her feet again, she tumbled into the arms of a young man standing in the front of the ring.
“That’s right, Liza,” he said. “Give us a kiss, now,” and promptly tried to take one.
“Gitaht!” said Liza, pushing him away, not too gently.
“Yus, give us a kiss,” cried another, running up to her.
“I’ll smack yer in the fice!” said Liza, elegantly, as she dodged him.
Characters are quickly introduced, and no time is wasted in the development of their relations to one another. Rather than intricate plotting, Maugham concentrates on character, description and the atmosphere of the dire situations which he would have been witness to. It inevitably builds to an ugly climax. A violent, and it has to be said excitingly described catfight which rages bloodily and noisily over four pages. The result? Well, that’s for you to find out. It’s worth it. Here’s a sample:-
“Yer dirty little bitch, you!” she [Mrs Blakeston] said at last. “Tike that!” and with her open hand she gave her a sharp smack on the cheek.
Liza started back with a cry and put her hand up to her face.
“An’ tike thet!” added Mrs Blakeston, repeating the blow. Then, gathering up the spittle in her mouth, she spat in Liza’s face.
Liza sprang on her, and with her hands spread out like claws buried her nails in the woman’s face and drew them down her cheeks. Mrs Blakeston caught hold of her hair with both hands and tugged at it as hard as she could…
Despite the grimness of the situation it’s a very pleasurable read that is even light and tender at times. It’s a great writer at the beginning of his career learning his craft; and the fact that as a young writer he keeps it simple, unpreachy, and unpretentious is a huge credit to his abilities and know-how. Take it for what it is, and it’s a hugely enjoyable read.
[I’ve just finished three Patrick Hamilton novels and felt I was still in the same desperately down and out world].
I’m not generally patient with long passages of dialect heavy speech (and I suspect speed readers will have difficulty, considering that much of the dialogue is written in cockney), but at my slow pace it wasn’t a problem; there’s also the fact that many of the words are repeated often enough for immediate recognition, and even to form its own spoken rhythm.
The simple tale is straightforwardly told. The opening, with Liza parading her new dress by dancing in the street, is a joy to read:-
‘”…She was getting excited at the admiration of the onlookers, and her dance grew wilder and more daring. She lifted her skirts higher, brought in new and more difficult movements into her improvisation, kicking up her legs she did the wonderful twist, backwards and forwards, of which the dancer is proud.
“Look at ‘er legs!” cried one of the men.
“Look at ‘er stockin’s!” shouted another; and indeed they were remarkable, for Liza had chosen them of the same brilliant hue as her dress, and was herself most proud of the harmony.
Her dance became gayer: her feet scarcely touched the ground, she whirled round madly.
“Tike care yer don’t split!” cried out one of the wags, at a very audacious kick.
The words were hardly out of his mouth when Liza, with a gigantic effort, raised her foot and kicked off his hat. The feat was greeted with applause, and she went on, making turns and twists, flouring her skirts, kicking higher and higher, and finally, among a volley of shouts, fell on her hands and turned head over heels in a magnificent catharine-wheel; then scrambling to her feet again, she tumbled into the arms of a young man standing in the front of the ring.
“That’s right, Liza,” he said. “Give us a kiss, now,” and promptly tried to take one.
“Gitaht!” said Liza, pushing him away, not too gently.
“Yus, give us a kiss,” cried another, running up to her.
“I’ll smack yer in the fice!” said Liza, elegantly, as she dodged him.
Characters are quickly introduced, and no time is wasted in the development of their relations to one another. Rather than intricate plotting, Maugham concentrates on character, description and the atmosphere of the dire situations which he would have been witness to. It inevitably builds to an ugly climax. A violent, and it has to be said excitingly described catfight which rages bloodily and noisily over four pages. The result? Well, that’s for you to find out. It’s worth it. Here’s a sample:-
“Yer dirty little bitch, you!” she [Mrs Blakeston] said at last. “Tike that!” and with her open hand she gave her a sharp smack on the cheek.
Liza started back with a cry and put her hand up to her face.
“An’ tike thet!” added Mrs Blakeston, repeating the blow. Then, gathering up the spittle in her mouth, she spat in Liza’s face.
