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The Taipan
A selfish, bigoted British expat high executive thinks he got the best of life by abusing of all the mod-cons there is - servants mostly - while living in colonial China - till a day he decides to go on a rare stroll through the local cemetery...
- GenresShort Stories
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About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,116 books6,066 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.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 26, 2025
4.25⭐
Set in colonial Shanghai, The Taipan follows a wealthy British businessman—referred to only as "the Taipan", who has lived in China for over 30 years. He is smug, self-satisfied, and deeply entrenched in the colonial mindset, believing he has triumphed over his rivals and mastered life abroad. The Taipan enjoys a life of luxury, surrounded by servants and indulgences.
One day, he takes a rare walk through the local cemetery and sees two Chinese laborers digging a grave. Unable to communicate with them, he becomes obsessed with the idea that the grave is meant for him. As his paranoia grows, and he becomes desperate to return to England, fearing death in a foreign land.
Set in colonial Shanghai, The Taipan follows a wealthy British businessman—referred to only as "the Taipan", who has lived in China for over 30 years. He is smug, self-satisfied, and deeply entrenched in the colonial mindset, believing he has triumphed over his rivals and mastered life abroad. The Taipan enjoys a life of luxury, surrounded by servants and indulgences.
One day, he takes a rare walk through the local cemetery and sees two Chinese laborers digging a grave. Unable to communicate with them, he becomes obsessed with the idea that the grave is meant for him. As his paranoia grows, and he becomes desperate to return to England, fearing death in a foreign land.
November 29, 2017
The short story "The Taipan" by W. Somerset Maugham would refer to the genre of the ghost stories. It is not a typical literary style for Maugham. It is likely that the main idea which Maugham meant was the theme of superiority and personal self-estimation of being better than others.
These lines were put by the author at the beginning of the story:
"No one knew better than he that he was an important person. He was number one in not the least important branch of the most important English firm in China. He had worked his way up through solid ability and he looked back with a faint smile at the callow clerk who had come out to China thirty years before. When he remembered the modest home he had come from ... and compared it with the magnificent stone mansion, with its wide verandas and spacious rooms, which was at once the office of the company and his own residence, he chuckled with satisfaction. He had come a long way since then."
The Taipan is a foreigner who is head of a business in China or Hong Kong. In other words, he is a boss whose behavior and lifestyle is very different from local Chinese everyday routine. The main character, taipan, came from England, where he lived maybe not so poor but at least modest life. He had everything in China, he could argue with counsel who was a quite important person and "The taipan thrust out his jaw pugnaciously as he thought of the incident."
He was invited to the restaurant where he could drink wine and liquor without payments because it was paid by the firm which was interested in having business with his company. He gained a lot of weight to the point that riding a horse wasn't possible for him.
Once when he came back home from the restaurant, the cemetery was on his way. He saw the graves of people he had known: somebodies were killed in a massacre which occurred in China in the past, others, his predecessors, found his death due to overuse of alcohol. This is how the author described his thoughts:
"They were dead and he was alive, and by George he'd scored them off. His eyes collected in one picture all those crowded graves and he smiled scornfully. He very nearly rubbed his hands."
After that, he saw two coolies who were digging the fresh grave quite big, probably for a large body. He wandered for whom that grave was prepared. He knew only English, for the years of being in China, he didn't think of studying local language at all. He asked coolies and they said something in Chinese.
When he returned home the thoughts about this grave didn't leave his mind. He sent the servant to the cemetery to know about the grave and servant said that there were no fresh graves in the cemetery. "The best thing he could do was to go the club", he tried to relieve himself from the cemetery obsession but he gave up as the grave stuck in his mind. "Suddenly he felt he could not bear to stay in the club any longer."
He came home. "He had dreamed of that open grave and the coolies digging leisurely." He thought about the future death, if it comes in this place, we would be buried with this people, in this hateful country. He took a list of papers and wrote a letter to the headquarter of his company with a request for retirement. He was found dead the next day, with the letter laid on the table near him.
The main idea of the story is about arrogance. We had a proverb in the Russian language which could literally translate to English as the sentence: He came through fire, water, and copper pipe. Copper pipe means a trumpet. The proverb present the idea of difficulties to endure three trials: danger of fire and water and saving personality under a press of praise and homage. Maugham described this idea precisely, in details including the circumstances, behavior, and thoughts of the main character in this well written and easily understandable short story.
