Collected Stories (Everyman's Library) [Hardcover]

W. Somerset Maugham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2004

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

From one of the twentieth century’s most enduringly popular fiction writers: the only hardcover edition of his short stories.

Though W. Somerset Maugham was also famous for his novels and plays, it has been argued that in the short story he reached the pinnacle of his art. These expertly told tales, with their addictive plot twists and vividly drawn characters, are both galvanizing as literature and wonderfully entertaining. In the adventures of his alter ego Ashenden, a writer who (like Maugham himself) turned secret agent in World War I, as well as in stories set in such far-flung locales as South Pacific islands and colonial outposts in Southeast Asia, Maugham brings his characters vividly to life, and their humanity is more convincing for the author’s merciless exposure of their flaws and failures.

Whether the chasms of misunderstanding he plumbs are those between colonizers and natives, between a missionary and a prostitute, or between a poetry-writing woman and her uncomprehending husband, Maugham brilliantly displays his irony, his wit, and his genius in the art of storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The short story was Maugham’s true métier, and some of the stories he wrote are among the best in the language.” –Anthony Burgess

“Maugham has given infinite pleasure and left us a splendour of writing which will remain for as long as the written English word is permitted to exist.” –Daily Telegraph

“If all else perish, there will remain a storyteller’s world…that is exclusively and forever Maugham, a world of verandah and prahu which we enter as well as we do that of Conan Doyle’s Baker Street, and with a happy and eternal homecoming.” –Cyril Connolly, The Times (London)

“[Maugham] is as clever a craftsman as the cleverest…He chooses his themes with as quick an eye for tragedy as the most compassionate.” –The Observer

”A formidable talent, a formidable sum of talents.” –The Spectator

About the Author

W. Somerset Maugham was one of the twentieth century’s most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. He was born in Paris but grew up in England and served as a secret agent for the British during World War I. He wrote many novels, including the classics Of Human Bondage, Cakes and Ale, Christmas Holiday, The Moon and Sixpence, Theatre, and Up at the Villa.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 880 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library (July 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400042534
• ISBN-13: 978-1400042531
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty, cynically funny, and entertaining selection of stories, December 6, 2005

By 

Mark E. Baxter "Inquirer" (Layton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collected Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

A well chosen collection of 31 of Maugham's short stories. With over 800 pages, that works out to just short of 30 pages per story. This means that there is ample time for character development and not just brief telling of an interesting incident.

Maugham is a master of developing characters and the stereotypes that he designs are the standard for several genres. Many of the stories concern the South Seas and the differences between the whites and the natives. This collection also has many of his Asian stories about white colonists and their foibles. The last few stories are based on Maugham's spy experiences. (Maugham was a British Spy for years - one of his missions was to prevent the fall of Russia to the Communists)

Most of these stories are full of black humor. And Maugham is one of the world's great curmudgeons. The interplay between men and women is another favorite topic and Maugham's lack of Romanticism is obvious. He is almost (but not quite) misogynistic. "When a man marries, his wife sooner or later estranges him from his old friends." "With two lovers there is always one who loves and one who lets himself be loved." (These are two representative quotes from the book.)

And just a short comment on this edition. It is hardback, with a sewn-in page marker and inexpensive for this quality of book. In general I enjoy the Everyman editions and prices.

All in all excellent, humorous, biting and entertaining.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Start, November 9, 2006

By 

John M. Stokes (Socorro, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collected Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

This physically lovely volume, beautifully bound (it even has a red ribbon bookmark), is a great start for anyone interested in the short fiction of Maugham. These days Maugham is rather underrated, which is all the more unfortunate because his short works, unlike many of his novels, are more consistently well-crafted and engaging. This collection is first rate, although some of Maugham's best stories (e.g. "The Facts of Life" and "Lord Montdrago") are curiously absent (as they are from many incomplete collections). If you're looking for the complete short stories, obviously this isn't the volume for you, but if you want a large compilation of most of this writer's work, this is an excellent start.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story Doesn't Have to Change the World, May 8, 2008

By 

CV Rick (Minneapolis, MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Collected Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

I picked up this volume of stories because I'd heard that W Somerset Maugham was the true master of the short story form. I've read a lot of contemporary writers so I wanted to compare. I learned a lot from these stories.

The first thing I learned was subtlety. These stories weren't filled with action sequences or grand plots, but instead they were filled with intent and slow moving determination. He lets the story unfold in the actions of his characters and reveals their mind through words, action and narrative. At first I have to admit that I thought these stories boring and without purpose but then I reread the first stories and realized that every word had purpose and that purpose was the action - the beautiful subtle flowing action of the stories told so well that they seemed effortless and haunting at the same time. Then I was not bored.

The second thing I learned was theme. I don't know if Maugham consciously wrote to a theme or whether it developed organically, but however he did it the theme permeated each story with symbolism in elegance. There was this one story about an island's regent and his assistant. They didn't get along and eventually that tension built into ill intent, but the scenes were decorated with contrasting imagery - chaos interrupting serenity, just like the main characters. It works so well to put the reader in the mood for what's to come. It's kind of magical when you realize that it's working and it's intentional, manipulative even.

The third thing I learned is that a story doesn't have to change the world or reveal great secrets, but that changing a single person in one significant way is enough. It's enough and sometimes more than just enough for a story - sometimes it's perfect.

- CV Rick, May 2008