One of the seminal writers of the twentieth century, W. Somerset Maugham was also a fearless and constant traveler who chronicled his adventures with a rare mix of wit and excitement. In The Skeptical Romancer, acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer selects vignettes of Maugham's wise and vivid prose that track his transformation from a boyish traveler in Spain to a worldly man of letters, looking back on India, China, Russia, and America. Beginning with an early book on Spain and culminating in excerpts from old age, this collection introduces us to Maugham at his most surprising,...
One of the seminal writers of the twentieth century, W. Somerset Maugham was also a fearless and constant traveler who chronicled his adventures wi...
Down among the drab slums of Lambeth, eighteen-year-old Liza is the darling of Vere Street. Vibrant and bewitching, she is adored by the steady, loyal Tom. But then Liza meets Jim Blakeston, charming and worldy, new to the area, and married. Soon the streets are wise to their passionate affair and Liza's fall from grace is fast and fatal.
Down among the drab slums of Lambeth, eighteen-year-old Liza is the darling of Vere Street. Vibrant and bewitching, she is adored by the steady, loyal...
Best known for his novels and plays, Somerset Maugham also produced delightfully engaging and absorbing non-fiction, of which "The Gentleman in the Parlour" is a prime example. First published in 1935 it describes a journey the author took from Rangoon to Haipong. Whether by river to Mandalay, on horse through the mountains and forests of the Shan States to Bangkok, or onwards by sea, Maugham's muse is in the spirit of Hazlitt, who wrote: "It is great to shake off the trammels of the world and public opinion...and to be known by no other title than "The Gentleman in the Parlour."
Best known for his novels and plays, Somerset Maugham also produced delightfully engaging and absorbing non-fiction, of which "The Gentleman in the Pa...
In this classic guide, Maugham introduces and discusses what he considers to be the ten greatest novels and their authors. Here are some of the formulae of greatness in the genre, as well as the flaws and heresies that enfeeble it. Maugham's choice list: Fielding's Tom Jones; Dickens's David Copperfield; Flaubert's Madame Bovary; Balzac's Old Man Goriot; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky; The Red and the Black by Stendhal, Pride and Prejudice by Austen; Melville's Moby Dick; Tolstoy's War and Peace.
In this classic guide, Maugham introduces and discusses what he considers to be the ten greatest novels and their authors. Here are some of the formul...
Julia Lambert is in her prime, the greatest actress in England. Off stage, however, she is bored with her handsome husband, coquettish and undisciplined. She is at first flattered and amused by the attentions of a shy and eager young fan, but before long Julia is amazed to find herself falling wildly, dangerously, in love.
Julia Lambert is in her prime, the greatest actress in England. Off stage, however, she is bored with her handsome husband, coquettish and undisciplin...
Catalina is the one person unable to join in the festivities of the Feast of the Assumption. But then she has a vision of the Virgin, and is miraculously cured. In the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition, such a claim to blessedness has serious consequences, especially when she seems more inclined to obey her heart than the demands of the Church.
Catalina is the one person unable to join in the festivities of the Feast of the Assumption. But then she has a vision of the Virgin, and is miraculou...
Introducing the world of Machiavelli, this title covers three important months in the career of that crafty politician, worldly seducer and high priest of schemers.
Introducing the world of Machiavelli, this title covers three important months in the career of that crafty politician, worldly seducer and high pries...
Looking out upon the backstreets, the suburbs and the high society haunts of Edwardian London, the delightfully witty and independent spinster Miss Ley surveys a tangled web of lives; she sympathetically observes the struggle under the pressures of convention, and the complex interplay between love and reason.
Looking out upon the backstreets, the suburbs and the high society haunts of Edwardian London, the delightfully witty and independent spinster Miss Le...
Features essays ranging from an appreciation of Goethe's novels, to an encounter with an Indian holy man, with a considered analysis of the form at which Maugham himself excelled - the short story. This title presents the views and opinions of this eminent writer.
Features essays ranging from an appreciation of Goethe's novels, to an encounter with an Indian holy man, with a considered analysis of the form at wh...