These lines were put by the author at the beginning of the story:
"No one knew better than he that he was an important person. He was number one in not the least important branch of the most important English firm in China. He had worked his way up through solid ability and he looked back with a faint smile at the callow clerk who had come out to China thirty years before. When he remembered the modest home he had come from ... and compared it with the magnificent stone mansion, with its wide verandas and spacious rooms, which was at once the office of the company and his own residence, he chuckled with satisfaction. He had come a long way since then."
The Taipan is a foreigner who is head of a business in China or Hong Kong. In other words, he is a boss whose behavior and lifestyle is very different from local Chinese everyday routine. The main character, taipan, came from England, where he lived maybe not so poor but at least modest life. He had everything in China, he could argue with counsel who was a quite important person and "The taipan thrust out his jaw pugnaciously as he thought of the incident."
He was invited to the restaurant where he could drink wine and liquor without payments because it was paid by the firm which was interested in having business with his company. He gained a lot of weight to the point that riding a horse wasn't possible for him.
Once when he came back home from the restaurant, the cemetery was on his way. He saw the graves of people he had known: somebodies were killed in a massacre which occurred in China in the past, others, his predecessors, found his death due to overuse of alcohol. This is how the author described his thoughts:
"They were dead and he was alive, and by George he'd scored them off. His eyes collected in one picture all those crowded graves and he smiled scornfully. He very nearly rubbed his hands."
After that, he saw two coolies who were digging the fresh grave quite big, probably for a large body. He wandered for whom that grave was prepared. He knew only English, for the years of being in China, he didn't think of studying local language at all. He asked coolies and they said something in Chinese.
When he returned home the thoughts about this grave didn't leave his mind. He sent the servant to the cemetery to know about the grave and servant said that there were no fresh graves in the cemetery. "The best thing he could do was to go the club", he tried to relieve himself from the cemetery obsession but he gave up as the grave stuck in his mind. "Suddenly he felt he could not bear to stay in the club any longer."
He came home. "He had dreamed of that open grave and the coolies digging leisurely." He thought about the future death, if it comes in this place, we would be buried with this people, in this hateful country. He took a list of papers and wrote a letter to the headquarter of his company with a request for retirement. He was found dead the next day, with the letter laid on the table near him.
The main idea of the story is about arrogance. We had a proverb in the Russian language which could literally translate to English as the sentence: He came through fire, water, and copper pipe. Copper pipe means a trumpet. The proverb present the idea of difficulties to endure three trials: danger of fire and water and saving personality under a press of praise and homage. Maugham described this idea precisely, in details including the circumstances, behavior, and thoughts of the main character in this well written and easily understandable short story.
July 2, 2023
Well deserved fate to a man who, in good old goth style, had it coming for a long time!
January 2, 2024
I would categorize this as a weird tale rather than a ghost story, though I think it is known as a ghost story. Maugham's description of the Taipan shows off his skill as a descriptive writer and is enjoyable. The ending is a bit abrupt, as in many short stories, and there aren't any surprises. Still this is a story well worth checking out. It can be found on the Classic Ghost Stories podcast narrated by Tony Walker.
January 26, 2025
Another “Wow” story from Somerset Maugham, and one that leaves you pondering the moral landscape he’s just painted for you. Can’t help but do this, but here’s my take:
If he drank his former subordinates to their deaths, his own demise perhaps was due karma. His alcohol may have been repeatedly tainted by the boy, since Maugham makes it a point to center on the occasional drink with aplomb. Huh…
If he drank his former subordinates to their deaths, his own demise perhaps was due karma. His alcohol may have been repeatedly tainted by the boy, since Maugham makes it a point to center on the occasional drink with aplomb. Huh…
July 28, 2017
A tale of the supernatural set in British Hong Kong, is entertaining for It's description of one colonial bigwig. But the other worldly events that hound this Man are not scary and the ending is not a surprise.
May 7, 2024
It’s just a boring old white guy. Dude didn’t even bother learning Cantonese (I think this is set in Hong Kong?) while living in China for 30 years. Loser.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
Taipan are noble snakes, not vulgar apes.
December 26, 2025
fun horror story about a guy completely consumed by the colonial mindset!
3.5/5
3.5/5
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews