W. Somerset Maugham

The moon and sixpence (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

"The Moon and Sixpence" is a novel written by W. Somerset Maugham. The book is loosely based on the life of the French painter Paul Gauguin and explores themes of creativity, passion, and the clash between societal expectations and individual desire. The story revolves around Charles Strickland, a middle-aged London stockbroker who abandons his family and career to pursue his passion for painting. Strickland's journey takes him to Paris, where he meets the bohemian art community and eventually settles in Tahiti, where he immerses himself in the local culture and creates some of his most famous works. How will Strickland develop his career? How will his work be known by the audience? The novel also explores the impact of Strickland's selfishness on those around him, including his wife and children. The Moon and Sixpence is a nuanced exploration of the human condition, showcasing the complexities of human relationships and the sacrifices that people make in pursuit of their passions.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Double 9 Books
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. April 2023
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9789357487979
• Artikelnr.: 68483451

Autorenporträt

William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris, on January 25th, 1874. Orphaned by the age of ten, he moved to England to live with an uncle. He received his education in England and Germany, studying medicine and graduating as a physician.Eschewing his education, Maugham instead became a full-time writer. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth, was published in 1897, but he soon established his reputation as a successful playwright. In time he wrote 32 plays, and abandoned the theater scene by 1933.He wrote nineteen novels, of which Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1925), Cakes and Ale (1930), and The Razor's Edge (1944), are considered classics of early 20th century literature.Maugham was a restless and inquisitive soul, and his travels and his sympathies with the working class often formed the basis of characters and settings. Maugham also had a tendency to insert auto-biographical aspects into his work, most infamously in the Ashenden stories, based on his time with the British Secret Service during WWI.Throughout his life, Maugham faced many personal challenges. Romantic struggles and speculation of his sexual identity were only exacerbated publicly by his popularity amongst readers. He had an extended affair with Syrie Wellcome, who gave birth to his only child, May Elizabeth "Liza," in 1915, formalizing their relationship by marriage in 1917. Maugham's relationship with Frederick Gerald Haxton-his long-standing secretary/companion-& constant traveling, eventually caused a rift in the marriage, ending in divorce in 1929.He experienced great financial success with his works, many of which were adapted for radio, stage, film & TV; though the same could not be said for critical approval amongst the literary community, which was uneven at best. He died December 16th 1965, in Nice, France.In his later years, Maugham continued to beguile critics and fans alike-as author Pico Iyer writes, "The riddle he presents us with is how a stammering, conventional-seeming Edwardian, writing in civil service prose, could somehow become the spokesman of hippies, black magicians and stockbrokers throwing it all over for Tahiti. His books are measured explorations of extravagance."