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Here and There
Lord Mountdrago --
The facts of life --
The ant and the grasshopper --
Louise --
The facts of life --
The ant and the grasshopper --
Louise --
- GenresShort Stories
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,115 books6,063 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 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 14, 2008
I found a 1948 reprint of this book at a second hand shop in Melbourne recently. It's a nice hardbound book. I started reading it while waiting for my laptop to finish various tasks it's performing during my backup session. I thought as it's a collection of short stories, it'd be easy to stop any time. How wrong I was! This is the first time I read anything by Maugham and I'm pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it is! I almost finish the book now as I can't help but to pick it up whenever I got a chance!
Although most of the stories are of course set in the time long past, most of the subjects are still quite relevant. They at turns are funny, compassionate and tragic. I'm sure I'll be looking forward to reading more stories by him!
Although most of the stories are of course set in the time long past, most of the subjects are still quite relevant. They at turns are funny, compassionate and tragic. I'm sure I'll be looking forward to reading more stories by him!
January 7, 2023
Love his work. Excellent short tales, with meaningful threads. superb author, what more can i say.
October 15, 2020
金星堂バージョンの感想：
収録されている作品は、Lord Mountdrago, The Facts of Life, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Louiseの４作品のみ。
訳語の日本語が、初版1955年出版(私の手元にあるのは第14版で、1965年出版)なのもあって古めかしく読みづらいので、英語のみ読んだ。
どの作品も短いながらも興味を持たせる作品だった。
2-3作品は、童話などにありがちな、道徳的教訓をひっくりかえしたような内容にも関わらず、「楽していい思いしている」登場人物に対して嫌な感情を抱かないのが不思議。これがモームの筆力か？
印象的だったのが、翻訳者村松正(ググってみたが、彼に関する情報は見つけれられなかった)による解説：
「ルイーズ」は身勝手な女を、仮借なくその正体をあばいて描いたものであり、その女に対する不快な読後感が強く残るのは、モームの女嫌いの激しさを如実に見られる思いがする。
私はむしろ、「The Facts of Life」「The Ant and the Grasshopper」と同じものを感じ、読後感も爽快に感じた。
むしろ、この解説に翻訳者の女性に対する見方が垣間見える気がしてしまった。
収録されている作品は、Lord Mountdrago, The Facts of Life, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Louiseの４作品のみ。
訳語の日本語が、初版1955年出版(私の手元にあるのは第14版で、1965年出版)なのもあって古めかしく読みづらいので、英語のみ読んだ。
どの作品も短いながらも興味を持たせる作品だった。
2-3作品は、童話などにありがちな、道徳的教訓をひっくりかえしたような内容にも関わらず、「楽していい思いしている」登場人物に対して嫌な感情を抱かないのが不思議。これがモームの筆力か？
印象的だったのが、翻訳者村松正(ググってみたが、彼に関する情報は見つけれられなかった)による解説：
「ルイーズ」は身勝手な女を、仮借なくその正体をあばいて描いたものであり、その女に対する不快な読後感が強く残るのは、モームの女嫌いの激しさを如実に見られる思いがする。
私はむしろ、「The Facts of Life」「The Ant and the Grasshopper」と同じものを感じ、読後感も爽快に感じた。
むしろ、この解説に翻訳者の女性に対する見方が垣間見える気がしてしまった。
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews