The Moon and Sixpence (Dover Thrift Editions)
by W. Somerset Maugham
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Book Summary Information
Author: W. Somerset MaughamEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-20
ISBN: 0486446026
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Dover Publications
Book Reviews of The Moon and Sixpence (Dover Thrift Editions)
Book Review: Maugham Does It Again!
Summary: 5 Stars
After having read `The Moon and Sixpence,' my faith in Somerset's writing as intelligent writing for the masses, remains unshaken. The pleasing fluidity that is a salient characteristic of his prose is omnipresent here as well, making this as fast a read as one of John Grisham's earlier works. Somerset is one of those writers who could expound on fluff and yet make a charming discourse out of it. And yet, while reading his candidly autobiographical `The Summing Up,' he almost convinces you that he is an untalented, hardworking writer who has to labor at his writing, with his one shortcoming being that he could never be as fluent as the writers he idolized - I might say that his one shortcoming seems to have been unbecoming modesty.
Coming to the book itself, it is loosely based on the life and work of Paul Gauguin. One of the things I found rather interesting about this narrative is how Somerset decided to name his protagonist Strickland, rather than just Paul Gauguin. While I do agree that Somerset did not have enough first-hand material to call his account a true-to-life account, he had more than his share of literary license to fall back upon to make it past that. I wonder if it was his artistic integrity or a fear of some repercussion from Gauguin's surviving family members that caused him to take this decision (since most of what Somerset had to relate about Strickland was less than flattering, and given the chameleon like nature of Strickland's wife, such an expectation might not be unfounded). Either way, he did not adopt the same style of writing as Irving Stone did in "Lust For Life."
The one lasting impression I came away with was the constant reminder from Somerset that though he admitted Strickland's genius, and admired his labor for his art, he certainly did not like him, or respect him as a human being, which is a juxtaposition of emotions that I don't come across normally in a book that is meant to be biographical in nature.
Another pleasing aspect about the book was the plenitude of quotable quotes issuing forth from Somerset's pen, some of them bordering on the Wildean, in my opinion. I remember one of them being to the effect that a woman is ready to forgive a man for the harm he has done her, but is never willing to forgive a man for the sacrifices he makes for her - the apparent irony of that really tickled me for a while, although, I must say, I have not had that much of an occasion to test the verity of that statement =)
I.
Summary of The Moon and Sixpence (Dover Thrift Editions)
An uncompromising and self-destructive young man deserts his wife, family, business, and civilization for his art. Shedding harsh light on an artist's ego, Maugham reveals the lengths to which one man will go to focus on his art. Written in 1919, this unforgettable story is timeless in its appeal.
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