毛姆英文版简介
毛姆英文作文简介
毛姆英文作文简介William Somerset Maugham, known as W. Somerset Maugham, was a British playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was born in Paris in 1874 and died in 1965. Maugham's works often explore the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of individuals in society.Maugham's most famous works include "Of Human Bondage," "The Moon and Sixpence," and "The Razor's Edge." Hiswriting style is known for its clarity, simplicity, and psychological insight. He often drew inspiration from his own experiences and travels, which gave his work a sense of authenticity and depth.In addition to his literary achievements, Maugham also worked as a secret agent for the British government during World War I, which added an element of adventure and intrigue to his life. His experiences during this time influenced his later works and gave them a sense of realism and urgency.Maugham's writing has been praised for its keen observation of human behavior and its ability to capture the complexities of the human experience. His characters are often flawed and struggling, making them relatable to readers from all walks of life. His work continues to be studied and admired for its timeless themes and universal appeal.。
英国作家毛姆介绍
a famous British novelist, playwright and short storywriter. He was among the most popular writers of his aera and the Queen of England gave him the title of "Squire of Honour"
Marriage and family
In May 1917, Syrie Wellcome and Maugham were married. Syrie Maugham became a noted interior decorator. Their daughter was familiarly called Liza and her surname was changed to Maugham. Syrie finally divorced him in 1929
Then he attended The King's School Canterbury.
He was bullied because he was small and had a stammer.It left a shadow on his soul and developed his withdrawn character.
The "moon" is a symbol of lofty ideals, while the "sixpence" is a symbol of petty profits. These are two very different views of life.
毛姆_精品文档
毛姆毛姆（W. Somerset Maugham）是英国20世纪最著名的小说家、剧作家和短篇故事作家之一。
他的作品广为人知，深受读者喜爱。
本文将介绍毛姆的生平和主要作品，并探讨其在文学界的地位和影响。
毛姆于1874年1月25日出生在大不列颠帝国的法属波恩（now known as Taitung）岛，他是一个英国家庭的后代。
在年轻的时候，毛姆显示出了对文学的浓厚兴趣，并在剑桥大学学习哲学和文学。
然而，他的母亲希望他成为一名律师，他在短暂的时间内也从事过律师职业。
然而，文学的魅力使他无法逃脱，他决定成为一名全职作家。
毛姆的作品主题广泛，包括心理探索、人性的矛盾和社会问题等。
他的作品经常关注人类的内心世界和情感体验，以及社会对个体行为的影响。
毛姆是一位精确的观察者，他用扎实的笔触和细腻的描写，深入刻画了人物的内心世界和复杂的情感。
他的作品通常富有戏剧性，并探索了人类性格的不同层面。
毛姆的作品中最著名的是他的长篇小说《人性枷锁》（Of Human Bondage）。
这本小说于1915年出版，讲述了一个青年的成长经历和情感困扰。
小说中的主人公菲利普·凡·默事发生了一系列的转折，经历了爱情的挫折和失败，最终找到了自我认同。
这本小说被认为是毛姆最成功的作品之一，融合了自传元素和小说的形式，展现了毛姆的独特写作风格。
除了《人性枷锁》，毛姆的其他作品也同样备受称赞。
他的短篇小说集《东方小说》（The Gentleman in the Parlour）展示了他对亚洲文化的兴趣和不同文化之间的对比。
毛姆曾多次到亚洲旅行，并从那些经历中汲取灵感。
他的另一部著名作品是《月亮和六便士》（The Moon and Sixpence），灵感来自于画家保罗·高更的生平和艺术创作。
这本小说深入探讨了艺术家的生活和独特的创作过程。
在毛姆的作品中，人物形象的塑造是其最令人称赞的方面之一。
他的人物通常具有复杂的性格和情感，通过他们的故事，毛姆揭示了人类行为背后的动机和谬误。
月亮与六便士-毛姆
太 曾满含爱意地对“我”谈起她丈夫：“他一点文学修养也没有，是个十足的小 市民。”她认为丈夫的出走是因为有了新欢，“跟一个女人跑到巴黎去了。” 她根本不能想象、也不能接受丈夫为了心中一个神圣的理想—“我必须画画儿” 而离开她。不过，在她那一类女性中她还是聪明的，当她最后得知实情后她绝 望了：如果是私奔，他早晚都会厌倦，她也能原谅他（这是她的高人之处）， 如果是为了一个理想，一切就都完了。她可以是一个女人的对手，却不是某种 观念的对手。
月亮与六便士
【英】威廉.萨默赛特.毛姆来自演讲人：曹利娜 2017.11.30
威廉·萨默赛特·毛姆 William Somerset Maugham （1874～1965）。
英国小说家、戏剧家。1874年1月25日生于巴黎。 父亲是律师，当时在英国驻法使馆供职。小毛姆不满十岁， 父母就先后去世，他被送回英国由伯父抚养。毛姆进坎特 伯雷皇家公学之后，由于身材矮小，且严重口吃，经常受 到其他孩子的欺凌和折磨，有时还遭到冬烘学究的无端羞 辱。孤寂凄清的童年生活，在他稚嫩的心灵上投下了痛苦 的阴影，养成他孤僻、敏感、内向的性格，却也让他变得 坚强和富有同情心。幼年的经历对他的世界观和文学创作 产生了重要的影响，在此后创作的多篇著作中无不透露出 对人生、艺术、信仰的深刻剖析。
这时的思特里克兰德没有任何的绘 画基础，他只是爱好画画而已。在外人看来， 他简直疯了，他的生活开始变得窘迫，几次 险些因饥饿和疾病而死。他画的画也完全不 像个样子，总是在原有的事物上进行破坏， 除了有个蹩脚的画家伯朗士-施特略夫把他 当成上帝外，任何人都不会买他的画，事实 上他也从不轻易卖画。
他不停地流浪，最后来到了塔西提岛，与 一个土著姑娘爱塔结了婚。这时的他看起 来似乎很知足，他有了一个土著人做妻子， 他们生活在与世隔绝的地方，他每天都在 那里作画。但不幸的是，不久他就感染了 麻风病，在他病逝的前一年，他成了瞎子。 爱塔一直照顾着他，直到他完成了自己的 巨型病逝的前一年，他成了瞎子。爱塔一 直照顾着他，直到他完成了自己的巨型壁 画，身体溃烂而死。他的妻子依照他的遗 言焚毁了挂满壁画的屋子，甚至没有留下 一根木头。
毛姆的文学世界
毛姆的文学世界毛姆（W. Somerset Maugham）是20世纪英国文学史上重要的作家之一，他的作品不仅情节引人入胜，而且对人性、社会现象等问题有着独到的洞察和思考。
本文将介绍毛姆的文学世界，带你领略他独特的创作风格和深刻的内涵。
一、毛姆的生平毛姆出生于1874年，在英国度过了他的童年和少年时期。
他曾在医学领域有所成就，但决心放弃医学，全身心地投入文学创作中。
他的第一部短篇小说集《东方的虹》在1897年出版，开始了他在文坛上的崭露头角之旅。
二、毛姆的创作风格毛姆的创作风格以细腻的描写和犀利的观察为特点，他善于捕捉人物内心的细微变化和矛盾心理。
他的故事情节往往充满悬念，深入探讨人与人之间的关系、道德观念以及社会现象。
这使得他的作品富有戏剧性，极具观赏性。
三、毛姆作品的代表作1. 《人性弱点》《人性弱点》是毛姆最著名的作品之一，该作由独立的短篇小说构成，每个故事都以人性中的某个弱点为主题。
他通过不同的人物形象和情节，深刻地揭示了人性的脆弱和无常，以及生活中的诸多矛盾和纠结。
这部作品被普遍认为是毛姆对人性最深刻的剖析。
2. 《月亮与六便士》《月亮与六便士》是一部以著名画家高更为原型创作的小说。
它通过一位中年商人查尔斯·斯特里克兰的转变，呈现了一个追求艺术、追求真理的故事。
毛姆通过斯特里克兰在追求梦想的过程中所经历的艰辛与挣扎，探讨了艺术与现实、个人理想与社会价值观之间的冲突与平衡。
3. 《人间喜剧》《人间喜剧》是毛姆的长篇小说代表作之一。
该作通过虚构的剧团旅程，以戏剧为背景，展现了各色人物的形象和命运。
毛姆通过对舞台上下的人物进行深入的描写，生动地展现了人性的种种模样，以及社会中的丑恶与丰富多样。
四、毛姆的文学影响毛姆的文学影响远远超越他的时代和地域，他的作品被翻译成多种语言，并广泛传播于全球。
他的创作风格和对人性的关注，对当代文学和后来的作家产生了深远的影响。
许多著名作家如契诃夫、乔治·奥威尔等都承认受到了毛姆的启发和影响。
英国作家毛姆介绍作文英文
英国作家毛姆介绍作文英文英文：William Somerset Maugham, or simply W. Somerset Maugham, was a British novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. He is considered one of the most popular and successful writers of the 20th century, known for his realistic and psychological portrayals of characters and their relationships.Maugham's writing style is characterized by his use of simple and clear language, combined with his ability to capture the complexities of human nature. He often explores themes of love, betrayal, and the search for meaning inlife. One of his most famous works, "Of Human Bondage," isa semi-autobiographical novel that follows the life of a young man named Philip Carey, who struggles to find his place in the world.In addition to his literary works, Maugham was also aprolific travel writer. He traveled extensively throughout his life, and his experiences in different cultures and countries often influenced his writing. For example, his short story "Rain" is based on his time spent in the South Pacific.Overall, Maugham's contributions to literature have had a lasting impact on the literary world. His ability to capture the complexities of human nature and his unique writing style have made him a beloved and influential writer.中文：威廉·萨默塞特·毛姆，或简称W·萨默塞特·毛姆，是一位英国小说家、剧作家和短篇小说作家。
毛姆(William_Somerset_Maugham)英文ppt简介.56
【64】George was a serious man and
insensible to such enticements.George was respectable.Once or twice he fell to Tom’s promises of amendment and gave him considerable sums in order that he might make a fresh start.
使某人相信或明白 定居；使安静下来；平息 拒绝对· · · 负责任或脱离关系 （根据某人需要）帮助 重视 不得不 与· · · 订婚 走进 感激某人 将就，妥协
If you are attending a local college, especially one without residence halls, you'll probably live at home and commute to classes. This arrangement has a lot of _________. It's cheaper. It provides a comfortable and familiar setting, and it means you'll get the kind of home cooking you're used to instead of the monotony (单调) that ________ even the best institutional food. However, commuting students need to __________________ to become involved in the life of their college and to take special steps to meet their fellow students. Often, this means a certain amount of initiative on your part in _____________ and talking to people in your classes whom you think you might like.
毛姆英文版简介
It’s worth reading Maugham’s books, which must benefit us
.
That’s all Thank you!
Timeline: 1874- Maugham was born on 25 January. 1905- Of Human Bondage, another novel written during this period, appeared. 1916- Maugham embarked upon writing The Moon and Sixpence. 1917- Maugham married Syrie. 1922- Maugham produced a book of 58 short story sketches. 1927- Maugham's play The Letter, was performed in London. 1944- The Razor's Edge was published. 1962- Maugham fell out with his daughter Liza. 1962- He wrote his memoir Looking Back. 1965- W. Somerset Maugham died on 16 December. 1998- His daughter Liza died.
月亮与六便士The Moon and SixpenceWord免费范文精选
英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读The Moon and Sixpence——William Somerset Maugham英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) British novelist His father was a lawyer, working France , so he was born in France. He was adopted by his uncle at age 10. Because of being short and stutter, he was bullied by other kids. His childhood was lonely and full of sorrow and he finally became a sensitive boy.Childhood experiences had a great influence on his literary.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读This novel is based on the life of the painter Paul Gauguin(高更). The story is told by the first-person narrator ”I” happens to know the life of the central character, CharlesStricklandPeaceful Lifea well-off, Middle class Stockbroker in London Wife and two childrenLife in ParisA married woman committed suicide for himTahitiAta Died of leprosy(麻风病)英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Character AnalysisAppearance: old jacket, dirty hat, baggy trousers unshaved chin, small eyes, an aggressive nose, a large mouth, sensual lips, rough and strong Characteristic: blackguard, cool, indifferent, crazy, decisive, pursuit of fine arts forever love for painting英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读unique、beautiful The moon : the spirit and kind of people pursuing idealsThe metaphor of the moon and sixpence tens millions、common、vulgar Sixpence :British coin ,the people of materialism.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Our feelings about the book…Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs… a different but grea t person. …inside personality of Maugham…. satisfied his desire imaginarily……. I dislike Strickland …But after reading it,… Everyone has the right to choose how to live. Whether he prefers sixpence or the moon, we should respect him.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Our feelings about the bookActually l dislike Strickland, because he is heartless to his family. He is arrogant and selfish to his friends. He looks down upon women. So many criticisms I want to say. But after reading it, his courage, persistence and perseverance moved me a lot. I have to admit that genius is always bizarre, crazy and lonely. Everyone has the right to choose how to live. Whether he prefers sixpence or the moon, we should respect him.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Our feelings about the bookSomeone may reproach Strickland's irresponsibility, giving up wife and family, but i think there is no such conclusion in the book to show whether Strickland's behavior is right or not. In my opinion, the meaning of everyone's life depend on everyone himself, what you want to do for this society and what you want to be.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Our feelings about the bookMany people have desires for the bright moon, however, with no bravery to step forward to pursue it. Finally , they choose the sixpence in the floor , which they can pick it up with no pains . They can not easily get rid of the attracts in the world so that there is no way to attach the moon and enjoy the spiritual pleasure. In the novel, the hero, Strickland made it , and he deserves the title of the real genius.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Our feelings about the bookStrickland acts like a wired and unreasonable man who’s ironic attitude is really annoying But, none of us can deny Strickland is a great artist and a real genius. I believe that just because his seemingly annoying personality protects his enthusiastic pursuit of beauty and his strong desire of creation makes him keep drawing until his death. Not so much he is a dream-seeker as he is a beauty-creator.英文版《月亮与六便士》介绍作者毛姆介绍作品分析解读Philosophical SentencesWhy should you think that beauty, which is the most precious thing in the world, lies like a stone on the beach for the careless passer-by to pick up idly? Beauty is something wonderful and strange that the artist fashions out of the chaos of the world in the torment of his soul. 为什么你认为美――世界上最宝贵的财富――会同沙滩上的石头一样，一个漫不经心的过路人随随便便地就能够捡起来？美是一种美妙、奇异的东西，艺术家只有通过灵魂的痛苦折磨才能从宇宙的混沌中塑造出来。
Masterpiece of William Somerset Maugham 毛姆作品简介
full-length novel
Short stories
《兰姆贝思的丽莎》（Liza of Lambeth） 《பைடு நூலகம்个圣徒发迹的奥秘》（The making of a saint） 《英雄》（The hero） 《旋转木马》（The merry-go-round） 《人生的枷锁》 (Of Human Bondage) 《月亮和六便士》（The Moon and Sixpence) 《面纱》 （The Painted Veil ） 《刀锋》（The Razor's Edge） 《东向礼拜》（Orientations)
Thank you
Masterpiece of William Somerset Maugham
Commercial success with high book sales, successful theatre productions and a string of film adaptations, backed by astute stock market investments, allowed Maugham to live a very comfortable life.
The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic, and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary, it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant, and kind. Failure makes people cruel and bitter. Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.
介绍毛姆的英语作文
介绍毛姆的英语作文W. Somerset Maugham, a prolific writer of the early 20th century, captivated readers with his keen observations and narrative prowess. His works often explored the complexities of human nature and societal norms.Born in 1874 in Paris, Maugham's British heritage and French upbringing provided him with a unique perspective that he wove into his stories. His literary career began with plays, but it was his novels and short stories that garnered him widespread acclaim.Maugham's writing style is characterized by its clarity and directness, making his narratives accessible to a broad audience. His stories often revolve around themes of love, morality, and the search for meaning, reflecting the existential questions of his time.One of his most famous works, "Of Human Bondage," is a semi-autobiographical novel that delves into the struggles of its protagonist, Philip Carey, as he navigates through life's trials. The novel's exploration of freedom and self-discovery resonates with readers across generations.In addition to his literary contributions, Maugham was also known for his extensive travels, which served as inspiration for many of his works. His experiences in the South Seas, for instance, were immortalized in the novel "TheMoon and Sixpence," a fictionalized account of the life of the painter Paul Gauguin.Maugham's legacy as a writer is not only due to his storytelling abilities but also his influence on the literary world. His works continue to be studied and admired for their timeless themes and engaging narratives.Despite the passage of time, Maugham's stories remain relevant, offering insights into the human condition that are as pertinent today as they were a century ago. His ability to craft characters that are both relatable and complex is a testament to his skill as a writer.In conclusion, W. Somerset Maugham's body of work is a treasure trove of literary gems that continue to enchant and enlighten readers. His exploration of the human experience through the lens of his own life and travels has left an indelible mark on the world of literature.。
毛姆(William_Somerset_Maugham)英文ppt简介讲解学习
• The early death of his mother left Maugham traumatized; he kept his mother's photograph by his bedside for the rest of his life.
• After that, Maugham was sent to UK to be raised by a paternal uncle and the move was damaging,as Henry Maugham was cold and emotionally cruel
• 3.schoollife
• The boy attended The King's School, Canterbury, which was also difficult for him.
英文介绍作家毛姆生平 PPT
Childhood
Miserable both at his uncle's vicarage and at school, the young Maugham developed a talent for making wounding remarks to those who displeased him. This ability is sometimes reflected in Maugham's literary characters.
Marriage
Maugham's love life was almost never smooth. He once confessed: "I have most loved people who cared little or nothing for me and when people have loved me I have been embarrassed ... In order not to hurt their feelings, I have often acted a passion I did not feel.
Career
In 1897, he published his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, a tale of working-class adultery and its consequences.Liza of Lambeth's first print run sold out in a matter of weeks. Maugham, who had qualified as a medic, dropped medicine and embarked on his 65-year career as a man of letters. He later said, "I took to it as a duck takes to water."
毛姆的总结
毛姆的总结简介毛姆（W. Somerset Maugham）是英国著名的小说家和剧作家。
他以其深入人心的故事、生动的人物塑造和精湛的写作技巧而闻名于世。
他的作品涉及多个领域，包括小说、戏剧、短篇小说和非虚构作品。
毛姆的作品以揭示人性的复杂性和深度而闻名，他的总结和观察力使他成为伟大的文学家之一。
毛姆的写作风格毛姆的写作风格独特而受人喜爱。
他善于运用简洁明了的语言，以真实而生动的方式描绘人物和场景。
他的叙述充满真实感和细节，让读者能够身临其境地感受到故事的情节。
毛姆的句子简洁而有力，没有多余的修饰词，使得他的作品通俗易懂，受到广大读者的喜爱。
毛姆的主题毛姆的作品经常涉及人性的复杂性和道德伦理的问题。
他善于通过塑造各种各样的人物来展现人性的多样性和矛盾性。
他的作品常常探索人们之间的关系、个人欲望和道德观念之间的冲突，以及人类对权力、财富和爱情的渴望。
毛姆的作品引发了无数的思考和讨论，他的深刻的洞察力和对人性的揭示使他的作品具有持久的影响力。
毛姆的短篇小说毛姆的短篇小说是他最著名的作品之一。
他的短篇小说以其紧凑的结构和意味深长的结尾而闻名。
毛姆的短篇小说通常以一个小人物或一个小事件为主线，通过细腻的描写和心理分析来展示人类的本质。
他的短篇小说往往富有启示性，让人们不仅体味到故事的情感，也思考到人生的哲理。
毛姆的剧作毛姆的剧作也广受赞誉。
他的剧作充满了戏剧性和紧张感，引人入胜。
毛姆擅长通过对话和人物之间的相互作用来展示剧情的发展和人性的冲突。
他的剧作在不同的舞台上演出，获得了广泛的赞誉和观众的喜爱。
毛姆的非虚构作品除了小说和剧作，毛姆还写了许多非虚构作品，其中包括旅行记实和自传体作品。
他的旅行记实展示了他游历世界的经历和对不同文化的感悟。
他的自传体作品则更多地关注于他个人的生活和思想。
这些非虚构作品使读者更好地了解了毛姆的人生轨迹和他对世界的看法。
毛姆的影响毛姆的作品和观点对世界文学产生了深远的影响。
他的写作风格和文学表达方式被许多作家所效仿和推崇。
英文介绍作家毛姆生平 PPT
Career
Maugham's father and three older brothers were all distinguished lawyers, but Maugham asked to be excused from the duty of following in their footsteps.Maugham had been writing steadily since the age of 15 and fervently wished to become an author ， but later he studied medicine at the medical school ， meeting people of a "low" sort whom he would never have met otherwise, and seeing them at a time of heightened anxiety and meaning in their lives.
His Writing Style
Maugham was influenced by the published journals of the French writer Jules Renard, Ibsen and his comedies was influenced by Oscar Wilde a lot. Maugham had enjoyed for their conscientiousness, wisdom and wit.
Marriage
During his year in Heidelberg Maugham met and had a sexual affair with John Ellingham Brooks, an Englishman ten years his senior. Although homosexual, Maugham entered into a relationship with Syrie Wellcome, an Americanborn English pharmaceutical magnate. Henry Wellcome sued his wife for divorce,naming Maugham as co-respondent.The marriage was unhappy,and Syrie divorced him in 1929, finding his relationship and travels with Haxton too difficult to live with.
英国作家毛姆介绍作文英文
英国作家毛姆介绍作文英文英文：When it comes to introducing the British author W. Somerset Maugham, I would say that he is one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century. Maugham was born in Paris in 1874 and spent most of his life traveling the world. He wrote many novels, short stories, and plays, and his works often explored the complexities of human relationships and the human condition.One of Maugham's most famous works is "Of Human Bondage," which is a semi-autobiographical novel that tells the story of a young man's struggle to find his place in the world. The novel deals with themes such as love, passion, and the search for identity, and it is considered a masterpiece of modern literature.Maugham's writing style is often described as clear, concise, and elegant. He had a talent for creatingcharacters that were complex and multi-dimensional, and his stories often had unexpected twists and turns that kept readers engaged.Overall, I believe that Maugham's works are timelessand continue to resonate with readers today. His ability to explore the complexities of the human experience is what makes him such an important and influential writer.中文：谈到介绍英国作家毛姆，我认为他是20世纪最著名的作家之一。
毛姆 介绍简介-毛姆 简历-毛姆 作品,名人故事
精心整理毛姆介绍简介-毛姆简历-毛姆作品,名人故事威廉?萨默赛特?毛姆WilliamSomersetMaugham英国小说家、戏剧家。
1874年1月25日生于巴黎。
父亲是律师，当时在英国驻法使馆供职。
小毛姆不满十岁，父母就先后去世，他被送回英国由伯父抚养。
毛姆进坎特伯雷皇家公学之后，由于身材矮小，且严重口吃，经常受到大孩子的欺凌和折磨，有时还遭到冬烘学究的无端羞辱。
年初，魇似地郁积在他心头，不让他有片刻的安宁，越来越强烈地要求他去表现，去创作。
他决定暂时中断戏剧创作，用两年时间潜心写作酝酿已久的小说《人生的枷锁》。
第一次大战期间，毛姆先在比利时火线救护伤员，后入英国情报部门工作，到过瑞士、俄国和远东等地。
这段经历为他后来写作间谍小说《埃申登》提供了素材。
战后他重游远东和南太平洋诸岛；1920年到过中国，写了一卷《中国见闻录》。
1928年毛姆定居在地中海之滨的里维埃拉，直至1940年纳粹入侵时，才仓促离去。
两次大战的间隙期间，是毛姆创作精力最旺盛的时期。
二十年代及三十年代初期，他写了一系列揭露上流社会尔虞我诈、勾心斗角、道德堕落、讽刺，如《周而复始》、《比我们高贵的人们》和《坚贞的妻子》等。
这三个剧本被公认为毛姆剧作中的佳品。
1933年完稿的《谢佩》是他的最后一个剧本。
毛姆的戏剧作品，情节紧凑而曲折，冲突年。
1948自己的旧作进行整理。
毛姆晚年享有很高的声誉，英国牛津大学和法国图鲁兹大学分别授予他颇为显赫的“荣誉团骑士“称号。
同年1月25日，英国着名的嘉里克文学俱乐部特地设宴庆贺他的八十寿辰；在英国文学史上受到这种礼遇的，只有狄更斯、萨克雷、特罗洛普三位作家。
1961年，他的母校，德国海德堡大学，授予他名誉校董称号。
William Somerset Maugham英文简介
William Somerset Maugham毛姆简介1874-1965 小说：Liza of Lambeth兰贝思的莉莎;Of Human Bondage人类枷锁;Cakes and Ale寻欢作乐;The Moon and Six Pence月亮与六便士短篇小说：Complete Short Stories短篇小说集剧本：Smith ;The Circle;Our Betters位居我们之上的人们in full William Somerset Maughamborn Jan. 25, 1874, Paris, Fr.died Dec. 16, 1965, Nice•W. Somerset Maugham.English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterized by a clear unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature.Maugham was orphaned at the age of 10; he was brought up by an uncle and educated at King's School, Canterbury. After a year at Heidelberg, he entered St. Thomas' medicalschool, London, and qualified as a doctor in 1897. He drew upon his experiences as an obstetrician in his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), and its success, though small, encouraged him to abandon medicine. He traveled in Spain and Italy and in 1908 achieved a theatrical triumph—four plays running in London at once—that brought him financial security. During World War I he worked as a secret agent. After the war he resumed his interrupted travels and, in 1928, bought a villa on Cape Ferrat in the south of France, which became his permanent home.His reputation as a novelist rests primarily on four books: Of Human Bondage (1915), a semi-autobiographical account of a young medical student's painful progress toward maturity; The Moon and Sixpence (1919), an account of an unconventional artist, suggested by the life of Paul Gauguin; Cakes and Ale (1930), the story of a famous novelist, which is thought to contain caricatures of Thomas Hardy and Hugh Walpole; and The Razor's Edge (1944), the story of a young American war veteran's quest for a satisfying way of life. Maugham's plays, mainly Edwardian social comedies, soon became dated, but his short stories have increased in popularity. Many portray the conflict of Europeans in aliensurroundings that provoke strong emotions, and Maugham's skill in handling plot, in the manner of Guy de Maupassant, is distinguished by economy and suspense. In The Summing Up (1938) and A Writer's Notebook (1949) Maugham explains his philosophy of life as a resigned atheism and a certain skepticism about the extent of man's innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its astringent cynicism.Childhood and educationMaugham's father Robert Ormond Maugham was an English lawyer handling the legal affairs of the British embassy in Paris, France. Since French law declared that all children born on French soil could be conscripted for military service, his father arranged for William to be born at the embassy, technically on British soil, saving him from conscription into any future French wars. His grandfather, another Robert, had also been a prominent lawyer and cofounder of the English Law Society, and it was taken for granted that William would follow in their footsteps. Events were to ensure this was not to be, but his elder brother ViscountMaugham did enjoy a distinguished legal career, and served as Lord Chancellor between 1938–39.Maugham's mother Edith Mary (née Snell) was consumptive, a condition for which the English doctors of the time prescribed childbirth. As a result, Maugham had three older brothers already enrolled in boarding school by the time he was three and he was effectively raised as an only child. Childbirth proved no cure for tuberculosis: Edith's sixth and final son died on 25 January 1882, one day after his birth, on Maugham's eighth birthday. Edith died six days later, on 31 January, at the age of 41. The death of his mother left Maugham traumatized for life, and he kept his mother's photograph by his bedside until his own death at the age of 91 in Nice, France. Two years after Maugham's mother's death, his father died of cancer. William was sent back to England to be cared for by his uncle, Henry MacDonald Maugham, the Vicar of Whitstable, in Kent. The move was catastrophic. Henry Maugham proved cold and emotionally cruel. The King's School, Canterbury, where William was a boarder during school terms, proved merely another version of purgatory, where he was teased for his bad English (French had been his first language) and his shortstature, which he inherited from his father. It is at this time that Maugham developed the stammer that would stay with him all his life, although it was sporadic and subject to mood and circumstance.Maugham was miserable both at the vicarage and at school. As a result, he developed a talent for applying a wounding remark to those who displeased him. This ability is sometimes reflected in the characters that populate his writings. At sixteen, Maugham refused to continue at The King's School and his uncle allowed him to travel to Germany, where he studied literature, philosophy and German at Heidelberg University. It was during his year in Heidelberg that he met and had a sexual affair with John Ellingham Brooks, an Englishman ten years his senior. On his return to England his uncle found Maugham a position in an accountant's office, but after a month Maugham gave it up and returned to Whitstable. His uncle was not pleased, and set about finding Maugham a new profession. Maugham's father and three older brothers were all distinguished lawyers and Maugham asked to be excused from the duty of following in their footsteps.A career in the church was rejected because a stammering minister might make the family seem ridiculous. Likewise, the civil service was rejected — not out of consideration for Maugham's own feelings or interests, but because the recent law requiring civil servants to qualify by passing an examination made Maugham's uncle conclude that the civil service was no longer a career for gentlemen. The local doctor suggested the profession of medicine and Maugham's uncle reluctantly approved this. Maugham had been writing steadily since the age of 20 and fervently intended to become an author, but because Maugham was not of age, he could not confess this to his guardian. So he spent the next five years as a medical student at King's College London.CareerEarly worksSome critics have assumed that the years Maugham spent studying medicine were a creative dead end, but Maugham himself felt quite the contrary. He was able to live in the lively city of London, to meet people of a "low" sort that he would never have met in one of the other professions, andto see them in a time of heightened anxiety and meaning in their lives. In maturity, he recalled the literary value of what he saw as a medical student: "I saw how men died. I saw how they bore pain. I saw what hope looked like, fear and relief..."Maugham kept his own lodgings, took pleasure in furnishing them, filled many notebooks with literary ideas, and continued writing nightly while at the same time studying for his degree in medicine. In 1897, he presented his second book for consideration. (The first was a biography of opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer written by the 16-year-old Maugham in Heidelberg. Liza of Lambeth, a tale of working-class adultery and its consequences, drew its details from Maugham's experiences as a medical student doing midwifery work in the London slum of Lambeth. The novel is of the school of social-realist "slum writers" such as George Gissing and Arthur Morrison. Frank as it is, Maugham still felt obliged to write near the opening of the novel: "...it is impossible always to give the exact unexpurgated words of Liza and the other personages of the story; the reader is therefore entreated with his thoughts to piece out the necessary imperfections of the dialogue."Liza of Lambeth proved popular with both reviewers and the public, and the first print run sold out in a matter of weeks. This was enough to convince Maugham, who had qualified as a doctor, to drop medicine and embark on his sixty-five year career as a man of letters. Of his entry into the profession of writing he later said, "I took to it as a duck takes to water."The writer's life allowed Maugham to travel and live in places such as Spain and Capri for the next decade, but his next ten works never came close to rivalling the success of Liza. This changed dramatically in 1907 with the phenomenal success of his play Lady Frederick; by the next year he had four plays running simultaneously in London, and Punch published a cartoon of Shakespeare biting his fingernails nervously as he looked at the billboards. Popular success, 1914–1939By 1914 Maugham was famous, with 10 plays produced and 10 novels published. Too old to enlist when World War I broke out, Maugham served in France as a member of the British Red Cross's so-called "Literary Ambulance Drivers", a group of some 23 well-known writers including John DosPassos and E. E. Cummings. During this time he met Frederick Gerald Haxton, a young San Franciscan who became his companion and lover until Haxton's death in 1944 (Haxton appears as Tony Paxton in Maugham's 1917 play, Our Betters). Throughout this period Maugham continued to write; indeed, he proof-read Of Human Bondage at a location near Dunkirk during a lull in his ambulance duties. However, Maugham is also known to have worked for British Intelligence in mainland Europe during the war, having been recruited by John Wallinger, and was one of the network of British agents who operated in Switzerland against the Berlin Committee, notably Virendranath Chattopadhyay. Maugham was later recruited by William Wiseman to work in Russia.Of Human Bondage (1915) initially received adverse criticism both in England and America, with the New York World describing the romantic obsession of the main protagonist Philip Carey as "the sentimental servitude of a poor fool". Influential critic and novelist Theodore Dreiser, however, rescued the novel, referring to it as a work of genius, and comparing it to a Beethoven symphony. Thisreview gave the book the lift it needed and it has since never been out of printThe book appeared to be closely autobiographical (Maugham's stammer is transformed into Philip Carey's club foot, the vicar of Whitstable becomes the vicar of Blackstable, and Philip Carey is a doctor) although Maugham himself insisted it was more invention than fact. Nevertheless, the close relationship between fictional and non-fictional became Maugham's trademark, despite the legal requirement to state that "the characters in [this or that publication] are entirely imaginary". In 1938 he wrote: "Fact and fiction are so intermingled in my work that now, looking back on it, I can hardly distinguish one from the other."Although Maugham's first and many other sexual relationships were with men, he also had sexual relationships with a number of women. Specifically his affair with Syrie Wellcome, daughter of orphanage founder Thomas John Barnardo and wife of American-born English pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome, produced a daughter named Liza (born Mary Elizabeth Wellcome,1915–1998). Henry Wellcome then sued his wife for divorce, naming Maugham as co-respondent. In May 1917, following the decree absolute, Syrie and Maugham were married. Syrie became a noted interior decorator who popularized the all-white room in the 1920s.Maugham returned to England from his ambulance unit duties to promote Of Human Bondage but once that was finalised, he became eager to assist the war effort once more. As he was unable to return to his ambulance unit, Syrie arranged for him to be introduced to a high ranking intelligence officer known only as "R", and in September 1915 he began work in Switzerland, secretly gathering and passing on intelligence while posing as himself — that is, as a writer.In 1916, Maugham travelled to the Pacific to research his novel The Moon and Sixpence, based on the life of Paul Gauguin. This was the first of those journeys through the late-Imperial world of the 1920s and 1930s which were to establish Maugham forever in the popular imagination as the chronicler of the last days of colonialism in India, Southeast Asia, China and the Pacific, although the bookson which this reputation rests represent only a fraction of his output. On this and all subsequent journeys he was accompanied by Haxton, whom he regarded as indispensable to his success as a writer. Maugham himself was painfully shy, and Haxton the extrovert gathered human material that Maugham steadily turned into fiction. In June, 1917 he was asked by Sir William Wiseman, an officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (later named MI6), to undertake a special mission in Russiato keep the Provisional Government in power and Russia in the war by countering German pacifist propaganda. Two and a half months later the Bolsheviks took control. The job was probably always impossible, but Maugham subsequently claimed that if he had been able to get there six months earlier, he might have succeeded. Quiet and observant, Maugham had a good temperament for intelligence work; he believed he had inherited from his lawyer father a gift for cool judgement and the ability to be undeceived by facile appearances.Never losing the chance to turn real life into a story, Maugham made his spying experiences into a collection ofshort stories about a gentlemanly, sophisticated, aloof spy, Ashenden, a volume that influenced the Ian Fleming James Bond series. In 1922, Maugham dedicated On A Chinese Screen, a book of 58 ultra-short story sketches collected during his 1920 travels through China and Hong Kong, to Syrie, with the intention of later turning the sketches into a book.Dramatised from a story which first appeared in his collection The Casuarina Tree published in 1924, Maugham's play The Letter, starring Gladys Cooper, had its premiere in London in 1927. The play was later adapted for film in 1929 and again in 1940.Syrie and Maugham divorced in 1927–8 after a tempestuous marriage complicated by Maugham's frequent travels abroad and strained by his relationship with Haxton. In 1928, Maugham bought Villa Mauresque on 12 acres (49,000 m2) at Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera, which was his home for most of the rest of his life, and one of the great literary and social salons of the 1920s and 30s. His output continued to be prodigious, including plays, short stories, novels, essays and travel books. By 1940, when thecollapse of France forced Maugham to leave the French Riviera and become a well-heeled refugee, he was already one of the most famous and wealthiest writers in the English-speaking world.Grand old man of lettersMaugham, by now in his sixties, spent most of World War II in the United States, first in Hollywood (he worked on many scripts, and was one of the first authors to make significant money from film adaptations) and later in the South. While in the US he was asked by the British government to make patriotic speeches to induce the US to aid Britain, if not necessarily become an allied combatant. Gerald Haxton died in 1944, and Maugham moved back to England, then in 1946 to his villa in France, where he lived, interrupted by frequent and long travels, until his death.The gap left by Haxton's death in 1944 was filled by Alan Searle. Maugham had first met Searle in 1928. Searle was a young man from the London slum area of Bermondsey and he had already been kept by older men. He proved a devoted if not a stimulating companion. Indeed one of Maugham's friends, describing the difference betweenHaxton and Searle, said simply: "Gerald was vintage, Alan was vin ordinaire."Maugham's love life was almost never smooth. He once confessed: "I have most loved people who cared little or nothing for me and when people have loved me I have been embarrassed... In order not to hurt their feelings, I have often acted a passion I did not feel."In 1962 he sold a collection of paintings, some of which had been assigned to his daughter Liza by deed. She sued her father and won a judgment of £230,000. Maugham responded by publicly disowning her and claiming she was not his biological daughter; adopting Searle as his son and heir; and launching a bitter attack on the deceased Syrie in his 1962 volume of memoirs, Looking Back, in which Liza discovered she had been born before her parents' marriage. The memoirs lost him several friends and exposed him to much public ridicule. Liza and her husband Lord Glendevon contested the change in Maugham's will in the French courts, and it was overturned. Nevertheless, in 1965 Searle inherited £50,000, the contents of Villa Mauresque, andMaugham's manuscripts and copyrights for 30 years. Thereafter the copyrights passed to the Royal Literary Fund. There is no grave for Maugham. His ashes were scattered near the Maugham Library, The King's School, Canterbury. Liza, Lady Glendevon, died aged 83 in 1998, survived by Somerset Maugham's four grandchildren (a son and a daughter by Liza's first marriage to Vincent Paravicini, and two more sons to Lord Glendevon). One of the next generation is autistic savant and musical prodigy Derek Paravicini.The American film-maker, actor, and businessman, Michael Maglaras, is currently at work on a documentary film on the life of Maugham, to be released in late 2010. AchievementsCommercial success with high book sales, successful theatre productions and a string of film adaptations, backed by astute stock market investments, allowed Maugham to live a very comfortable life. Small and weak as a boy, Maugham had been proud even then of his stamina, and as an adult he kept churning out the books, proud that hecould. Yet, despite his triumphs, he never attracted the highest respect from the critics or his peers. Maugham himself attributed this to his lack of "lyrical quality", his small vocabulary and failure to make expert use of metaphor in his work. (In 1934 the American journalist and radio personality Alexander Woollcott offered to Maugham this bit of language advice: “The female implies, and from that the male infers.” Maugham: “I am not yet too old to learn.”Maugham wrote in 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".For a public man of Maugham's generation, being openly gay was impossible. Whether his own orientation disgusted him (as it did many at a time when homosexuality was widely considered indefensible as well as illegal) or whetherhe merely took a stance to cover himself, Maugham wrote disparagingly of the gay artist. In "Don Fernando", anon-fiction volume about his years living in Spain, Maugham pondered a (perhaps fanciful) suggestion that the painter El Greco was homosexual: "It cannot be denied that the homosexual has a narrower outlook on the world than the normal man. In certain respects the natural responses of the species are denied to him. Some at least of the broad and typical human emotions he can never experience. However subtly he sees life he cannot see it whole (I)cannot now help asking myself whether what I see in El Greco's work of tortured fantasy and sinister strangeness is not due to such a sexual abnormality as this".But Maugham's homosexual leanings did shape his fiction, in two ways. Since, in life, he tended to see attractive women as sexual rivals, he often gave the women of his fiction sexual needs and appetites, in a way quite unusual for authors of his time. Liza of Lambeth, Cakes and Ale and The Razor's Edge all featured women determined to service their strong sexual appetites, heedless of the result. Also, the fact that Maugham's own sexual appetites were highly disapproved of, or even criminal, in nearly all of thecountries in which he travelled, made Maugham unusually tolerant of the vices of others. Readers and critics often complained that Maugham did not clearly enough condemn what was bad in the villains of his fiction and plays. Maugham replied in 1938: "It must be a fault in me that I am not gravely shocked at the sins of others unless they personally affect me."Maugham's public view of his abilities remained modest; towards the end of his career he described himself as "in the very first row of the second-raters". In 1954, he was made a Companion of Honour.Maugham had begun collecting theatrical paintings before the First World War and continued to the point where his collection was second only to that of the Garrick Club. In 1948 he announced that he would bequeath this collection to the Trustees of the National Theatre, and from 1951, some 14 years before his death, his paintings began their exhibition life. In 1994 they were placed on loan to the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden.Significant worksMaugham's masterpiece is generally agreed to be Of Human Bondage, a semi-autobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character Philip Carey, who like Maugham, was orphaned, and brought up by his pious uncle. Philip's clubfoot causes him endless self-consciousness and embarrassment, echoing Maugham's struggles with his stutter. Later successful novels were also based on real-life characters: The Moon and Sixpence fictionalizes the life of Paul Gauguin; and Cakes and Ale contains thinly veiled characterizations of authors Thomas Hardy and Hugh Walpole. Maugham's last major novel, The Razor's Edge, published in 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. While much of the novel takes place in Europe, its main characters are American, not British. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of World War I who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, travelling to India seeking enlightenment. The story's themes of Eastern mysticism and war-weariness struck a chord with readers as World War II waned, and a movie adaptation quickly followed. Among his short stories, some of the most memorable are those dealing with the lives of Western, mostly British, colonists in the Far East, and are typically concerned withthe emotional toll exacted on the colonists by their isolation. Some of his more outstanding works in this genre include "Rain", "Footprints in the Jungle", and "The Outstation". "Rain", in particular, which charts the moral disintegration of a missionary attempting to convert the Pacific island prostitute Sadie Thompson, has kept its fame and been made into a movie several times. Maugham said that many of his short stories presented themselves to him in the stories he heard during his travels in the outposts of the Empire. He left behind a long string of angry former hosts, and a contemporary anti-Maugham writer retraced his footsteps and wrote a record of his journeys called "Gin And Bitters". Maugham's restrained prose allows him to explore the resulting tensions and passions without appearing melodramatic. His The Magician (1908) is based on British occultist Aleister Crowley.Maugham was one of the most significant travel writers of the inter-war years, and can be compared with contemporaries such as Evelyn Waugh and Freya Stark. His best efforts in this line include The Gentleman in the Parlour, dealing with a journey through Burma, Siam, Cambodia and Vietnam, and On a Chinese Screen, a series of very briefvignettes which might almost be notes for short stories that were never written.Influenced by the published journals of the French writer Jules Renard, which Maugham had often enjoyed for their conscientiousness, wisdom and wit, Maugham published selections from his own journals under the title A Writer's Notebook in 1949. Although these journal selections are, by nature, episodic and of varying quality, they range over more than 50 years of the writer's life and contain much that Maugham scholars and admirers find of interest. InfluenceIn 1947, Maugham instituted the Somerset Maugham Award, awarded to the best British writer or writers under the age of thirty-five of a work of fiction published in the past year. Notable winners include V. S. Naipaul, Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis and Thom Gunn. On his death, Maugham donated his copyrights to the Royal Literary Fund.One of very few later writers to praise his influence was Anthony Burgess, who included a complex fictional portrait of Maugham in the novel Earthly Powers. George Orwell alsostated that Maugham was "the modern writer who has influenced me the most". The American writer Paul Theroux, in his short story collection The Consul's File, updated Maugham's colonial world in an outstation of expatriates in modern Malaysia. Holden Caulfield, in J. D. Salinger's 1951 The Catcher in the Rye, mentions that although he read Of Human Bondage the previous summer and liked it, he wouldn't want to call Maugham up on the phone.Portraits of MaughamThere are many portraits of Somerset Maugham, including that by Graham Sutherland in the Tate Gallery and several by Sir Gerald Kelly. Sutherland's portrait was included in Painting the Century 101 Portrait Masterpieces 1900-2000 at the National Portrait Gallery.。
毛姆英文简介 ppt课件
• Maugham had been writing steadily since the age of 15 and fervently wished to become an author, but as he was not of age, he refrained from telling his guardian. For the next five years, he studied medicine at St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth, London.
