Bøger af W. Somerset Maugham

Spændingsroman. Fortællingen om den ensomme agent Ashenden afslører spionagetjensten som brutal og absurd. En skånselsløs krig i krigen hvor ingen kan stole på nogen og hvor forræderi hører til dagens orden.Det er alle agentromaners fader. Ian Fleming, Graham Greene og John Le Carré har alle åbent erkendt deres litterære gæld til W. Somerset Maugham og hans Ashenden – eller den britiske agent.I 1914 blev Maugham, under dække af at skulle færdiggøre et skuespil, sendt til Lucerne i Schweiz som hemmelig agent for Secret Service – det senere MI6. I 1928 skabte han med Ashenden litteraturens første hemmelige agent på baggrund af oplevelserne som spion under første verdenskrig.W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM 1874 – 1965, engelsk forfatter. Maugham opnåede at være en af de mest populære og bedst betalte forfattere i sin tid. Maughams forfatterskab er bredt og rummer alle genrer. Blandt hans værker er romanerne Livets lænker, som både J.D. Salinger og George Orwell har nævnt som inspirationskilde, og Det brogede slør der er filmatiseret med Edward Norton i hovedrollen."Hotellet lå ud til søen. En piccolo åbnede døren for ham, og han trådte ind i foyeren fulgt af et vindstød, der sendte papirerne på portierens disk op i luften. Ashenden blev blændet af lyset. Han standsede for at spørge, om der var breve til ham. Der var ingen, og han skulle netop til at gå ind i elevatoren, da portieren sagde, at der sad to herrer i hans værelse og ventede på at komme til at tale med ham. Ashenden havde ingen venner i Genève.

The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brillant characters - his fiancee Isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliot Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob.

It includes the famous story 'Rain', the tragedy of a narrow-minded and overzealous missionary and a prostitute, and 'The Three Fat Women of Antibes,' an extravagantly sardonic tale of abstention and greed, as well as a host of other brilliant tales.

Da den udstationerede engelske læge dr. Walter Fane opdager at hans hustru er ham utro udtænker han i sin forbitrelse en ganske særlig straf. Hustruen Kitty tvinges til at ledsage ham i hans arbejde i en landsby i det indre af Kina, hvor koleraen hærger. Det brogede slør er William Somerset Maughams klassiker fra 1925 om moral, ære og straf. Den skildrer mennesket i sit paniske forsøg på at realisere sig selv og samtidig skabe en mening med livet.Hans unikke forståelse for at opbygge spænding har – udover at afføde utallige filmatiseringer – resulteret i en enorm popularitet og en bred læserskare.Det Brogede Slør er filmatiseret tre gange, blandt andet i 1934 med Greta Garbo og Herbert Marshall i rollerne som lægen og den utro hustru.William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), engelsk forfatter og dramatiker, der står bag spændingsromaner som Livets Lænker fra 1915, samt den tre gange filmatiserede novelle Regn/Livets Luner fra 1921. Hans erfaringer som hemmelig agent for den britiske efterretningstjeneste – Secret Service – har haft afgørende indflydelse på hans forfatterskab, og han har rejst verden tynd på forskellige missioner og opgaver.Hans romaner er en bred vifte af skildringer fra hele verden, beskrevet i det klare, nøgterne sprog, der er karakteristisk for hans stil. Maugham står for sig selv som forfatter idet han formår at forene hæsblæsende spænding med en underliggende ironisk skepsis overfor omverdenen og de mennesker, der bebor den.

From a tormented orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. His cravings take him to Paris at age eighteen to try his hand at art, then back to London to study medicine. But even so, nothing can sate his nagging hunger for experience. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever....Marked by countless similarities to Maugham's own life, his masterpiece is "not an autobiography,” as the author himself once contended, "but an autobiographical novel; fact and fiction are inexorably mingled; the emotions are my own.” And although he based Of Human Bondage on what he knew, his is an "excessively rare gift of storytelling...almost the equal of imagination itself.”*With an Introduction by Benjamin De Mott and an Afterword by Maeve Binchy*The Sunday Times (London)

The third volume of Somerset Maugham's Collected Short Stories, introduced by the author, contains the celebrated series about Ashenden, a secret service agent in World War I.

This final classic collection of stories reveals Somerset Maugham's unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships.

The stories in this collection move from Malaya to America and England, and include some of Maugham's most famous tales; In this second volume of his collected stories, Maugham illustrates his characteristic wry perception of human foibles and his genius for evoking compelling drama from an acute sense of time and place.

From the love affair between a missionary and a drunkard to the mystery surrounding a death at sea, this collection gives a warm and humourous insight into life and history of life in the colonies and stands as a superbly entertaining and compelling testament to Maugham's skill and power as a short story writer.

Maugham spent the winter months of 1919 travelling fifteen hundred miles up the Yangtze river. Maugham keenly observes, and gently ridicules, their dogged and oblivious persistence with the life they know.

A masterpiece of modern literature that mirrors Maugham's own career. Of Human Bondage is the first and most autobiographical of Maugham's novels. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, Philip settles in London to train as a doctor.

Philip's yearning for adventure takes him to Germany and later Paris where he tries to make his mark as an artist before returning to London to study medicine. Here, a tortured and one-sided love affair with Mildred, a vulgar yet irresistible waitress, changes the course of his life for ever.

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.

The W. Somerset Maugham Reader presents a full range of Maugham's literary capabilities, from his early works of social realism, to his dramatic tales of love and revenge, to his pieces on travel to exotic lands.

Whether portraying a ship-borne flight from a lover's curse, murder in the jungle, or a marriage shattered by a past indiscretion, they all reveal Maugham at his best - sometimes caustic, sometimes gently comic, but always the shrewd and human judge of character and soul.

After one has left a country it is interesting to collect together the emotions it has given in an effort to define its particular character. And with Andalusia the attempt is especially fascinating, for it is a land of contrasts in which work upon one another, diversely, a hundred influences. In London now, as I write, the rain of an English April pours down; the sky is leaden and cold, the houses in front of me are almost terrible in their monotonous greyness, the slate roofs are shining with the wet. Now and again people pass: a woman of the slums in a dirty apron, her head wrapped in a grey shawl; two girls in waterproofs, trim and alert notwithstanding the inclement weather, one with a music-case under her arm. A train arrives at an underground station and a score of city folk cross my window, sheltered behind their umbrellas; and two or three groups of workmen, silently, smoking short pipes: they walk with a dull, heavy tramp, with the gait of strong men who are very tired. Still the rain pours down unceasing.

The incidents described in the stories are modeled on Maugham's experiences as a secret agent, and "the central character, Ashenden, is very much an autobiographical character." He is supposed to have modeled Chandra Lal after Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, an Indian nationalist in Germany during the war. Maugham, who was in the British Secret Service in Europe during the war, based many of his stories on his own experiences. Among other enterprises, Britain's European intelligence network attempted to eliminate several Indian nationalists in Europe, notably members of the Berlin Committee. Donald Gullick, a British agent, was dispatched to assassinate Chattopadhyaya. At the same time, the latter was on his way to Geneva to meet another Indian nationalist, Mahendra Pratap, and forward the Kaiser's invitation to Berlin. The short story of Giulia Lazzari is a blend of Gullick's attempts to assassinate Chattopadhyaya and Mata Hari's story. Winston Churchill reportedly advised Maugham to burn 14 other stories.The 1936 Alfred Hitchcock-directed film Secret Agent is a loose adaptation of "The Traitor" and "The Hairless Mexican," with John Gielgud as Ashenden (whose "real" name is Edgar Brodie) and Peter Lorre as The General.

Ce livre classique a été initialement publié il y a des décennies sous le titre " The Magician . Il a maintenant été traduit par Writat en langue française pour leurs lecteurs francophones. Chez Writat, nous sommes passionnés par la préservation du patrimoine littéraire du passé. Nous avons traduit ce livre en français afin que les générations présentes et futures puissent le lire et le conserver.

The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts, is a classical and a rare book, that has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and redesigned. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work, and hence their text is clear and readable. This remarkable volume falls within the genres of Language and Literatures English literature

"Of Human Bondage" is a novel written by British author W. Somerset Maugham, first published in 1915. The novel is considered one of Maugham's most significant works and is semi-autobiographical in nature.The story follows the life of Philip Carey, an orphan with a clubfoot who is raised by his strict and emotionally distant aunt and uncle. Philip's journey takes him from a small English town to art school in Paris, medical school in London, and various encounters with people and experiences that shape his life. The novel explores themes of love, art, personal growth, and the search for meaning."Of Human Bondage" is known for its complex characters and psychological depth, offering a deep exploration of Philip Carey's experiences, relationships, and personal development. The novel has been praised for its keen insights into the human condition and is considered a classic of 20th-century literature.

The Moon and Sixpence, a classical book, has been considered essential throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

Considered to be W. Somerset Maugham's masterpiece and adapted into multiple films, Of Human Bondage follows the journey of Philip Carey as he grows from a helpless, lonely child to a young, adventuring hedonist, in the end maturing into a confident family-man. Born with a club foot, orphaned nine-year old Philip is sent to live with his aunt and distant uncle. After a year of fruitless efforts at Oxford, Philip tries his hand in Germany and London before settling Paris to study art. There, he encounters love and heartbreak with various women, ending in devastation after he engages in a salacious affair with a woman who cannot return his love. Maugham has said Of Human Bondage is written as "not an autobiography, but an autobiographical novel," and intertwines many elements of Maugham's life, including his stutter, lonely childhood, and sensational affairs. Yet, when all is said and done, Philip Carey concludes, "the simplest pattern - that in which a man was born, worked, married, had children, and died - was likewise the most perfect."

Penelope: A Comedy in Three Acts, a classical book, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

The Moon and Sixpence tells the story of English stockbroker Charles Strickland, who abandons his wife and child to travel to Paris to become a painter. First published in 1919 in the United Kingdom by Heinemann, the story is inspired by the life of the French artist Paul Gauguin. It¿s told in episodic form from a first-person perspective. The narrator, who came to know Strickland through his wife¿s literary parties, begins the story as Strickland leaves for Paris. Strickland¿s new life becomes a stark contrast to his life in London. While he was once a well-off banker living a comfortable life, he must now sleep in cheap hotels while suffering both illness and hunger.Maugham spent a year in Paris in 1904, which is when he first heard the story of Gauguin, the banker who left his family and profession to pursue his passion for art. He heard the story from others who had known and worked with Gauguin. Ten years later Maugham travelled to Tahiti where he met others who had known Gauguin during the artist¿s time there. Inspired by the stories he heard, Maugham wrote The Moon and Sixpence. Although based on the life of Paul Gauguin, the story is a work of fiction.

On a Chinese Screen was first published in 1922 by Heinemann Publishers, London. Its 58 short vignettes are based on Maugham¿s travels along the Yangtze River from 1919 to 1920. Although later editions of the book added the subtitle ¿Sketches of Life in China,¿ there are actually only a few descriptions of the places he visited and the local Chinese people he met; rather, Maugham focuses on relaying his encounters with a range of Europeans living and working in the country. Maugham is quite critical of many of them and their lack of interest in, and sometimes disdain, for the country and its people, except for the extent to which their careers and pockets could benefit. His sketches highlight the difficulties that many expatriates encounter while living in a foreign culture.