William F. Smith (2) (1922–2009)

This 130 page book is a reprint of a 1952 Masters Thesis, published posthumously in 2011. At the time of the original, no biography of W. Somerset Maugham had been written, and the only book- length reviews of his literary contributions dated to 1937. Thus, this work understandably takes no note of the several biographies and literary analyses done over the past 60 years.

The book offers a straightforward description of Maugham's novels and short fiction, along with some attention to Maugham's advice to authors as printed in various essays. Its five chapters are as follows: (1) Maugham's Writing Creed; (2) The Short Story; (3) The Novel; (4) Maugham's Advice to Authors; (5) Summary and Conclusion. An appendix gives a brief biography, along with a photograph of a letter sent to the author by Maugham himself. The overall discussion of the novels and short stories is very traditional, with consideration given to the folowing elements: overall structure (beginnings, middles, endings, plots), characterization (description, action), dialogue, viewpoint, and geographical background. One will find no analysis based on cultural, political, or psychological theory, no probing for deeper messages or hidden meanings. Maugham would surely approve! :-)

The second half of the book consists of summaries of most of the novels and short stories, along with excerpts from professional reviews of Maugham's work taken from the US press. The plot summaries are purely descriptive, with no attention to literary devices (e.g., dramatic structure, wit, irony, and foreshadowing). Nonetheless, I am finding this half of the book very useful as a handy reference to the content and presentation style of each of the short stories.… (plus d'informations)