Liza sprang on her, and with her hands spread out like claws buried her nails in the woman’s face and drew them down her cheeks. Mrs Blakeston caught hold of her hair with both hands and tugged at it as hard as she could…
Despite the grimness of the situation it’s a very pleasurable read that is even light and tender at times. It’s a great writer at the beginning of his career learning his craft; and the fact that as a young writer he keeps it simple, unpreachy, and unpretentious is a huge credit to his abilities and know-how. Take it for what it is, and it’s a hugely enjoyable read.
July 17, 2022
This is W. Somerset Maugham’s debut novel, and it shows both his inexperience and his potential. It is a rather sad and, for its time, perhaps cautionary tale, for it is the tale of a girl’s seduction and a reputation’s destruction.
Much of the novel is written in Cockney dialect, which I initially found distracting and difficult to become accustomed to. I had to read much of it aloud so that I could translate in my head and follow the thread of the conversations. After I settled into that, however, it moved quickly and gathered momentum, to its inevitable end.
I do not want to explore any of the details of the plot, it is a very short book and it would be difficult to give even a slight synopsis without risking spoilers. Liza is a complex character, she makes you laugh as she bounces about the neighborhood and spares with the young men and boys on her street, she displays both a savvy mind and an innocent heart, while at the same time she is confused about what love is and shows a total lack of conviction or sense of morality. I hated her mother.
Much of the novel is written in Cockney dialect, which I initially found distracting and difficult to become accustomed to. I had to read much of it aloud so that I could translate in my head and follow the thread of the conversations. After I settled into that, however, it moved quickly and gathered momentum, to its inevitable end.
I do not want to explore any of the details of the plot, it is a very short book and it would be difficult to give even a slight synopsis without risking spoilers. Liza is a complex character, she makes you laugh as she bounces about the neighborhood and spares with the young men and boys on her street, she displays both a savvy mind and an innocent heart, while at the same time she is confused about what love is and shows a total lack of conviction or sense of morality. I hated her mother.
April 22, 2019
This is Somerset Maugham’s first published story (a short novel or novelette) – and it shows. The only real character is Liza, the others are caricatures and not well-rounded. Liza is a rambunctious and lively teenage girl of eighteen – and that in itself is a departure from some of the stereotypes of woman portrayed in the literature of the era.
The story takes place in a lower-class area of London and the scenes and settings are raw, .
As a warning the dialogue is of the vernacular of the people who live in this poor district with expressions like “swop me bob”!
I did find the ending disappointing - was Maugham trying to find a convenient method of ending his story? It certainly wasn’t “happily ever after”.
The story takes place in a lower-class area of London and the scenes and settings are raw, .
As a warning the dialogue is of the vernacular of the people who live in this poor district with expressions like “swop me bob”!
I did find the ending disappointing - was Maugham trying to find a convenient method of ending his story? It certainly wasn’t “happily ever after”.
December 30, 2012
Liza Of Lambeth (1897) is perhaps Maugham's only novel which I don't have the heart to revisit. Not because it is poor, but because it is so chillingly tragic. It isn't as if his other novels are all light and sunshine. Maugham in fact always had a great eye for human tragedy and unfailingly took up themes about the impossibility of love and the doomed nature of marriages. Almost every single novel of his has a grim death in it, but nothing is as brutal as what one witnesses in Liza of Lambeth. The graphic violence and the extreme misfortune of the lead character evoke a deep sense of horror.
The book was written by Maugham when he was all of 23. It was his first attempt at writing a novel, and this he did while practising as a doctor. His work took him to the doorsteps of the poor and needy in the slums of Lambeth, and it is his experience and observations here that gave him the material for the book. To his own surprise, the novel was fairly well-received when it was published, and soon Maugham got more offers to write.
The novel is Maugham’s shortest, and also most unlike his other works. Liza of Lambeth appears distinct because it is so removed from the world the author generally sets his stories in ie upper class London. Here, in a ghetto, where the labour class resides, the mood and tenor are vastly altered. Also, a large part of the book comprises of conversations in the local slang, which makes it that much tougher to read. Yet, the story is engaging, and in the end, fans of the author will recogonise many things in the novel that only Maugham could have written.
the rest: http://sandyi.blogspot.in/2012/01/som...
The book was written by Maugham when he was all of 23. It was his first attempt at writing a novel, and this he did while practising as a doctor. His work took him to the doorsteps of the poor and needy in the slums of Lambeth, and it is his experience and observations here that gave him the material for the book. To his own surprise, the novel was fairly well-received when it was published, and soon Maugham got more offers to write.
The novel is Maugham’s shortest, and also most unlike his other works. Liza of Lambeth appears distinct because it is so removed from the world the author generally sets his stories in ie upper class London. Here, in a ghetto, where the labour class resides, the mood and tenor are vastly altered. Also, a large part of the book comprises of conversations in the local slang, which makes it that much tougher to read. Yet, the story is engaging, and in the end, fans of the author will recogonise many things in the novel that only Maugham could have written.
the rest: http://sandyi.blogspot.in/2012/01/som...
June 2, 2012
This is Somerset Maugham's first published novel, and of those of his that I've read, I think I like this one the best. About 12 years ago I bought several of his books cheap at a library sale, put them on a shelf and forgot them, and in the course of tidying the shelves I took them down to read, so I've been reading one after the other.
Liza of Lambeth is based on Maugham's experience as a medical student in a poor part of London. Well it's poor in parts. I once went to a garden party at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and there's nothing poor about that!
Liza is a young girl, a teenager, 18 years old, who saves enough from her job in a factory to buy a new dress, which she wears to a street party and has a jolly good time. Her mother, who is a bit of a hypochondriac, and also a bit of a boozer, thinks the money would have been better spent on booze for herself. But Liza is happy and carefree, and enjoys herself. And her joy and love of life are infectious, and spread to others.
But gradually things start going badly for Liza. This partly because of her own choices, and partly because of the pressures of other people and society generally.
To say any more of the story would give away too much of the plot, but I will say that it still today, more than a century after it was written, gives an insight into the lives of poor people and the conditions in which they live. It's an outsider's view. As far as I know Somerset Maugham didn't grow up in poverty himself, so he writes from observation, not from first-hand experience. And it is pretty good observation.
But books like this are probably not read by the poor. They are probably read mostly by fairly comfortable middle-class people like me. And from what I have observed of the life of poor people, though the time and the place may be different, there is much that is similar.
To give just one example, it's the people in the streets. The book is about the inhabitants of one street, and they meet each other and talk to each other in the street. They sit on their doorsteps and talk to their neighbours.
Earlier this week I had a couple of hours to kill while my son wrote an exam, so went to visit a friend who lived nearby. Their gate was locked, so I called them on my cell phone, but there was no reply, so I thought I might as well sit in the car in the street and read my book.
It was a lower middle-class suburb. The houses were not pretentious. They were originally built by the Iskor steelworks nearby for housing their white workers, and were later sold off. But they had pleasant gardens and the street was quiet. Only one car passed. There was a tapping on the car window. It was a rather agitated bird, wondering what I was doing there. I waved and it and it went away. Two fat pigeons ambled across the street. A dog barked. In one of the houses nearby a baby cried briefly. A young black woman in a hoodie came walking over the hill and passed me, but there was no interaction between us. Another black woman with hair extensions came walking up the hill and went into the house over the road. But for the most part, nothing happened. And in our neighbourhood it is much the same.
But when we visit Mamelodi, a "previously disadvantaged" township, there are always people walking in the street, talking to each other, greeting neighbours. There are children playing games, hopscotch, cricket (as in Lambeth), football etc. On Sundays (which is when we mostly go there) a phrase from a poem I learnt at school comes to mind, "man's heart expands to tinker with his car." There are cars with bonnets up, cars being washed. On some Sundays there's a Golf club -- rows of Volkswagen Golfs with their bonnets up, with the owners hanging around discussing technical points.
The houses may be different, the languaghe may be different, the clothes may be different, the time and the place may be different, but Maugham's descriptions still ring true.
Liza of Lambeth is based on Maugham's experience as a medical student in a poor part of London. Well it's poor in parts. I once went to a garden party at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and there's nothing poor about that!
Liza is a young girl, a teenager, 18 years old, who saves enough from her job in a factory to buy a new dress, which she wears to a street party and has a jolly good time. Her mother, who is a bit of a hypochondriac, and also a bit of a boozer, thinks the money would have been better spent on booze for herself. But Liza is happy and carefree, and enjoys herself. And her joy and love of life are infectious, and spread to others.
But gradually things start going badly for Liza. This partly because of her own choices, and partly because of the pressures of other people and society generally.
To say any more of the story would give away too much of the plot, but I will say that it still today, more than a century after it was written, gives an insight into the lives of poor people and the conditions in which they live. It's an outsider's view. As far as I know Somerset Maugham didn't grow up in poverty himself, so he writes from observation, not from first-hand experience. And it is pretty good observation.
