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5
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 alien surroundings 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 scepticism about the extent of
man's innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its
astringent cynicism.
He died in 1965 at the age of 91. The Maugham persona of the
sophisticated world traveler and story teller, rather than the social
dramatist, is his legacy.
GLOSSARY
:
¾ unadorned – lacking embellishment or decoration: plain,
simple;
¾ obstetrician – a physician specializing in obstetrics, a branch
of medical science that deals with birth;
¾ disguised – furnished with a false appearance or an assumed
identity;
¾ lawsuit – a case before a court;
¾ maturity – the quality or state of being mature; especially:
full development;
¾ unconventional – being out of the ordinary;
¾ astringent – rigidly severe, austere, pungent, caustic;
¾ sophisticated – having a refined knowledge of the ways of
the world cultivated especially through wide experience.
6
Now study some of Maugham’s quotations. What de-
ductions about his world outlook can you draw? Do they
correspond to the portrait below?
µ "I've always been interested in
people, but I've never liked them."
µ "It was such a lovely day I
thought it was a pity to get up"
µ "At a dinner party one should
eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but
not too wisely."
µ "When you choose friends, don't
be short-changed by choosing personality
over character."
µ "It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by
censure than by praise."
µ "Money is like sixth sense without which you cannot make a
complete use of the other five."
µ "People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise."
µ "You can do anything in this world if you're prepared to
take the consequences."
µ "Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is
to have nothing whatever to do with it."
Hugh Walpole; and The Razor's Edge (1944), the story of a young Now study some of Maugham’s quotations. What de-
American war veteran's quest for a satisfying way of life. Maugham's ductions about his world outlook can you draw? Do they
plays, mainly Edwardian social comedies, soon became dated, but his correspond to the portrait below?
short stories have increased in popularity. Many portray the conflict of
µ "I've always been interested in
Europeans in alien surroundings that provoke strong emotions, and
people, but I've never liked them."
Maugham's skill in handling plot, in the manner of Guy de Maupassant,
µ "It was such a lovely day I
is distinguished by economy and suspense. In The Summing Up (1938)
thought it was a pity to get up"
and A Writer's Notebook (1949) Maugham explains his philosophy of
µ "At a dinner party one should
life as a resigned atheism and a certain scepticism about the extent of
eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but
man's innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its
not too wisely."
astringent cynicism.
µ "When you choose friends, don't
He died in 1965 at the age of 91. The Maugham persona of the
be short-changed by choosing personality
sophisticated world traveler and story teller, rather than the social
over character."
dramatist, is his legacy.
µ "It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by
GLOSSARY: censure than by praise."
µ "Money is like sixth sense without which you cannot make a
¾ unadorned – lacking embellishment or decoration: plain,
complete use of the other five."
simple;
µ "People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise."
¾ obstetrician – a physician specializing in obstetrics, a branch
µ "You can do anything in this world if you're prepared to
of medical science that deals with birth;
take the consequences."
¾ disguised – furnished with a false appearance or an assumed
µ "Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is
identity;
to have nothing whatever to do with it."
¾ lawsuit – a case before a court;
¾ maturity – the quality or state of being mature; especially:
full development;
¾ unconventional – being out of the ordinary;
¾ astringent – rigidly severe, austere, pungent, caustic;
¾ sophisticated – having a refined knowledge of the ways of
the world cultivated especially through wide experience.
5 6