8.Expriences
• During World War1, he worked to save the wounded soilders at the frontline, especially the firing line, in Belgium. Later, he worked as a secret agent for Britain and gathered information in Geneva. He has also been sent on a diplomatic mission to try to persuade the Russian goverment retreat from the war. And this period of time was written into some of his works.
英语故事-Somerset Maugham
英语故事Somerset Maugham毛姆的作品常以冷静、客观乃至挑剔的态度审视人生，基调超然，常带怜悯和讽刺意味，这和他丰富的人生阅历紧密相关。
Somerset MaughamJohn SimkinWilliam Somerset Maugham was born in the British Embassy in Paris on 25th January, 1874. William’s father, Robert Ormond Maugham, a wealthy solicitor, worked for the Embassy in France. Maugham’s mother died of tuberculosis when he was seven and his father of cancer three years later.Maugham later wrote in Summing Up (1938): “My parents died when I was so young, my mother when I was eight, my father when I was ten, that I know little of them but from hearsay...He was forty when he married my mother, who was more than twenty years younger. She was a very beautiful woman and he was a very ugly man. I have been told that they were known in the Paris of that day as Beauty and the Beast.... I havea little photograph of her, a middle-aged woman in a crinoline with fine eyes and a look of good-humoured determination. My mother was very small, with large brown eyes and hair of a rich reddish gold, exquisite features, and a lovely skin.” Lady Anglesey told Maugham that she had once said to his mother: “You’re so beautiful and there are so many people in love with you, why are you faithful to that ugly little man you’ve married?”His mother answered: “He never hurts my feelings.”After the death of his parents he was sent to live with his uncle, the Rev. Henry Maugham, in Whitstable, Kent. His biographer, Bryan Connon, has pointed out: “French was Maugham’s first language and when he attended King’s School, Canterbury, he was taunted for his inadequate English and as a result developed a defensive speech hesitancy which never entirely left him and intensified in times of stress. He moved to Heidelberg when he was sixteen to learn German and came under the influence of John Ellingham Brooks, who seduced him. Ten years his senior and an ostentatious homosexual, Brooks encouraged his ambitions to be a writer and introduced him to the works of Schopenhauer and Spinoza. Maugham returned to England when he was eighteen and, instead of becoming anaccountant or a parson as his uncle proposed, enrolled as a student at St Thomas’s Hospital, London, where he believed he would have personal freedom and the time to write.”While training to be a doctor Maugham worked as an obstetric clerk in the slums of Lambeth. He used these experiences to help him write his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897). The book created a great deal of controversy as it dealt with Liza, a fun-loving factory worker, and her affair with Jim, a married man. The Daily Mail complained about one scene that involved a street fight between the pregnant Liza and Jim’s wife which leads to Liza’s miscarriage and death. One reviewer claimed Maugham had “imitated” a story by Arthur Morrison called by Liza Hunt of Bow that appeared in Tales of Mean Streets(1894). The critic claimed “the mimicry, indeed, is deliberate and unashamed”. The book sold well and he decided to abandon medicine and become a full-time writer.Maugham achieved fame with his play Lady Frederick (1907), a comedy about money and marriage. By 1908 Maugham had four plays running simultaneously in London. A cartoon by Bernard Partridge in Punch (24th June 1908) showed a worried Shakespeare in front of the playbills. Bryan Connon, the author of Somerset Maugham and the Maugham Dynasty (1997), pointedout: “Maugham’s success was repeated in New York, and he celebrated his good fortune by moving into a lavishly appointed house in Mayfair, London, with Walter Payne. As well-to-do bachelors, both men were socially popular. Contemporary photographs show Maugham, a small man, to be good looking, sexy, and fashion-conscious. His dandyism was captured by Sir Gerald Kelly in a full-length portrait of 1911”.In 1914 Maugham met the 22 year old American, Gerald Haxton, in London. The two men became lovers. On the outbreak of the First World War, Maugham, now aged forty, and Haxton, joined a Red Cross ambulance unit in France. In 1915 they parted when Haxton joined the American Army. Maugham went to live in New York City and in 1915 he published his most famous novel, Of Human Bondage.Maugham had sexual relationships with both men and women and in 1915, Syrie Wellcome, the daughter of Dr. Thomas Barnardo, gave birth to his child. Her husband, Henry Wellcome, cited Maugham as co-respondent in divorce proceedings. After the divorce in 1916, Maugham married Syrie. The marriage was unhappy and after they divorced he denied that Liza was his natural daughter.In 1916 Maugham was invited by Sir John Wallinger,head of Britain’s Military Intelligence (MI6) to act as a secret service agent. Maugham agreed and acted as a link between MI6 in London and its agents working in Europe. The following year he became involved in events in Russia.When the Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on 13th March, a Provisional Government, headed by Prince George Lvov, was formed. On 5th May, Pavel Milyukov and Alexander Guchkov, the two most conservative members of the Provisional Government, were forced to resign. Guchkov was now replaced as Minister of War by Alexander Kerensky. He toured the Eastern Front where he made a series of emotional speeches where he appealed to the troops to continue fighting. Kerensky argued that: “There is no Russian front. There is only one united Allied front.”Kerensky now appointed General Alexei Brusilov as the Commander in Chief of the Russian Army. On 18th June, Kerensky announced a new war offensive.The Provisional Government made no real attempt to seek an armistice with the Central Powers. Lvov’s unwillingness to withdraw Russia from the First World War made him unpopular with the people and on 8th July, 1917, he resigned and was replaced by Kerensky. Ariadna Tyrkova, a member of the Constitutional Democrat Party, commented: “Kerensky wasperhaps the only member of the Government who knew how to deal with the masses, since he instinctively understood the psychology of the mob. Therein lay his power and the main source of his popularity in the streets, in the Soviet, and in the Government.”The British ambassador, George Buchanan welcomed the appointment and reported back to London: “From the very first Kerensky had been the central figure of the revolutionary drama and had, alone among his colleagues, acquired a sensible hold on the masses. An ardent patriot, he desired to see Russia carry on the war till a democratic peace had been won; while he wanted to combat the forces of disorder so that his country should not fall a prey to anarchy. In the early stages of the revolution he displayed an energy and courage which marked him out as the one man capable of securing the attainment of these ends.”Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the head of MI6, decided that the British government should do everything possible to keep Kerensky in power. He contacted William Wiseman, their man in New York City and supplied Wiseman with $75,000 (approximately $1.2 million in modern prices) for Kerensky’s Provisional Government. A similar sum was received from theAmericans. Wiseman now approached Somerset Maugham (to whom he was related by marriage) in June 1917, to go to Russia. Maugham was “staggered” by the proposition: “The long and short of it was that I should go to Russia and keep the Russians in the war.”Maugham, who could speak Russian, was asked by Wiseman to “guide the storm”. Maugham told Wiseman: “I was staggered by the proposition. I told Wiseman that I did not think I was competent to do that sort of thing that was expected of me.” He asked for forty-eight hours to think it over. He was in the early stages of tuberculosis, had a high fever and was coughing up blood. Maugham later wrote: “An X-ray photograph showed clearly that I had tuberculosis of the lungs. But I could not miss the opportunity of spending certainly a considerable time in the country of Tolstoi, Dostoyevski, and Chekov; I had a notion that in the intervals of the work I was being sent to do I could get something for myself that would be of value; so I set my foot hard on the loud pedal of patriotism and persuaded the physician I consulted that under the tragic circumstances of the moment I was taking no undue risk.”Maugham was supplied with $21,000 (worthapproximately $350,000 today) for expenses and travelling from the west coast of the United States, through Japan and Vladivostok, Maugham reached Petrograd in early September 1917. With him went a group of four Czechoslovak refugees headed by Emanuel Voska, Director of the Slav Press Bureau in New York City. Maugham described Voska as the perfect spy: “Ruthless, wise, prudent and absolutely indifferent to the means by which he reached his ends... There was something terrifying about him... he was capable of killing a fellow creature without a trace of ill-feeling.”Voska made contact with Tomáš Masaryk in the hope of mobilizing Czech and Slovak elements in Russia to work for the Allied cause. Maugham was impressed by his “good sense and determination” and helped set up a press bureau to disseminate anti-German propaganda.While in Petrograd Maugham met a former mistress, Sasha Kropotkin, the daughter of Peter Kropotkin, who had a good relationship with Alexander Kerensky and the Provisional Government. Maugham entertained Kerensky or his ministers once a week at the Medvied, the best restaurant in Petrograd, paying for the finest vodka and caviar from the funds supplied by Wiseman. Maugham later recalled “I think Kerensky must have supposed that I was more important than I really was for hecame to Sasha’s apartment on several occasions and, walking up and down the room, harangued me as though I were at a public meeting for two hours at a time”.Maugham also met Boris Savinkov, a member of the government and a former terrorist. Maugham described Savinkov as “the most remarkable man I met.” He found it difficult to believe that Savinkov had been personally responsible for the assassination of a number of senior imperial officials in the years before the war. Maugham wrote, he had the prosperous look of a lawyer.” Savinkov believed that if the Bolsheviks gained power they would “annihilate” opposition leaders. Savinkov therefore wanted the government to arrest Lenin and other leading Bolsheviks: “Either Lenin will stand me up in front of a wall and shoot me or I shall stand him in front of a wall and shoot him.”Somerset Maugham worked closely with Major Stephen Alley, the MI1(c) station chief in Petrograd. On 16th October Maugham telegraphed Wiseman recommending a programme of propaganda and covert action. He said that Voska and Masaryk could both conduct “legitimate propaganda”and act as a cover for “other activities” in support of the Mensheviks and against the Bolsheviks. He also proposed setting up a “specialsecret organisations”recruited from Poles, Czechs and Cossacks with the main aim of “unmasking... German plots and propaganda in Russia”.On 31st October 1917 Maugham was summoned by Kerensky and asked to take an urgent secret message to David Lloyd George appealing for guns and amununition. Without that help, said Kerensky, “I don’t see how we can go on. Of course, I don’t say that to the people. I always say that to the people. I always say that we shall continue whatever happens, but unless I have something to tell my army it’s impossible”. Maugham was unimpressed by Kerensky: “His personality had no magnetism. He gave no feeling of intellectual or of physical vigour.”Maugham left the same evening for Oslo to board a British destroyer which, after a stormy passage across the North Sea, landed him in the north of Scotland. Next morning he saw Lloyd George at 10 Downing Street. After the agent told the Prime Minister what Kerensky wanted, he replied: “I can’t do that. I’m afraid I must bring this conversation to an end.I have a cabinet meeting I must go to.”On 7th November, 1917, Kerensky was overthrown by the Bolshevik Revolution. Maugham later recalled: “Perhaps if I had been sent to Russia six months sooner... I might have been able to do something.”After the First World War Maugham returned to writing. Another successful book, The Moon and Sixpence, was published in 1919. Maugham also developed a reputation as a fine short-story writer, one story, Rain, which appeared in The Trembling of a Leaf (1921), was also turned into a successful feature film. Popular plays written by Maugham include The Circle (1921), East of Suez (1922), The Constant Wife (1926) and the anti-war play, For Services Rendered (1932).In his later years Maugham wrote his autobiography, Summing Up (1938) and works of fiction such as The Razor’s Edge (1945), Catalina (1948) and Quartet (1949).William Somerset Maugham died in Nice on 15th December 1965.。
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It’s worth reading Maugham’s books, which must benefit us
.Leabharlann That’s all Thank you!
It's no good trying to keep up old friendships. It's painful for both sides. The fact is, one grows out of people, and the only thing is to face it.
---Somerset Maugham
His homosexuality had become known to everyone and he was often dragged into controversies for to his sexual orientation. Nonetheless, he also had affairs with many women among which the most enduring was with Syrie Wellcome, wife of American-born Englishman Henry Wellcome. hsi romance with Syrie resulted in a daughter Liza and Syrie's divorce with his husband Henry. In May 1917, Maugham married Syrie accepting Liza as his daughter. The marriage became strained due to his contemptuous relationship with Haxton and they divorced around 1927.
Notable Works
His reputation as a novelist rests primarily on four books ♪Of Human Bondage(1915) ♪The Moon and Sixpences(1919) ♪Cakes and Ale(1930) ♪The Razor’s Edge(1944)
William Somerset Maugham
(1874(1874-1965)
A famous English author, novelist and playwright. Many of his stories are about human weaknesses.
Brief introduction to Maugham’s life
An English writer considered to be one of the best writers of short stories in the English language. He also wrote plays and novels including Of Human Bondage and Cakes and Ale. His popularity lies in the fact that by early 1930's, he had become the highest paid author of his era.
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Maugham was orphaned at the age of 10。He was brought by his 10。 uncle and Educated at King’s School ,Canterbury. After a year at Heidelberg ,he entered St. Thomas’ medical school , London , and qualified as a doctor in 1897. . He drew upon his experiences as an obstetrician in his first novel, Liza of Lambeth(1897),and its success , though small , encouraged him to abandon medicine . He traveled in Spain and Italy and in triumph-----four 1908 achieved a theatrical triumph---four plays running in London at once-----that once---that brought him financial security . During World War І he worked as a secret agent, After the war he Resumed his interrupted travels and , in 1928, bought a villa on Cape Ferrat In the south of France, which became his permanent home.
Timeline: 1874- Maugham was born on 25 January. 18741905- Of Human Bondage, another novel written during 1905this period, appeared. 1916- Maugham embarked upon writing The Moon and 1916Sixpence. 1917- Maugham married Syrie. 19171922- Maugham produced a book of 58 short story 1922sketches. 1927- Maugham's play The Letter, was performed in 1927London. 1944- The Razor's Edge was published. 19441962- Maugham fell out with his daughter Liza. 19621962- He wrote his memoir Looking Back. 19621965- W. Somerset Maugham died on 16 December. 19651998- His daughter Liza died. 1998-