William Somerset Maugham Libri

Con i soldi si soffre meglio“ è solita affermare perentoriamente la signora Lay, esponente della ricca aristocrazia inglese e autentico, spregiudicato, impietoso “deus ex machina” della girandola di avventure familiari, di situazioni ambigue ed equivoche messe in scena da Maugham in questo romanzo. La giostra ha infatti l’aspetto di una grande polifonia drammaturgica in cui tutti i personaggi obbediscono alla logica razionalità dell’intreccio e dei più classici colpi di scena. Un forte senso teatrale che Maugham ebbe modo di maturare ed esibire nelle sue brillanti commedie di costume, nei melodrammi, nelle farse che scrisse fino al 1933. Il concatenarsi fitto ed inestricabile degli avvenimenti, guidato dall’autore con tanta sapienza costruttiva, ispirerà qualche decennio dopo uno dei brani più famosi dell’orchestra di Duke Ellington: Merry “ Go “ Round.

Il romanzo Il filo del rasoio è un esempio culminante del maestro letterario Maugham. È la storia di un giovane americano, Larry Darrell, che, come pilota, ha partecipato volontariamente alla prima guerra mondiale. Dopo il suo ritorno a casa, nel benestante ambiente del Chicago del dopoguerra, non riesce a reintegrarsi nella società dei suoi coetanei ed è indifferente all'idea americana del giovane uomo di successo. Cerca risposte alle domande sul senso più profondo della vita, che si pone dopo le dure esperienze della guerra, prima nei libri dei filosofi antichi e poi direttamente presso i saggi indiani, dei quali diventa discepolo. Non meno interessante è la descrizione da parte dell'autore dei personaggi della vita di Larry, della sua ex fidanzata e della sua famiglia, dello snob zio Elliott, e accanto a ciò anche il lato oscuro della vita lussuosa delle grandi città.

"Non dovete essere naturali. Il teatro non è fatto per questo, il teatro è illusione. Ma dovete 'sembrare' naturali". Guidata da pochissimi princìpi, quasi tutti appresi a scuola di recitazione, Julia Lambert ("la più grande attrice d'Inghilterra") sa decisamente irretire il suo pubblico: quello adorante che riempie le sale e si affolla in camerino, quello che si lascia soggiogare da lei nella vita privata, e infine noi, che seguiamo sulla pagina questo suo lungo, trionfale monologo. Durante il quale Julia ci sembra di continuo sul punto di cadere: in un matrimonio mediocre, in un amore con un ragazzo che ha venti anni meno di lei, nei trabocchetti tesi da debuttanti che sperano di rubarle la scena. E ogni volta, dal loggione, vorremmo ingenuamente metterla in guardia, ma Julia è una Marlene che non ha nemmeno bisogno di invocare il suo Von Sternberg, perché sceglie benissimo da sé il tono, il gesto, l'inquadratura.

Tra confortevoli hotel svizzeri, sicari messicani, lussuose carrozze letto dell'Orient Express e falsi gentiluomini e sullo sfondo degli anni della prima guerra mondiale la spia Ashenden agisce senza scrupoli morali con una particolare inclinazione alla malvagità, ma sopratutto con una straordinaria capacità di capire la psicologia umana: perché oltre che spia è anche scrittore. Eccolo sulle tracce di Miss King mentre cerca di salvare l'Inghilterra; del Messicano calvo che uccide senza rimorso la persona sbagliata; dell'aristocratica italiana Giulia Lazzari disposta a tutto per salvarsi; dell'inglese Traditore e tronfio che riuscirà a smascherare; e di un ingenuo americano, capitalista un po' imbecille, Mr Harrington, coinvolto grottescamente nella Rivoluzione russa. Ascheden assiste provoca racconta. Tutte le storie di Maughan anche quelle di "finzione" che compongono la seconda metà di questo volume sono costruite con mirabile dosaggio degli effetti e confermano lo scrittore inglese come maestro del racconto e capostipite delle moderne spy-stories.

A causa del suo contenuto giudicato "estremamente audace", questo romanzo venne rifiutato da parecchi editori inglesi. Ambientato nell'Inghilterra di fine Ottocento, "La signora Craddock" è la storia di un matrimonio infelice che si intreccia con il complicato equilibrio fra classi sociali diverse. Sposando Edward Craddock, fattore della grande tenuta di cui è padrona, Berta Ley vedrà la propria vita modificarsi in modo del tutto imprevisto: non la grande passione, ma l'estinguersi del desiderio e delle illusioni. Tra le prime opere di Somerset Maugham, questo romanzo rivela le notevoli capacità di osservazione di uno scrittore ancora quasi sconosciuto, e l'audacia nell'analizzare il tema dei conflitti e dei turbamenti all'interno del matrimonio, che per la prima volta cominciava a essere affrontato nel romanzo inglese.

Alle vedove dei grandi scrittori tocca spesso in sorte di trasformarsi in vestali, per mantenere la memoria del caro estinto al riparo da scandali e pettegolezzi. Non è mai un compito facile, e la seconda signora Driffield lo sa bene. Se poi al momento di individuare un agiografo affidabile la scelta ricade su un uomo come Alroy Kear, astro nascente della scena letteraria, ma già noto per «essere in grado di spolpare un uomo fino all’osso, senza per questo serbargli rancore», il minimo che possa accadere è che dal passato del riverito Edward Driffield riemerga almeno un fantasma. Che ha le sembianze – inaccettabili per i frequentatori dei salotti londinesi, irresistibili per chiunque altro – di Rosie, la prima signora Driffield. Da questo spunto Maugham ha ricavato una commedia di costume divertentissima e feroce. E se alla sua uscita nel 1930 (quando chiunque riconosceva nei personaggi tutte le leggende dell’epoca, da Thomas Hardy a Hugh Walpole fino all’autore stesso nei panni della sua controfigura prediletta, il narratore Ashenden) il libro suscitò enorme scandalo, oggi viene da molti ritenuto l’opera in cui Maugham si è spinto più lontano – addirittura, sostiene Gore Vidal, fino a Jane Austen.

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La virtù, nelle Storie ciniche e nell'opera di Maugham, si dissolve nel cinismo, impedendo ogni commozione ai protagonisti e ai lettori. La regola aurea della vita diventa saper essere sufficientemente cinici da agire solo secondo i propri desideri. I personaggi includono donne diaboliche che, con la loro fragilità, limitano la libertà altrui; donne lussuriose che passano da un amante all'altro; e donne di mezza età che si accoppiano con ragazzi molto più giovani, per poi lasciarli per ammiratori improbabili. Ci sono anche tre ciccione a Cap d’Antibes, tormentate da diete e da un’amica che si concede ogni eccesso. Maugham offre una varietà di personaggi, rendendo i suoi racconti incredibilmente divertenti e coinvolgenti. La lettura è fluida e appagante, senza alcuno sforzo. Si apprezza l’intelligenza, la sottigliezza e la precisione dello scrittore. Somerset Maugham dimostra una maestria indiscutibile nel narrare storie che catturano e intrattengono, sia nei racconti che nei romanzi.

Charles Strickland, a conventional stockbroker abandons his wife and children for Paris and Tahiti, to live his life as a painter. Whilst his betrayal of family, duty and honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness, his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications.

This final classic collection reveals Somerset Maugham's unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships in tales of love, infidelity, passion and prejudice. The stories range from "The Lotus Eater" where a man envisions a life of bliss in the Mediterranean, to the astringent tales of "The Outstation" and "The Back of Beyond" in Malaya and South East Asia.

Somerset Maugham's irony and cool detachment made him an acknowledged master of the short story. The stories collected here are typical of Maugham's wry perception of human weakness and his unique talent for evoking a sense of time and place. They are set in familiar Maugham territory - the South Seas, Europe and America - but they are all concise and compelling dramas played out by unforgettable characters. The collection includes some of Maugham's most famous stories: "The Alien Corn," "Flotsam and Jetsam" and particularly "The Vessel of Wrath," a surprising tale of burgeoning love between a repressed mission lady and a drunken reprobate.

A companion volume to Maugham's Malaysian Stories. This is a fascinating collection of six stories set in Borneo, selected and introduced by G. V. de Freitas. Some of Maugham's best tales such as "The Yellow Streak", "The Outstation", "Before the Party", "Flotsam and Jetsam", "Neil MacAdam" and "Virtue" are included in this volume.

These 30 short stories, comprising Somerset Maugham's first collection, are set in locations ranging from England, France and Spain to the silver sands of the South Pacific. They include Rain, The Three Fat Women of Antibes, The Voice of the Turtle, and Before the Party.

Who better qualified to chronicle the experiences of an author-agent during the First World War than Somerset Maugham, himself a writer turned spy? His alter-ego is Ashenden, a calm observer with a cool head. From his almost casual recruitment into Intelligence at the beginning of hostilities, we follow his progress through a series of incidents. There is the fiasco of the Hairless Mexican, a ladies' man and thoroughly inept assassin. And the pathetic tale of Mr Harrington, the touching and ridiculous American, clumsily feeling his way through the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Most dreadful of all is the bleak story of the Traitor, whose fate reveals the real horror of the agent's profession.

Of Human Bondage is the first and most autobiographical of Maugham s masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey, an orphan eager for life, love and adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as would-be arti

Una striscia argentea di spiaggia, palme da cocco e case d’erba creano un’atmosfera di oasi, o forse di allucinazione. Una pioggia incessante, «animata da un’intima rabbia», avvolge i turisti appena arrivati. Tra di loro, un missionario con una cupa fiamma negli occhi e una prostituta in fuga dal suo passato si trovano a fronteggiarsi, combattendo e cercandosi, fino a un tragico epilogo. Anche il secondo racconto del volume, Il reprobo, presenta un paradiso tropicale nell’Oceano Pacifico, dove un dogmatico reverendo e sua sorella, «con l’accanimento di un angelo vendicatore», tentano di redimere un ubriacone dell’isola. Tuttavia, una notte trascorsa con lui su un’isola deserta determinerà il loro destino. Glenway Wescott, amico di Maugham, sottolinea che per cogliere la profondità nei suoi racconti è necessario non confondere la semplicità con l’assenza di significato e riconoscere le idee nascoste in episodi e dialoghi. I due racconti, Rain e The Vessel of Wrath, furono pubblicati rispettivamente nel 1921 e nel 1931. Da Pioggia è stato tratto un film di successo con Rita Hayworth.

Part of a series designed to be suitable for students at upper intermediate level, including those preparing for the Cambridge First Certificate examinations. These simplified editions keep within a 2000 word vocabulary, contain exercise material and an introduction to the text and author.

Canon Spratte, convinced of his own importance, believes he is destined to become the next Bishop of Sheffield, bolstered by his lineage as the son of a Lord Chancellor. His self-importance and entitlement shape his ambitions, providing a humorous exploration of character and societal expectations within the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Keuze uit het werk van de bekende Engelse schrijver (1874-1965).

William Somerset Maugham is a master of the short story. He was a famous literary figure for many years and a prolific writer, but of all his work it is his short stories that are best known and loved. Every one is perfectly composed and complete, however short. The characters in their cosmopolitan surroundings live from the first sentence and the point is made with delicate irony, with wit or cynical detachment. Such expertly drawn illustrations of human behaviour and foibles are unforgettable. Written intermittently between 1920 and 1945, the stories have been grouped by Maugham himself according to their locale so that 'the reader can take his bearings in whatever distant land I choose to lead him to'.

Somerset Maugham is the acknowledged master of the short story, and his full range is represented in this collection.

De Singapour à Bangkok, de Saigon à Manille, de Shanghai à Chungking, George cherche à échapper à Mabel, la femme qui l'aime... En vain, Mabel finira par le rattraper au fin fond du Tibet. Destin exemplaire que celui de George... Chacun des personnages de ces nouvelles cherche en effet à s'évader qui d'un pays, qui d'un cauchemar, qui d'une situation financière délicate... ou d'une existence médiocre. Avec souvent, en toile de fond, l'Extrême-Orient cher à Sommerset Maugham. Avec Roger Charing, Ruth Barlow et les autres, évadez-vous...

The setting is a desolate beach, marked by calm seas and a melancholic atmosphere, where a solitary woman stands, consumed by her inner turmoil. Despite the serene landscape, she feels a profound sorrow that nature's indifference amplifies rather than alleviates. Her steadfast gaze reflects her emotional struggle, as she grapples with her pride and the weight of her grief. The narrative explores themes of isolation and the contrast between nature's beauty and human suffering, highlighting the woman's refusal to seek solace outside herself.

A collection of short stories born of the author's experiences in Malaya, Singapore and other outposts of the former British Empire.

A collection of Somerset Maugham's plays, including THE CONSTANT WIFE, OUR BETTERS, SHEPPEY, THE SACRED FLAME and THE CIRCLE. Last published in 1991.

The third volume of the renowned English author's short stories deal with the adventures of Ashenden, an agent in the Intelligence Department during the First World War

Zeer verkort en vereenvoudigde uitgave met tekeningen en woordverklaringen in het Engels

Maugham's studies of the lives and masterpieces of ten great novelists are outstanding examples of literary criticism at its finest. Afforded here are some of the formulae of greatness in the genre, as well as the flaws and heresies which enfeeble it. Written by a master of fiction, Ten Novels and Their Authors is a unique and invaluable guide. schovat popis

We were tasked with taking an unoccupied hill, believing it safe unless the enemy fired from it. However, the area was teeming with Boers, who opened fire as we approached. Our attempts to storm the position were futile; men fell like nine-pins, and when ordered to fire, we had nothing to aim at but rocks. We had to retreat, and I soon discovered that Larcher had been wounded. Determined to help, I returned for him and asked if he could move. He replied he was hurt in the leg, and I bandaged him as best as I could while we were under fire. He was bleeding profusely, yet he maintained a brave demeanor. I inquired about his condition, and he assured me he was just feeling a bit unwell. I helped him to his feet, but soon he turned pale and groaned that he felt bad, then fainted. I had to carry him, but soon after, I was hit in the arm. I urged him to stay strong, but as he opened his eyes, a bullet struck him in the neck, and he bled out, gasping his last breath as his blood splattered on my face.

She did not know what to say. She was undecided whether indignantly to assert her innocence or to break out into angry reproaches. He seemed to read her thoughts. I've got all the proof necessary 'Kitty Fane is the beautiful but shallow wife of Walter

Le plaisir de lire en V.O.Ce recueil de 10 nouvelles anglaises et américaines d'auteurs contemporains (R. Dahl, P. Highsmith, I. Asimov, etc.) et de genres très divers a pour but d'aider les élèves à lire de manière autonome en anglais.Les premières nouvelles sont accompagnées d'une aide à la lecture importante, qui va décroissant alors que les élèves gagnent en confiance.- Chaque nouvelle est suivie d'une fiche de lecture qui aide à la compréhension du texte et propose des activités et des exercices.- Les nouvelles choisies reposent toutes sur une intrigue qui incite l'élève à aller jusqu'au bout de l'histoire.

Selected short stories introduced by Christopher Isherwood

This is an Elementary Level title in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of stories - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.

Who better qualified to chronicle the experiences of an author-agent during the First World War than Somerset Maugham, himself a writer turned spy? His alter-ego is Ashenden, a calm observer with a cool head. From his almost casual recruitment into Intelligence at the beginning of hostilities, we follow his progress through a series of incidents. There is the fiasco of the Hairless Mexican, a ladies' man and thoroughly inept assassin. And the pathetic tale of Mr Harrington, the touching and ridiculous American, clumsily feeling his way through the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Most dreadful of all is the bleak story of the Traitor, whose fate reveals the real horror of the agent's profession.

Autobiographical and confessional, and yet not, this is one of the most highly regarded expressions of a personal credo – both a classic avowal of an author’s ideas and his craft.

Set in Bohemian Paris at the turn of the 20th century, this sinister novel was inspired by the notorious black magician, Aleister Crowley. Presenting a vibrant picture of Parisian cafe society, it also explores the struggle of the individual against domination and enslavement by the forces of darkness.

Acht Erzählungen sind in diesem Band versammelt. Zur ersten Erzählung schrieb Kindlers Neues Literatur Lexikon: "Die Erzählung 'Regen', eine der bekanntesten und besten Maughams, handelt vom seelischen Zusammenbruch eines religiösen Fanatikers. Maugham zeichnet das Charakterporträt eines Mannes, der sich als Stellvertreter eines Gottes versteht, der weder Gnade noch Barmherzigkeit noch Liebe kennt."

The Escape and Other Stories is an Elementary-Level book written by the famous English author W. Somerset Maugham. This brilliant book consists of four short stories including 'The Escape', 'Louise', 'The Ant and the Grasshopper' and 'The Fall of Edward Barnard'.

Murder Most A Collection of Great Crime Stories

Simplified and abridged by G.C. Thornley ; illustrated by William Burnard. Contains works by: H.G. Wells Oscar Wilde P.G. Wodehouse Katherine Mansfield Edgar Allan Poe Anthony Trollope and W. Somerset Maugham

This is an Intermediate Level title in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of stories - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.

From 1892, when he was 18, until 1949, when this book was first published, Somerset Maugham kept a notebook. Part autobiographical, part confessional, this is a collection of Maugham's observations, confidences, aspirations and arbitrary jottings.

This is an Intermediate Level title in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of stories - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.

On a Chinese Screen, also known as On a Chinese Screen: Sketches of Life in China, is a travel book by W. Somerset Maugham, first published in 1922. It is a series of short sketches Maugham made during a trip along the Yangtze River in 1919-1920, and although ostensibly about China the book is equally focused on the various westerners he met during the trip and their struggles to accept or adapt to the cultural differences they encounter, which are often as enormous and as alienating as the country itself. (wikipedia.org)

In Up at the Villa, W. Somerset Maugham portrays a wealthy young English woman who finds herself confronted rather brutally by the repercussions of whimsy. On the day her older and prosperous friend asks her to marry him, Mary Leonard demurs and decides to postpone her reply a few days. But driving into the hills above Florence alone that evening, Mary offers a ride to a handsome stranger. And suddenly, her life is utterly, irrevocably altered. For this stranger is a refugee of war, and he harbors more than one form of passion. Before morning, Mary will witness bloodshed, she will be forced to seek advice and assistance from an unsavory man, and she will have to face the truth about her own yearnings. Erotic, haunting, and maddeningly suspenseful, Up at the Villa is a masterful tale of temptation and the capricious nature of fate.

This title is exclusively available from Vintage Classics. At the age of twenty-three, Charlie Mason is endowed with good looks, good manners and a happy disposition. Following three years at Cambridge and one in his father's business, he is now looking forward to a jaunt in Paris with Simon Fenimore, his oldest friend.Yet Paris is not what he expects. And in just a few days his young eyes are opened to the horror and ugly drama of its underworld. Published before the outbreak of war in 1939, Maugham's purpose in Christmas Holiday was to warn the complacent, insular British middle-class of the immense upheavals taking place on the Continent.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY PAUL THEROUXSomerset Maugham's success as a writer enabled him to indulge his adventurous love of travel, and he recorded the sights and sounds of his wide-ranging journeys with an urbane, wry style all his own. schovat popis

This sea tale by the author of "Of Human Bondage" evolved from a passage in "The Moon and Sixpence" that Maugham had written 12 years before.

Maugham writes about three very different people in English settings.

Maugham found a parallel to the turmoil of our own times in the duplicity, intrigue and sensuality of the Italian Renaissance. Then and Now enters the world of Machiavelli, and covers three important months in the career of that crafty politician, worldly seducer and high priest of schemers.

Catalina, a crippled 16-year-old, miraculously meets and talks with the Blessed Virgin, as though she were her own mother. But in the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition, the Church is apt to take a serious view of such an ostentatious claim.

Heinemann Guided Readers 3 - Intermediate The aim of this series is to provide learners of English with reading practice which is well-written, interesting and enjoyable. This is achieved within a system of control of content and language with the following main features: Information Control The density of content is controlled and allusion, metaphor and field of reference are made explicit. Vital information needed in order to follow the story is particularly clearly brought out. Structure Control Difficult, complex and unusual sentence structures are avoided. Great care is taken with pronoun reference. Vocabulary Control This is based on a level of approximately 1600 words. Words outside this level which are necessary to the story are included and their meanings made clear.

Heinemann Guided Readers 14 - Intermediate Stories included - Footprints in the Jungle - The Taipan - Gullia Lazzari The aim of this series is to provide learners of English with reading practice which is well-written, interesting and enjoyable. This is achieved within a system of control of content and language with the following main features: Information Control The density of content is controlled and allusion, metaphor and field of reference are made explicit. Vital information needed in order to follow the story is particularly clearly brought out. Structure Control Difficult, complex and unusual sentence structures are avoided. Great care is taken with pronoun reference. Vocabulary Control This is based on a level of approximately 1600 words. Words outside this level which are necessary to the story are included and their meanings made clear.

A paean to Spain's golden age of enormous creative energy, "Don Fernando begins with the vivid tale of Loyola's life and conversion, discusses the writings of St Teresa and the paintings of El Greco, and comments with sagacity and wit on such illustrious figures as Cervantes, Luis de Leon, Lope de Vega, Velasquez and the creator of Don Juan. "From the Trade Paperback edition.

Exploring themes of nostalgia and reflection, this book delves into the experiences of individuals who have departed from their homeland. It captures the essence of memory and the emotional ties to a place once called home. Through personal anecdotes and observations, the narrative reveals how leaving a country shapes identity and influences perspectives on life. The author invites readers to contemplate the significance of belonging and the bittersweet nature of farewell.