But books like this are probably not read by the poor. They are probably read mostly by fairly comfortable middle-class people like me. And from what I have observed of the life of poor people, though the time and the place may be different, there is much that is similar.
To give just one example, it's the people in the streets. The book is about the inhabitants of one street, and they meet each other and talk to each other in the street. They sit on their doorsteps and talk to their neighbours.
Earlier this week I had a couple of hours to kill while my son wrote an exam, so went to visit a friend who lived nearby. Their gate was locked, so I called them on my cell phone, but there was no reply, so I thought I might as well sit in the car in the street and read my book.
It was a lower middle-class suburb. The houses were not pretentious. They were originally built by the Iskor steelworks nearby for housing their white workers, and were later sold off. But they had pleasant gardens and the street was quiet. Only one car passed. There was a tapping on the car window. It was a rather agitated bird, wondering what I was doing there. I waved and it and it went away. Two fat pigeons ambled across the street. A dog barked. In one of the houses nearby a baby cried briefly. A young black woman in a hoodie came walking over the hill and passed me, but there was no interaction between us. Another black woman with hair extensions came walking up the hill and went into the house over the road. But for the most part, nothing happened. And in our neighbourhood it is much the same.
But when we visit Mamelodi, a "previously disadvantaged" township, there are always people walking in the street, talking to each other, greeting neighbours. There are children playing games, hopscotch, cricket (as in Lambeth), football etc. On Sundays (which is when we mostly go there) a phrase from a poem I learnt at school comes to mind, "man's heart expands to tinker with his car." There are cars with bonnets up, cars being washed. On some Sundays there's a Golf club -- rows of Volkswagen Golfs with their bonnets up, with the owners hanging around discussing technical points.
The houses may be different, the languaghe may be different, the clothes may be different, the time and the place may be different, but Maugham's descriptions still ring true.
August 27, 2018
Somerset Maugham is an exceptional writer and his brilliant work, Of Human Bondage, is one of my favourite books, it is a novel that I have read many times, that is why it is considered a masterpiece of literature. Some readers say that Liza of Lambeth lacks the depth of Of Human Bondage and that the former is too simple and too short; however, I would like to observe that a story can be simple and still excellently explore the depths of human condition, and without a doubt Liza of Lambeth does that. Liza of Lambeth was captivating but I would have enjoyed this book more if it were a bit longer because I wanted to learn even more about the characters; but this book is Maugham's earliest work, and at that stage he was still developing his writing style.
Liza of Lambeth was engaging, entertaining, and even comical; but it was also touching, straightforward and very crude. In some ways Liza of Lambeth reminded me of Dickens's work. I give Liza of Lambeth 4 stars because, as I stated before, I think Somerset Maugham could have developed the story a bit more.
Liza of Lambeth was engaging, entertaining, and even comical; but it was also touching, straightforward and very crude. In some ways Liza of Lambeth reminded me of Dickens's work. I give Liza of Lambeth 4 stars because, as I stated before, I think Somerset Maugham could have developed the story a bit more.
July 4, 2017
Read: July 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars
W. Somerset Maugham's first novel follows eighteen year old Liza, a factory worker in the poor South London district of Lambeth. The novel is written in the Cockney colloquial dialect, which makes it a little difficult to follow initially. Maugham tackles a lot of social issues at once in this short, tragic novel; the burden of bearing multiple children, drunkenness, domestic violence, and infidelity to name a few. Despite the hardship in the lives of Liza and the others, there are some moments of happiness and humour which made the characters and the lives they're living more realistic. It is a very short book, more like a novella - my copy is only 93 pages long - and I think it is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in late Victorian fiction.
Rating: 4/5 stars
W. Somerset Maugham's first novel follows eighteen year old Liza, a factory worker in the poor South London district of Lambeth. The novel is written in the Cockney colloquial dialect, which makes it a little difficult to follow initially. Maugham tackles a lot of social issues at once in this short, tragic novel; the burden of bearing multiple children, drunkenness, domestic violence, and infidelity to name a few. Despite the hardship in the lives of Liza and the others, there are some moments of happiness and humour which made the characters and the lives they're living more realistic. It is a very short book, more like a novella - my copy is only 93 pages long - and I think it is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in late Victorian fiction.
