What do you think?
Rate this book
Creatures of Circumstance
Creatures of Circumstancebegins with an explanation from the author telling how this collection came about. He states that he "has never pretended to be anything but a story teller. It has amused me to tell stories and I have told a great many. It is a misfortune for me that the telling of a story just for the sake of the story is not an activity that is in favor with the intelligentsia. I endeavor to bear my misfortunes with fortitude."
The short stories in this extraordinary collection—with the exception of one—were written after the close of World War I. Maugham shrewdly and brilliantly exploited the public taste of his time to put on display the changing morality of the twentieth century. An expert storyteller, he was also a master of fictional technique.
The short stories in this extraordinary collection—with the exception of one—were written after the close of World War I. Maugham shrewdly and brilliantly exploited the public taste of his time to put on display the changing morality of the twentieth century. An expert storyteller, he was also a master of fictional technique.
His fiction offers a synthesis of pleasures in the form of realism, exoticism, shrewd and ironic observation, careful craftsmanship, and characteriation. Among the stories included in Creatures of Circumstance are "The Colonel’s Lady," "Flotsam and Jetsam," "Sanatorium," "Appearance and Reality," "The Point of Honor," "A Woman of Fifty," "The Man from Glasgow," and "The Kite."
W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English novelist and playwright. Maugham was famous as a dramatist before he was known for his novels and short stories. His clarity of style, the perfection of his form, the subtlety of his thought, veiled thinly behind a worldly cynicism made him an international figure. Among his novels are Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, and The Raor’s Edge.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
4 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,094 books6,035 followersWilliam Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He spoke French even before he spoke a word of English, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style.
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clichés' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clichés' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 22, 2015
If you do nothing else for the rest of your life, read his short story "The Unconquered". Then see for how long you were holding your breath, and how long it takes you to get your breath back.
May 1, 2013
i read a man of glasgow only from this collection and it was good
May 27, 2012
La gente considera che le mancate di rispetto se dimostrate di non ricordarla. Suppongo che noi tutti diamo troppa importanza a noi stessi, e ci sentiamo umiliati quando constatiamo di non aver lasciato la più piccola traccia nella memoria delle persone che abbiamo conosciute.
- Una donna di cinquant'anni
- Una donna di cinquant'anni
November 8, 2015
I am not really a fan of short stories but this collection is fascinating. Maugham's reputation of being a good story teller shows here. He wrote with ingenuity on human nature, how they react to the circumstances trusted upon them. And how those choices shaped their lives. Truly a masterpiece. My favourite is 'Winter Cruise". Such a delightful piece.
April 2, 2020
A masterpiece. One of my favourite books so far by my favourite author. Being someone who is from Malaysia, it was a joy to read stories, short snippets of how my country was like in the early 20th century. One my life's goal is to read all of Somerset Maugham's works and i daresay this may be his best one yet.
September 3, 2023
My favourite stories were the ones exploring relationships and love, fickleness and obsession, human nature. The last two stories, about prisoners from wormwood scrubs were excellent. I could read a whole book exploring prison stories, how the prisoner got there etc. very Victorian and a little dark.
June 6, 2018
Loved these short stories. Couldn't put it down.
May 29, 2022
I’m not a fan of short stories. I prefer novels. However every story was great! The characters were so interesting and every story made me think.
July 10, 2024
2.5
Amo Maugham, ma confermo che i racconti non fanno per me...
Amo Maugham, ma confermo che i racconti non fanno per me...
March 21, 2017
This may sound odd, but this book was one that I remember seeing as a child on my parents' bookshelf, so that I'd often wondered what it was like. Reading it as an adult I realised why they may have had a copy - it's just superb. And what a title! Aren't we all such creatures?
August 4, 2014
Maugham is to me a very special one whose books refreshed me and relaxed me till the end. The clear impressions i carry about the author's style is that there is nothing to stop you enjoying the company of his characters, or the plot he weaves around them. His written thoughts also reflect the fact that no one in this world can lead a life free of fear or worry
April 25, 2015
I love Maugham he is one of my favourites. This is a collection of short stories. He is a master of the short story, a form not as fashinable as it used to be. Well worth anyone's time.
June 17, 2011
Really intriguing short stories. Some themes overlapped a bit but well worth the read.
February 8, 2013
More than 100 years old....still a fantastic read....i wouldn't say short..just the right size for the context of the story....a style of story telling almost non existent today.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews