Escape from the shadows An autobiography by Robin Maugham

by Robin Maugham

After a long career of writing novels and plays, Robin Maugham turns now to his own life and gives us a stirring, rather harrowing autobiography, a story of persistent suffering and disappointment. Sparing no intimate details, he recounts the constant struggle to escape from the shadows--the shadow of his father., Lord Chancellor of England, and the shadow of his uncle, Somerset Maugham.

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Shirley Mckinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine wanting to be a writer and having Somerset Maugham as your uncle. His father was a Viscount and became Lord Chancellor. Imagine the expectations, of course he would go into law. So you can see where the title came from. This fascinating biography was not as dry as I imagined. Robin struggled all his life with his relationships with his father and his uncle, while wanting to be a writer. His acceptance of his homosexuality, actively encouraged by his uncle. And yet his volume of work is extraordinary! 12 novels, 3 books of short stories, 5 plays, 12 film scripts to name a few.
And what a charmed life he led, with Noel Coward, H. G. Wells, TS Eliot and Winston Churchill amongst his many acquaintances.

But he was many things before he became a writer. He joined the army as a sharpshooter and rose to the position of Major. A very capable and intelligent man, despite his lack of confidence in himself.

[Delany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Maugham (Somerset Maugham’s nephew) led a fascinating life, and he was an excellent writer. I very much enjoyed *most* of his autobiography but found that it got tedious as it began to wind down. I set it aside after finishing the first 3/4 of the book.

[Derek Henderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insufferable memoir - Maugham comes across as frivolous and a poor observer of his friends and family. Badly written to boot - no comparison to similar autobiographies by Tom Driberg or Michael Davidson.