April 1, 2021
I remember feeling so outraged for poor Liza! I think this was one of Maugham's most melodramatic stories. I suspect my teenage self couldn't grasp the complexities of working class life in England.
I still feel that Eliza got a raw deal, but such is Maugham's storytelling skills that I still rate this one a 5 star read.
I still feel that Eliza got a raw deal, but such is Maugham's storytelling skills that I still rate this one a 5 star read.
November 14, 2021
Not quite my cup of tea but made me interested in a new to me author so it's somewhat of a winner read.
August 12, 2024
A pretty basic parable. Maugham’s first novel. A slum story. Working class woes in 1900. Not bad, just not half as good as his best writing.
June 19, 2019
I am a big Maugham fan, and I so enjoyed Liza of Lambeth, his first novel. It is not very long, it is pretty sad, but it also has parts that had me laughing out loud!
The story is about Liza, a young factory worker, who falls in love with a married man, and things don't go well, as you one might expect. And even though the ending is kind of abrupt, it is well worth the read.
The story is about Liza, a young factory worker, who falls in love with a married man, and things don't go well, as you one might expect. And even though the ending is kind of abrupt, it is well worth the read.
October 13, 2024
4.0 Stars Liza of Lambeth was W. Somerset Maugham’s first novel, and it was a rousing success in its day. So much so, in fact, that the medical student changed career paths to become a writer.
The story is about a working class London girl who lives on a street of row houses in a small flat with her alcoholic mother. She works in a factory, knows everyone in the street, and has an admirer called Tom, who loves her much more than she loves him. Through a series of events, instead of marrying Tom, Liza instead gets involved with a married man…and this turns out to be her undoing. The last third of the story is quite sad, really, though I won’t spoil it here.
I listened to this book on Audible only as I was unable to find it in print (I generally prefer to immersion-read). It’s a good story and is certainly worth the effort of any fan of Maugham, or even English literature in general. I think it’s a great photograph of the life of British working poor at the turn of the 20th century. And this narrator, Davina Porter, did an excellent job, especially with the cockney accents and heavy use of working poor slang that permeate this novel. The narrator really deserves 5 stars.
The story is about a working class London girl who lives on a street of row houses in a small flat with her alcoholic mother. She works in a factory, knows everyone in the street, and has an admirer called Tom, who loves her much more than she loves him. Through a series of events, instead of marrying Tom, Liza instead gets involved with a married man…and this turns out to be her undoing. The last third of the story is quite sad, really, though I won’t spoil it here.
I listened to this book on Audible only as I was unable to find it in print (I generally prefer to immersion-read). It’s a good story and is certainly worth the effort of any fan of Maugham, or even English literature in general. I think it’s a great photograph of the life of British working poor at the turn of the 20th century. And this narrator, Davina Porter, did an excellent job, especially with the cockney accents and heavy use of working poor slang that permeate this novel. The narrator really deserves 5 stars.
November 20, 2023
This was Maugham’s debut novel and drew on his time as a medical intern in the slums of London. In tone and content it falls almost perfectly between Dickens and Hardy, because on the one hand Liza Kemp and her neighbours are cheerful paupers even though they work in factories, have too many children and live in cramped quarters; on the other hand, alcoholism and domestic violence are rife, and . All seems light to start with: an all-village outing to picnic at Chingford; pub trips; and harmless wooing as Liza rebuffs sweet Tom in favour of a flirtation with married Jim Blakeston.
At the halfway point, I thought we were going full Tess of the d’Urbervilles – . The most awful character is Mrs Kemp, who spends the last few pages , and telling a blackly comic story about her husband’s corpse not fitting in his oak coffin and her and the undertaker having to jump on the lid to get it to close.
Liza isn’t entirely the stereotypical whore with the heart of gold, but she is a good-time girl (“They were delighted to have Liza among them, for where she was there was no dullness”) and I wonder if she could even have been a starting point for Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. Maugham’s rendering of the cockney accent is over-the-top –
– but his characters are less caricatured than Dickens’s. And, imagine, even then there was congestion in London:
In short, this was a minor and derivative-feeling work that I wouldn’t recommend to those new to Maugham. He hadn’t found his true style and subject matter yet. Luckily, there’s plenty of other novels to try.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
At the halfway point, I thought we were going full Tess of the d’Urbervilles – . The most awful character is Mrs Kemp, who spends the last few pages , and telling a blackly comic story about her husband’s corpse not fitting in his oak coffin and her and the undertaker having to jump on the lid to get it to close.
Liza isn’t entirely the stereotypical whore with the heart of gold, but she is a good-time girl (“They were delighted to have Liza among them, for where she was there was no dullness”) and I wonder if she could even have been a starting point for Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. Maugham’s rendering of the cockney accent is over-the-top –
“‘An’ when I come aht,’ she went on, ‘’oo should I see just passin’ the ’orspital but this ’ere cove, an’ ’e says to me, ‘Wot cheer,’ says ’e, ‘I’m goin’ ter Vaux’all, come an’ walk a bit of the wy with us.’ ‘Arright,’ says I, ‘I don’t mind if I do.’”
– but his characters are less caricatured than Dickens’s. And, imagine, even then there was congestion in London:
“They drove along eastwards, and as the hour grew later the streets became more filled and the traffic greater. At last they got on the road to Chingford, and caught up numbers of other vehicles going in the same direction—donkey-shays, pony-carts, tradesmen’s carts, dog-carts, drags, brakes, every conceivable kind of wheeled thing, all filled with people”
In short, this was a minor and derivative-feeling work that I wouldn’t recommend to those new to Maugham. He hadn’t found his true style and subject matter yet. Luckily, there’s plenty of other novels to try.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
February 4, 2021
W. Somerset Maugham’s debut novel certainly shows a talent that does not diminish in his future works. With Liza of Lambeth, Maugham gives us a tragedy that’s shocking in its simplicity. It’s a story about poor working class people, focusing on Liza a vibrant young woman, only 18 years old. Her father is dead, her mother is a drunk, and she works in a London factory to make ends meet. She hopes that she might do better in life than her mother and her neighbors. With the inexperience and innocence common with youth she falls in love with and is seduced by Jim a much older married man and father of five children. The seduction is not sophisticated. (See Spoiler) Jim simply exploits Liza’s infatuation for him. Of course she is a victim yet this one moment of weakness starts a chain of events that result in her destruction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2009
Don't be surprised if it seems like less of a debut and more of the working of an old hand, since Maugham had been some years writing plays and short–stories while working through med-school and as a licensed physician, though none had been published.
As usual though, his characters are flesh and blood, tangible, and totally honest. Liza is a really down-to-earth protagonist, remarkably sympathetic through all her foibles and follies, and is dragged through the muck of life with crushing violence.
If the story seems matter-of-fact in its handling of some tragically emotive topics, consider the effect of using such unrelenting candor as a tool to convey and provoke. Would the story have the same effect with a daintier treatment of its subjects? I would suppose that it wouldn't provoke in such a way, and that would be a loss, if not for a political or social consideration, then for personal-development and knowledge through confronting unpleasant realities.
As usual though, his characters are flesh and blood, tangible, and totally honest. Liza is a really down-to-earth protagonist, remarkably sympathetic through all her foibles and follies, and is dragged through the muck of life with crushing violence.
If the story seems matter-of-fact in its handling of some tragically emotive topics, consider the effect of using such unrelenting candor as a tool to convey and provoke. Would the story have the same effect with a daintier treatment of its subjects? I would suppose that it wouldn't provoke in such a way, and that would be a loss, if not for a political or social consideration, then for personal-development and knowledge through confronting unpleasant realities.
February 9, 2017
Цю історію треба читати лише англійською: жоден перекладач не передасть усю красу і автентичність "простонародної" лондонської говірки. А без неї зникає половина шарму.
(Легальна безкоштовна версія є на Gutenberg у багатьох форматах)
Перша половина книжки окрім художньої цінності має ще й антропологічну. Як жили лондонські робітники на початку 20 століття? Як розважалися, де працювали, що їли і пили, у яких будинках жили, у які ігри грали, що танцювали? Як зустрічалися хлопці з дівчатами? Усе це неймовирно цікаво. Шкода лише, що Моем мав займатися самоцензурою - пом'якшувати лайки і замінювати їх евфемізмами. Це псує автентичність.
При цьому усю географію повісті можна легко прослідкувати по Google Maps: Lambeth і далі Lambeth.
У другій частині - море сімейного насильства. І ситуація, прямо кажучи, жахлива. Насильство є звичайною частиною пролетарського життя - такою звичайною, що про нього мало хто згадує. Але те, що чоловіки регулярно б'ють жінок - це ніби "нормально". І коли справа доходить ледь не до лікарні - "ну що ж, буває". До речі, є натяк, що мати Лізи почала пити саме через те, що її бив чоловік.
