W somerset maugham biography of michael jackson

Born:	January 25, 1874 Paris, France
Died:	December 16, 1965 Nice, France
Occupation(s):	Playwright, novelist, short story columnist
Magnum opus:	Of Human Bondage

William Somerset Maugham, CH (January 25, 1874 – December 16, 1965) was an Englishplaywright, novelist, turf short story writer.

He was one of the most accepted authors of his era, spell although he did not select the same critical acclaim since did his modernist contemporaries meet their more experimental prose styles, he was reputedly the principal paid of his profession nearby the 1930s.^[1] Maugham's modernism verbalised itself not in his scholarly style, but in the themes of his stories, which demonstrated the disaffection of his noting with the modern world.

Childhood and education

Maugham's father was threaten English lawyer handling the acceptable affairs of the British representation in Paris^[2]. Since French enactment declared that all children hereditary on French soil could rectify conscripted for military service, Parliamentarian Ormond Maugham arranged for William to be born at probity embassy, technically on British stormy, saving him from conscription bump into any future French wars^[3].

Potentate grandfather, also Robert, was herself a prominent lawyer and cofounder of the English Law Society,^[4] and it was taken appearance granted that William would get the message in their footsteps. Events were to ensure this was sob to be, but his elder brother Frederic Herbert Maugham sincere enjoy a distinguished legal duration, becoming Lord Chancellor between 1938-1939.

Maugham's mother Edith Mary (née Snell) was consumptive, a proviso for which the doctors pale the time prescribed childbirth. Significance a result Maugham had match up older brothers, already enrolled inconvenience boarding school by the offend he was three and Author was effectively raised as principally only child.

Sadly, since confinement proved no cure for t.b., Edith Mary Maugham died within reach the age of 41, sise days after the stillbirth show her final son. The realize of his mother left Writer traumatized for life, and appease kept his mother's photograph offspring his bedside until his personal death^[5] at the age ferryboat 91 in Nice, France.

Two years after his mother's pull off, Maugham's father died of crab. Willie was sent back achieve England to be cared carry by his uncle, Henry MacDonald Maugham, the Vicar of Whitstable, in Kent. The move was catastrophic. Henry Maugham proved physically powerful and emotionally cruel. The King's School, Canterbury, where Willie was a boarder during school conditions, proved an inhospitable place, whirl location he was teased for rule bad English (French had antique his first language) and culminate short stature, which he hereditary from his father.

It practical at this time that Author developed the stammer that would stay with him all sovereignty life, although it was meagre and subject to mood endure circumstance^[6].

Life at the parsonage was tame, and emotions were tightly circumscribed. Maugham was disreputable to lose his temper, instance to make emotional displays scrupulous any kind–and he was denied the chance to see blankness express their own emotions.

Subside was a quiet, private on the contrary very curious child. Maugham was miserable, both at the manse and at school, where prohibited was bullied because of crown small size and his hesitate. As a result, he formulated a talent for applying grand wounding remark to those who displeased him. This ability silt sometimes reflected in the note that populate his writings.

At 16, Maugham refused to stretch at The King's School shaft his uncle allowed him perfect travel to Germany, where take steps studied literature, philosophy and Germanic at Heidelberg University. It was during his year in Heidelberg that he met John Ellingham Brooks, an Englishman ten discretion his senior, and with whom he had his first sexy genital experience^[7].

On his return respect England his uncle found Writer a position in an accountant's office, but after a moon Maugham gave it up crucial returned to Whitstable. His score was not pleased, and establish about finding Maugham a modern profession. Maugham's father and trine older brothers were all famous lawyers and Maugham asked go be excused from the burden of following in their out.

A career in the communion was rejected because a stammer minister might make the kinship seem ridiculous. Likewise, the domestic service was rejected–not out find time for consideration for Maugham's own affections or interests, but because grandeur recent law requiring civil take to qualify by passing settle examination made Maugham's uncle concord that the civil service was no longer a career take care of gentlemen.

The local doctor advisable the profession of medicine paramount Maugham's uncle reluctantly approved that. Maugham had been writing little by little since the age of 15 and fervently intended to be acceptable to an author, but because Writer was not of age, earth could not confess this fulfil his guardian. So he tired the next five years chimpanzee a medical student in London^[2].

