W. Somerset Maugham

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 obsessi

The Moon and Sixpence

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. Inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin, The Moon and Sixpence is at once a satiric caricature of Edwardian conventions and a vivid portrayal of the mentality of a genius.

The Moon And Sixpence

morgan

Each one of us is alone in the world. He is shut in a tower of brass, and can communicate with his fellows only by signs, and the signs have no common value, so that their sense is vague and uncertain. We seek pitifully to convey to others the treasures of our heart, but they have not the power to accept them, and so we go lonely, side by side but not together, unable to know our fellows and unknown by them. We are like people living in a country whose language they know so little that, with all manner of beautiful and profound things to say, they are condemned to the banalities of the conversation manual. Their brain is seething with ideas, and they can only tell you that the umbrella of the gardener’s aunt is in the house.

I think your tired soul sought rest in a woman's arms, and when you found no rest there you hated her. You had no pity for her, because you have no pity for yourself. And you killed her out of fear, because you trembled still at the danger you had barely escaped.

Moon And Sixpence

Sarah Sammis

** spoiler alert **
           Boring narrator. Makes it all about himself.

W. Somerset Maugham's foray into this type of writing is very different. It's very dry and very self absorbed. The oh so subtle implication is that he, Maugham, is a fan of Gaugin. Rather than reveal just how stalkery his inclinations are, he has instead lovely written a novel that highlights the artist's rise to greatness. It's stoic and staid, and oh so very literary. It's also self absorbed and boring.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

Misha

Recall enjoying it, might want to reread.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Maugham's voice tends to be a tad acerbic when he explores the topic of women, and in particular, love. But all that takes a seat behind the life and times of Charlie Strickland, whose incorrigible desires, whims and an apathy of other's opinions take us along with him on his pursuit of beauty and artistic catharsis. What a read!

The misogyny was rather disturbing but the book was splendid in every other way. A beautifully romanticised depiction of the life of Paul Gauguin.

kiki

moon and sixpence

Sarah Escorsa

Maugham is one of my favourite writers and I absolutely love his style but I just didn't enjoy The Moon and Six Pence. Things started off badly as I was a bit put off by the first few pages which didn't feel like Maugham at all. The writing got better after the first ten pages or so but I had a very hard time liking any of the characters which made the book a tedious read. Maugham is one of the greatest portrayers of characters but I found the ones in The Moon and Sixpence so unlikeable that I just didn't care what happened to any of them. A disappointing read.

Photine

Rebecca Grandison 

Jason Skicewicz

Farhad Mammadov

The moon and sixpence

Angbeen Abbas

Vivian

Savas Yazici

Stephanie Cox

Based on the life of artist, Paul Gaugin, this classic work by the author of Cakes and Ale follows artist Charles Strickland as he flees England and sets up house in the South Seas, where paradise and horror await him. Reprint.

The Moon and Sixpence

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