З художньої точки зору книжка чудова. Тонко передані почуття жінки, гарно показана атмосфера, добре прописані персонажі. Читати обов'язково.
(Легальна безкоштовна версія є на Gutenberg у багатьох форматах)
Перша половина книжки окрім художньої цінності має ще й антропологічну. Як жили лондонські робітники на початку 20 століття? Як розважалися, де працювали, що їли і пили, у яких будинках жили, у які ігри грали, що танцювали? Як зустрічалися хлопці з дівчатами? Усе це неймовирно цікаво. Шкода лише, що Моем мав займатися самоцензурою - пом'якшувати лайки і замінювати їх евфемізмами. Це псує автентичність.
При цьому усю географію повісті можна легко прослідкувати по Google Maps: Lambeth і далі Lambeth.
У другій частині - море сімейного насильства. І ситуація, прямо кажучи, жахлива. Насильство є звичайною частиною пролетарського життя - такою звичайною, що про нього мало хто згадує. Але те, що чоловіки регулярно б'ють жінок - це ніби "нормально". І коли справа доходить ледь не до лікарні - "ну що ж, буває". До речі, є натяк, що мати Лізи почала пити саме через те, що її бив чоловік.
З художньої точки зору книжка чудова. Тонко передані почуття жінки, гарно показана атмосфера, добре прописані персонажі. Читати обов'язково.
February 22, 2015
I read this book in a few days. After not reading anything through, in awhile, I found this to be perfect. It held my attention, it was an easy read and I liked it. If you are looking for something that gets to the point, without going on and on in describing every little thing, it was perfect (for me). I can't stand unnecessary words even in articles. I had no trouble reading the English accents either.
September 24, 2013
Liza of Lambeth, this first novel by the young Somerset Maugham - he was 23 when it was published in 1897 - has its good points. It's an introduction to Maugham's fiction, a place from which to begin watching the honing of his novelistic skills. It is a glimpse into working class life in London's East End slum, Lambeth. And the plot, although a bit worn, is worn because it works.
It's a story of a good girl gone wrong with plenty of blame to go around. Liza is 18, lively, laughing, and popular with everyone in her neighborhood, children and adults both. The early scene where she plays cricket in the street with the young boys is charming.
But she is not firm in her decisions. She dismisses her doting suitor, Tom, but then when she sees him going with her friends on an outing she wants so much to go that she gives in and says yes to his invitation. This is a foreshadowing of a later and more serious compromise after her initial rejection of another man.
I can't remember now where I got the idea that the book was a very long one. But I did think so and I almost quit reading near the end of the novel thinking I was only a fifth of the way through. This is one of the problems with reading on a Kindle something that is part of "the collected works." You have little idea where you are in a novel without poking around and doing a little arithmetic. But I persevered and the end came quickly - a bit too quickly, as though Maugham got tired of the story and decided to end it all abruptly.
The novel is late Victorian and so everyone must get his or her just rewards, which makes the ending predictable. But the most serious problem with the book for me was the Cockney dialect, which is heavy and difficult to read. I understand the non-rhotic R (I practice it myself), T pronounced F, TH pronounced V, the glottal stop, double negatives, and dropping the initial H. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to understand when listened to and frustrating to read.
So how did a man like Somerset Maugham become so familiar with the language and lives of the people in Lambeth? He trained as a doctor and spent a good deal of time at St Thomas' Hospital, which is in Lambeth. And I do understand that Lambeth is not within the sound of Bow Bellls or even technically in the East End. But it was close enough in the late 19th century when Maugham was treating and coming to know the people there, with whom he had great sympathy.
It's a story of a good girl gone wrong with plenty of blame to go around. Liza is 18, lively, laughing, and popular with everyone in her neighborhood, children and adults both. The early scene where she plays cricket in the street with the young boys is charming.
But she is not firm in her decisions. She dismisses her doting suitor, Tom, but then when she sees him going with her friends on an outing she wants so much to go that she gives in and says yes to his invitation. This is a foreshadowing of a later and more serious compromise after her initial rejection of another man.
I can't remember now where I got the idea that the book was a very long one. But I did think so and I almost quit reading near the end of the novel thinking I was only a fifth of the way through. This is one of the problems with reading on a Kindle something that is part of "the collected works." You have little idea where you are in a novel without poking around and doing a little arithmetic. But I persevered and the end came quickly - a bit too quickly, as though Maugham got tired of the story and decided to end it all abruptly.