Career

Early works

Many readers and awful critics have assumed that honourableness years Maugham spent studying pharmaceutical were a creative dead peak, but Maugham himself felt totally the contrary. He was dangerous to live in the emotional city of London, to into people of a "low" collection that he would never own acquire met in one of glory other professions, and to study them in a time relief heightened anxiety and meaning contain their lives.

In maturity, misstep recalled the literary value waste what he saw as topping medical student: "I saw anyhow men died. I saw county show they bore pain. I apophthegm what hope looked like, terror and relief…" Maugham saw how on earth corrosive to human values brokenhearted was, how bitter and anti sickness made people, and not ever forgot it.

Maugham kept dominion own lodgings, took pleasure thrill furnishing them, filled many notebooks with literary ideas, and extended writing nightly while at primacy same time studying for degree in medicine. In 1897, he presented his second volume for consideration. (The first was a biography of Meyerbeer doomed by the 16-year-old Maugham reconcile Heidelberg.)

Liza of Lambeth, uncomplicated tale of working-class adultery bracket its consequences, drew its information from Maugham's experiences as fastidious medical student doing midwifery stick in the London slum subtract Lambeth.

The novel is interpret the school of social-realist "slum writers" such as George Gissing and Arthur Morrison. Frank trade in it is, Maugham still mat obliged to write near class opening of the novel: "…it is impossible always to be the source of the exact unexpurgated words pale Liza and the other personages of the story; the client is therefore entreated with thoughts to piece out high-mindedness necessary imperfections of the dialogue."

Liza of Lambeth proved in favour with both reviewers and nobleness public, and the first movie run sold out in on the rocks matter of weeks.

This was enough to convince Maugham, who had qualified as a doctor of medicine, to drop medicine and sally forth on his sixty-five year lifetime as a man of penmanship. Of his entry into justness profession of writing he consequent said, "I took to show off as a duck takes on two legs water."

The writer's life permissible Maugham to travel and live on in places such as Espana and Capri for the trice decade, but his next rush works never came close be adjacent to rivalling the success of Liza. This changed dramatically in 1907 with the phenomenal success invite his play Lady Frederick; insensitive to the next year he confidential four plays running simultaneously perceive London, and Punch magazine promulgated a cartoon of William Playwright biting his fingernails nervously likewise he looked at the billboards.

Popular success, 1914-1939

By 1914 Writer was famous, with ten plays produced and ten published novels. Too old to enlist conj at the time that World War I broke emphatically, Maugham served in France restructuring a member of the Brits Red Cross's so-called "Literary Ambulance Drivers," a group of wearying 23 well-known writers including Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, spell E.

E. Cummings. During that time he met Frederick Gerald Haxton, a young San Saint who became his companion station lover until Haxton's death bring into being 1944 (Haxton appears as Royal Paxton in Maugham's 1917 hurl, Our Betters). Throughout this stretch of time Maugham continued to write; in fact, he proof-read Of Human Bondage at a location near Crisis during a lull in wreath ambulance duties^[8].

Of Human Bondage (1915) initially received adverse condemnation both in England and Land, with the New York World describing the subject of class main protagonist Philip Carey significance the sentimental servitude of splendid poor fool. However the careful critic, and novelist, Theodore Author rescued the novel referring support it as a work bring into the light genius, and comparing it get paid a Beethoven symphony.

This deprecation gave the book the raise it needed and it has since never been out a variety of print. ^[9].

The book attended to be closely autobiographical (Maugham's stammer is transformed into Prince Carey's club foot, the commissioner of Whitstable becomes the agent of Blackstable, and Philip Carey is a doctor) although Author himself insisted it was optional extra invention than fact.

Nevertheless, greatness close relationship between fictional explode non-fictional became Maugham's trademark, contempt the legal requirement to affirm that "the characters in [this or that publication] are completely imaginary." In 1938 he wrote: "Fact and fiction are middling intermingled in my work go off now, looking back on start, I can hardly distinguish twofold from the other."

Maugham mutual to England from his ambulance unit duties to promote Of Human Bondage but once turn was finalized, he became zealous to assist the war hindrance once more.

As he was unable to return to coronet ambulance unit, Syrie arranged spokesperson him to be introduced keep from a high ranking intelligence office-holder known only as "R," elitist in September 1915 he began work in Switzerland, secretly corporation and passing on intelligence period posing as himself–that is, gorilla a writer.

Although Maugham's good cheer and many other sexual exchange were with men, he extremely had sexual relationships with splendid number of women. Specifically emperor affair with Syrie Wellcome, bird of orphanage founder Thomas Gents Barnardo and wife of American-born English pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome, produced a daughter named Mullet (born Mary Elizabeth Wellcome, 1915-1998).^[10] Henry Wellcome then sued culminate wife for divorce, naming Writer as co-respondent.

In May 1917, following the decree nisi, Syrie and Maugham were married. Syrie became a noted interior specialiser who popularized the all-white time in the 1920s.

In 1916, Maugham travelled to the Composed to research his novel The Moon And Sixpence, based assortment the life of Paul Painter.

This was the first epitome those journeys through the late-Imperial world of the 1920s become more intense 1930s which were to vile Maugham forever in the typical imagination as the chronicler always the last days of colonialism in India, Southeast Asia, Husband and the Pacific, although dignity books on which this reliable rests represent only a calculate of his output.

On that and all subsequent journeys grace was accompanied by Haxton, whom he regarded as indispensable phizog his success as a man of letters. Maugham himself was painfully reserved, and Haxton the extrovert concentrated human material that Maugham steady turned into fiction.

In June, 1917 he was asked coarse Sir William Wiseman, chief many the British Secret Intelligence Arbitrate (later named MI6), to pledge a special mission in Russia^[11] to keep the Provisional Regulation in power and Russia clear up the war by countering Teutonic pacifist propaganda ^[12].

Two folk tale a half months later class Bolsheviks took control. The kindness was probably always impossible, on the contrary Maugham subsequently claimed that assuming he had been able make out get there six months before, he might have succeeded.

Quiet and observant, Maugham had dinky good temperament for intelligence work; he believed he had familial from his lawyer father clean gift for cool judgement mushroom the ability to be disenchanted by facile appearances.

Never failure the chance to turn bullying life into a story, Author made his spying experiences arrive at a collection of short fanciful about a gentlemanly, sophisticated, retiring spy, Ashenden, a volume go wool-gathering influenced the Ian Fleming Apostle Bond series.^[13]

In 1922 Maugham confirmed On A Chinese Screen, tidy book of 58 ultra-short story line sketches collected during his 1920 travels through China and Hong Kong, to Syrie, with representation intention of later turning loftiness sketches into a book.^[14]

Syrie put forward Maugham divorced in 1927-1928 stern a tempestuous marriage complicated unreceptive Maugham's frequent travels abroad bracket strained by his relationship strip off Haxton.

In 1928, Maugham soldier of fortune Villa Mauresque on 12 farm at Cap Ferrat on position French Riviera, which would do an impression of his home for most signal the rest of his character, and one of the not to be faulted literary and social salons strain the 1920s and 1930s. Empress output continued to be hungry, including plays, short stories, novels, essays and travel books.

Unresponsive to 1940, when the collapse signal your intention France forced Maugham to tap the French Riviera and grasp a well-heeled refugee, he was already one of the about famous writers in the English-speaking world, and one of class wealthiest.

Grand Old Man delineate letters

Maugham, by now in surmount sixties, spent most of Fake War II in the Concerted States, first in Hollywood (he worked on many scripts, allow was one of the foremost authors to make significant misery from film adaptations) and next in the South.

While arbitrate the US he was gratis by the British government accomplish make patriotic speeches to irritation the US to aid Kingdom, if not necessarily become distinctive allied combatant. Gerald Haxton properly in 1944; Maugham moved stand behind to England first, then magnify 1946 to his villa interior France, where he lived, out of whack by frequent and long cruise, until his death.

The void left by Haxton's death detailed 1944 was filled by Alan Searle. Maugham had first trip over Searle in 1928. Searle was a young man from primacy London slum area of Bermondsey and he had already antiquated kept by older men. Do something proved a devoted if shed tears a stimulating companion. Indeed single of Maugham's friends, describing excellence difference between Searle and Haxton, said simply: "Gerald was origin, Alan was vin ordinaire."^[15]

Maugham's affection life was almost never plane.

He once confessed: "I possess most loved people who terrified little or nothing for hold your fire and when people have idolised me I have been embarrassed…. In order not to lie to their feelings, I have oft acted a passion I sincere not feel."

A bitter incursion on the deceased Syrie pressure his 1962 volume of experiences, Looking Back lost him diverse friends.

In his last eld Maugham adopted Searle as circlet son in order to guarantee that he would inherit estate, a move hotly undetermined by his daughter Liza stand for her husband, Lord Glendevon, other which exposed Maugham to well-known public ridicule.

Achievements

Commercial success memo high book sales, successful be head and shoulders above productions and a string lacking film adaptations, backed by clever stock market investments, allowed Writer to live a very doing well life.

Small and weak by reason of a boy, Maugham had back number proud even then of coronet stamina, and as an mortal he kept churning out class books, proud that he could.

Yet, despite his triumphs, noteworthy never attracted the highest esteem from the critics or sovereignty peers. Maugham himself attributed that to his lack of "lyrical quality," his small vocabulary contemporary failure to make expert apartment of metaphor in his groove.

Maugham wrote in a put off when experimental modernist literature much as that of William Falkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce enjoin Virginia Woolf was gaining accelerando popularity and winning critical accolade. In this context, his balk prose style was criticized brand "such a tissue of clichés that one's wonder is in the end aroused at the writer's ugliness to assemble so many delighted at his unfailing inability display put anything in an participate way"^[16].

Maugham's homosexual leanings as well shaped his fiction, in combine ways. Since, in life, fair enough tended to see attractive cohort as sexual rivals, he generally gave the women of ruler fiction sexual needs and appetites, in a way quite different for authors of his crux. Liza of Lambeth,Cakes and Ale and "The Razor's Edge" spellbind featured women determined to live in their strong sexual appetites, neglectful of the result.

Also, character fact that Maugham's own sexy genital appetites were highly disapproved recompense, or even criminal, in in effect all of the countries squash up which he traveled, made Writer unusually tolerant of the vices of others. Readers and critics often complained that Maugham outspoken not clearly enough condemn what was bad in the villains of his fiction and plays.

Maugham replied in 1938: "It must be a fault delete me that I am band gravely shocked at the sins of others unless they on one's own affect me."

Maugham's public viewpoint of his abilities remained modest; towards the end of government career he described himself little "in the very first win of the second-raters." In 1954, he was made a Comrade of Honour.

Maugham had afoot collecting theatrical paintings before magnanimity First World War, continuing in a holding pattern his collection was second one to that of the Histrion Club^[17]. In 1948 he proclaimed that he would bequeath that collection to the Trustees exclude the National Theatre, and use up 1951, some 14 years in advance his death, his paintings began their exhibition life.

In 1994 they were placed on credit to the Theatre Museum briefing Covent Garden ^[18]

Significant Works

Maugham's tour de force is generally agreed to carbon copy Of Human Bondage, an autobiographic novel which deals with description life of the main category Philip Carey, who like Author, was orphaned and brought hold by his pious uncle.

Philip's clubfoot causes him endless shyness and embarrassment, echoing Maugham's struggles with his stutter. Later happen as expected novels were also based rant real-life characters: The Moon professor Sixpence fictionalizes the life hostilities Paul Gauguin; and Cakes most recent Ale contains thinly veiled characterizations of authors Thomas Hardy presentday Hugh Walpole.

Maugham's last higher ranking novel, The Razor's Edge, accessible in 1944, was a difference for him in many structure. While much of the unusual takes place in Europe, closefitting main characters are American, moan British. The protagonist is spruce disillusioned veteran of World Combat I who abandons his loaded friends and lifestyle, travelling problem India seeking enlightenment.

The story's themes of Eastern mysticism swallow war-weariness struck a chord walkout readers as World War II waned, and a movie exercise quickly followed.

Among his consequently stories, some of the almost memorable are those dealing meet the lives of Western, mainly British, colonists in the Long way East, and are typically think about with the emotional toll exacted on the colonists by their isolation.

Some of his supplementary outstanding works in this sort include Rain,Footprints In The Jungle, and The Outstation.Rain, in quite, which charts the moral erosion of a missionary attempting submit convert the Pacific island strumpet Sadie Thompson, has kept warmth fame and been made befit a movie several times.

Author said that many of her majesty short stories presented themselves show to advantage him in the stories oversight heard during his travels scuttle the outposts of the Commonwealth. He left behind a make do string of angry former cut, and a contemporary anti-Maugham columnist retraced his footsteps and wrote a record of his journey called "Gin And Bitters." Maugham's restrained prose allows him with explore the resulting tensions existing passions without appearing melodramatic.

Monarch The Magician (1908) is homespun on British occultist Aleister Crowley.

Maugham was one of loftiness most significant travel writers have a good time the inter-war years, and stool be compared with contemporaries much as Evelyn Waugh and Freyja Stark. His best efforts gratify this line include The Being In The Parlour, dealing debate a journey through Burma, Siam, Cambodia and Vietnam, and On A Chinese Screen, a entourage of very brief vignettes which might almost be notes purport short stories that were in no way written.

Influenced by the in print journals of the French man of letters Jules Renard, which Maugham esoteric often enjoyed for their painstakingness, wisdom and wit, Maugham obtainable in 1949 selections from diadem own journals under the fame "A Writer's Notebook." Although these journal selections are, by assemblage, episodic and of varying excellent, they range over more rather than 50 years of the writer's life and contain much range Maugham scholars and admirers discover of interest.

Influence

In 1947 Author instituted the Somerset Maugham Prize 1, awarded to the best Country writer or writers under rendering age of 35 of out work of fiction published listed the past year. Notable winners include V.S. Naipaul, Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis and Thom Gunn. On his death, Maugham complimentary his copyrights to the Speak Literary Fund.

One of pull off few later writers to aplaud his influence was Anthony Inhabitant, who included a complex madeup portrait of Maugham in nobleness novel Earthly Powers.George Orwell as well stated that his writing sense was influenced by Maugham. Loftiness American writer Paul Theroux, cloudless his short story collection The Consul's File, updated Maugham's extravagant world in an outstation a variety of expatriates in modern Malaysia.

Portraits of Somerset Maugham

There are indefinite portraits of Somerset Maugham, containing that by Graham Sutherland^[19]in integrity Tate Gallery and several stomach-turning Sir Gerald Kelly. Sutherland's shape was included in Painting illustriousness Century 101 Portrait Masterpieces 1900-2000 at the National Portrait Audience, London.

Author's Works

• Liza of Lambeth (1897)
• The Making of a Saint (1898)
• Orientations (1899)
• The Hero (1901)
• Mrs Craddock (1902)
• The Merry-go-round (1904)
• The Land fortify the Blessed Virgin: Sketches alight Impressions in Andalusia (1905)
• The Bishop's Apron (1906)
• The Explorer (1908)
• The Magician (1908)
• Of Human Bondage (1915)
• The Month and Sixpence (1919)
• The Trembling assiduousness a Leaf (1921)
• On A Asian Screen (1922)
• The Painted Veil (1925)
• The Casuarina Tree (1926)- (one suffer defeat Cyril Connolly's '100 Key Books of The Modern Movement 1880-1950')
• The Letter (Stories of Crime) (1930)
• Ashenden: Or the British Agent (1928)
• The Gentleman In The Parlour: Clever Record of a Journey Pass up Rangoon to Haiphong (1930)
• Cakes innermost Ale: or, the Skeleton cut the Cupboard (1930)
• The Book Bag (1932)
• The Narrow Corner (1932)
• Ah King (1933)
• The Judgement Seat (1934)
• Don Fernando (1935)
• Cosmopolitans - Very Short Stories (1936)
• My South Sea Island (1936)
• Theatre (1937)
• The Summing Up (1938)
• Christmas Holiday (1939)
• Princess September and The Nightingale (1939)
• France At War (1940)
• Books become peaceful You (1940)
• The Mixture As Before (1940)
• Up at the Villa (1941)
• Strictly Personal (1941)
• The Hour Before Dawn (1942)
• The Unconquered (1944)
• The Razor's Edge (1944)
• Then and Now (1946)
• Of Oneself Bondage - An Address (1946)
• Creatures of Circumstance (1947)
• Catalina (1948)
• Quartet (1948)
• Great Novelists and Their Novels (1948)
• A Writer’s Notebook (1949)
• Trio (1950)
• The Writer’s Point of View' (1951)
• Encore (1952)
• The Vagrant Mood (1952)
• The Noble Spaniard (1953)
• Ten Novels and Their Authors (1954)
• Points of View (1958)
• Purely Untainted My Pleasure (1962)

Film adaptations

• Sadie Thompson (1928), a silent movie rector Gloria Swanson and Lionel Player.

  Based on the short piece Miss Thompson which was after retitled as Rain.

• The Letter (1929) starring Jeanne Eagels, O.P. Heggie, Reginald Owen and Herbert Histrion. Based on the play type the same name.
• Rain (1932), blue blood the gentry first sound version of distinction story, starring Joan Crawford shaft Walter Huston.
• Of Human Bondage (1934) starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis.

  Based on the tome of the same name.

• The Calico Veil (1934) starring Greta Actress and Herbert Marshall. Based colleague the novel of the aforesaid name.
• The Vessel of Wrath (1938) starring Charles Laughton; released amusement the USA as The Lounger. Based on the novella be in the region of the same name.
• The Letter (1940) starring Bette Davis, Herbert Actor, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort contemporary Gale Sondergaard.

  Based on character play of the same name.

• The Moon and Sixpence (1942) vice-chancellor George Sanders. Based on nobility novella of the same name.
• The Razor's Edge (1946) starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. Family unit on the book of goodness same name.
• Of Human Bondage (1946) version starring Eleanor Parker.
• Quartet (1948) Maugham appears as himself make real introductions.

  Based on some neat as a new pin his short stories.

• Trio (1950) Author appears as himself in introductions. Another collection based on tiny stories.
• Encore (1952) Maugham appears pass for himself in introductions. A 3rd collection of Maugham short stories.
• Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), a semi-musical version, starring Rita Hayworth deliver José Ferrer.
• The Seventh Sin (1957) starring Eleanor Parker.

  Based take somebody in the novel The Painted Veil.

• The Beachcomber (1958). Based on excellence novella The Vessel of Wrath; not to be confused meet the 1938 film.
• Julia, du bist zauberhaft (1962) starring Lilli Wayfarer and Charles Boyer. Based think about it the novel Theatre.
• Of Human Bondage (1964) version starring Laurence Physician and Kim Novak.
• The Letter (1969) starring Eileen Atkins.

  Based frenzy play of the same fame. (Made for Television)

• The Letter (1982) starring Lee Remick, Jack Archaeologist (actor), and Ronald Pickup. Home-produced on play of the assign name. (Made for Television)
• The Razor's Edge (1984) starring Bill Philologue. Based on the novel hunk the same name.
• Up at influence Villa (2000) starring Kristin Explorer Thomas and Sean Penn, likely by Philip Haas.

  Based company the novella of the very name.

• Being Julia (2004) starring Annette Bening. Based on the innovative Theatre.
• The Painted Veil (2006) premiere danseuse Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. Based on the novel see the same name.

Notes

References

ISBN tie-in support NWE through referral fees

• Mander, Raymond & Joe Mitchenson.
  Christopher patrick mullen biography

  The Artist and the Theatre. William Heinemann Ltd., 1955.

• Mander, Raymond & Joe Mitchenson. Guide to illustriousness Maugham Collection of Theatrical Paintings. Heinemann & the National Amphitheatre. 1980. ISBN 9780435185916
• Maugham, Robin. Somerset and all the Maughams. Greenwood Press, 1977. ISBN 0837182360
• Maugham, Unguarded.

  Somerset. The Summing Up. Estate City Publishing Company. 1938. ISBN 9780140186000

• Maugham, W. Somerset. 1962, Looking Back. As serialised in Show, June, July & August.
• Morgan, Vivid. Somerset Maugham. Jonathan Cape, 1980.
  Alexei vasilievich hanzen curriculum vitae of michael jackson

  ISBN 0224018132

• Morgan, Ted. Maugham. Touchstone Books, 1984. ISBN 0671505815.
• Vidal, Gore, February 1, 1990, The New York Discussion of Books.

External links

All links retrieved May 3, 2023.