The novel is late Victorian and so everyone must get his or her just rewards, which makes the ending predictable. But the most serious problem with the book for me was the Cockney dialect, which is heavy and difficult to read. I understand the non-rhotic R (I practice it myself), T pronounced F, TH pronounced V, the glottal stop, double negatives, and dropping the initial H. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to understand when listened to and frustrating to read.
So how did a man like Somerset Maugham become so familiar with the language and lives of the people in Lambeth? He trained as a doctor and spent a good deal of time at St Thomas' Hospital, which is in Lambeth. And I do understand that Lambeth is not within the sound of Bow Bellls or even technically in the East End. But it was close enough in the late 19th century when Maugham was treating and coming to know the people there, with whom he had great sympathy.
August 26, 2019
Liza is the toast of Lambeth, the prettiest, most popular, most vivacious girl on the street where she lives. However, when she develops a passion for a much older, married man, her friends and neighbours turn against her and tragedy ensues.
In this short, simplistic, deceptively brutal novel, Somerset Maugham creates a deft portrait of life in the slums of Edwardian London, refusing to flinch from depicting the endless cycle of alcoholism and abuse faced by the women of the time. His writing is smooth and engaging, and frequently very witty – I flew through the book in a single evening and didn't even notice the time passing. SM writes with a great deal of sympathy too, and for all her coarseness and lack of sense, the heroine, Liza is a likable little imp, retaining a certain helpless innocence even as she becomes the much despised 'other woman'.
Her brutish lover, on the other hand, is pathetic at best; at his worst (which appears frequently), he's violent and predatory – disturbingly, his eldest daughter is almost Liza's own age. Yet he too has an almost childish quality about him, a marked inability to think beyond the present and take responsibility for his own actions. This helplessness seems to affect most of the adults in the novel. The entire community seems stunted, and it's hard to say whether violence and alcohol are symptoms or causes.
In this short, simplistic, deceptively brutal novel, Somerset Maugham creates a deft portrait of life in the slums of Edwardian London, refusing to flinch from depicting the endless cycle of alcoholism and abuse faced by the women of the time. His writing is smooth and engaging, and frequently very witty – I flew through the book in a single evening and didn't even notice the time passing. SM writes with a great deal of sympathy too, and for all her coarseness and lack of sense, the heroine, Liza is a likable little imp, retaining a certain helpless innocence even as she becomes the much despised 'other woman'.
Her brutish lover, on the other hand, is pathetic at best; at his worst (which appears frequently), he's violent and predatory – disturbingly, his eldest daughter is almost Liza's own age. Yet he too has an almost childish quality about him, a marked inability to think beyond the present and take responsibility for his own actions. This helplessness seems to affect most of the adults in the novel. The entire community seems stunted, and it's hard to say whether violence and alcohol are symptoms or causes.
October 25, 2014
A tragic yet beautifully written tale. Some say that as Maugham's first novel it is also his weakest, but I disagree. Granted, the slang is a bit annoying at first but you get used to it after a few pages.
The story is tragic but Maugham writes beautifully and depicts life in one of the poorer areas of London at the end of the 19th century very vividly. He manages to recreate an atmosphere that makes the story and the characters come alive.
The story is tragic but Maugham writes beautifully and depicts life in one of the poorer areas of London at the end of the 19th century very vividly. He manages to recreate an atmosphere that makes the story and the characters come alive.
May 20, 2019
As a Lisa of Lambeth I think this is an authentic and gritty snapshot of old working class London. Some parts are very violent and graphic but for me this just added to how real it felt. There was definitely a lot more community spirit back then but other than that I don’t think Lambeth has changed much, lol
I loved the description of the street where she lived and the people, the characters are really bought to life and I love that the dialogue is written in proper old south London dialect.
I loved the description of the street where she lived and the people, the characters are really bought to life and I love that the dialogue is written in proper old south London dialect.
July 24, 2021
I found this book difficult to read due to the unceasing use of dialect, which also muddied the characters. Then, Liza is a girl who says no to everything and then changes her mind. She enters into an affair with a married man, and to make the whole story tidy, the author gives her a comeuppance. None of the characters are likable, and I think the author didn’t like them either.
Best thing about this book: it was only 124 pages long.
Best thing about this book: it was only 124 pages long.
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