A review by krisz
Collected Short Stories: Volume 1, by W. Somerset Maugham
5.0
Maugham is a great storyteller. I first read Moon and Sixpence from him and I had to stop reading and try and analyse why is it so bloody good - the story itself is not so fantastic, but the way he tells it is ingenious.
Since then I'm hooked and this book was a gift from my husband. As I read it I make memos of the stories for later and * my faves.
- Rain* - about a doctor and missionary who travel with their wives and have to stop on a rainy island because the captain gets ill. A surprising end!
- The Fall of Edward Barnard* - Bateman Hunter returns from Tahiti to tell the loved girl what had happened to her fiancée. In the beginning I'm so eager to know, I was pissed off when I had to book down without finishing the story first!
- Honolulu - a schooner captain got seriously ill when he told off his shipmate for wanting the captain's girl. Was a bit predictable.
- The Luncheon - how Maugham had to invite a lady for expensive lunch when he had little to spare. Wasn't an interesting one.
- The Ant and the Grasshopper - about two brothers who are like La Fontaine's heroes. Again, hardly interesting.
- Home - when an old man returns to his family home after 50 years in China. It was a sweet story.
- The Pool* - a Scotsman finds romance while he goes to bathe, but life isn't so easy when cultures are so different. A puzzling story that makes one think.
- Mackintosh - about the secretary of an island's administrator. I didn't like the end, I imagined something longer where the after-events take more time to unfold.
- Appearance and Reality - how a prestigious man finds a girlfriend. I truly disliked the story, the characters were so lowly.
- The Three Fat Women of Antibes* - three fat women do all they can to lose weight, but it becomes tiring when a niece visits them who eats all the calorie-full stuff. A funny little story.
- The Facts of Life* - about a good-natured son who decides to be judgemental on his father's view and learns a lot. Funny, interesting.
- Gigolo and Gigolette - a bit uninteresting snapshot of a couple who earn their money with a circus-like performance.
- The Happy Couple - about the neighbours of a friend of Maugham, who probably killed for their love.
- The Voice of the Turtle - a writer who wants to write about a prima donna meets one. Had no twist.
- The Lion's Skin* - a love story with a secret/twist that makes the whole thing sweet.
- The Unconquered** - a German soldier rapes a French girl, then regrets the deed, and cannot leave the family alone. An absolute favourite story of mine! Larger than life, Maugham at his best.
- The Escape - a funny anecdote how a man escaped marriage in a cunning way when he fell out of love but didn't want to jilt the woman.
- The Judgement Seat - a very true story about lives lived in vain.
- Mr. Know-All* - there is a man in the ship everybody hates as he boasts his knowledge on every topic on Earth. Then he proves to be such human that is surprisingly heart-warming. I loved the twist at the end.
- The Happy Man - again a nice story about a man who made a good decision.
- The Romantic Young Lady - how great love can abruptly end. It was disgraceful and I didn't like it.
- The Point of Honour* - sad but very human story about a couple and how the husband was to keep the honour of their name.
- The Poet** - again a story with a surprising and outrageously funny end, about meeting a famous poet.
- The Mother - about a man whose mother is a murderer and she murdered out of love for her son. Made me feel uncomfortable, and not in a nice way.
- A Man from Glasgow - a Scotsman moves to Seville, to a house next to a madman's; a story with a predictable end.
- Before the Party* - a family is about to leave house when a terrible story unfolds. True Maughamian story!
- Louise* - a gentle story of a frail woman who was strong when she wanted to but revenged Maugham when he hinted at it. A good story, bit others I liked more.
- The Promise - the sad story of a lady who always dumped her boyfriends and now finds herself in a funny situation. An okay read.
- A String of Beads* - funny one about a necklace and how its clip being broken changes the life of the governess. Could have been made longer, and with more detail to be really very good.
- The Yellow Streak - about a bora in Borneo. I couldn't get the ending :( (Did Campion refer to Izzart's yellow streak? If so, then anyone with a yellow streak would talk ill of a Caucasian? Or was Campion a half-caste? Or...?)
Since then I'm hooked and this book was a gift from my husband. As I read it I make memos of the stories for later and * my faves.
- Rain* - about a doctor and missionary who travel with their wives and have to stop on a rainy island because the captain gets ill. A surprising end!
- The Fall of Edward Barnard* - Bateman Hunter returns from Tahiti to tell the loved girl what had happened to her fiancée. In the beginning I'm so eager to know, I was pissed off when I had to book down without finishing the story first!
- Honolulu - a schooner captain got seriously ill when he told off his shipmate for wanting the captain's girl. Was a bit predictable.
- The Luncheon - how Maugham had to invite a lady for expensive lunch when he had little to spare. Wasn't an interesting one.
- The Ant and the Grasshopper - about two brothers who are like La Fontaine's heroes. Again, hardly interesting.
- Home - when an old man returns to his family home after 50 years in China. It was a sweet story.
- The Pool* - a Scotsman finds romance while he goes to bathe, but life isn't so easy when cultures are so different. A puzzling story that makes one think.
- Mackintosh - about the secretary of an island's administrator. I didn't like the end, I imagined something longer where the after-events take more time to unfold.
- Appearance and Reality - how a prestigious man finds a girlfriend. I truly disliked the story, the characters were so lowly.
- The Three Fat Women of Antibes* - three fat women do all they can to lose weight, but it becomes tiring when a niece visits them who eats all the calorie-full stuff. A funny little story.
- The Facts of Life* - about a good-natured son who decides to be judgemental on his father's view and learns a lot. Funny, interesting.
- Gigolo and Gigolette - a bit uninteresting snapshot of a couple who earn their money with a circus-like performance.
- The Happy Couple - about the neighbours of a friend of Maugham, who probably killed for their love.
- The Voice of the Turtle - a writer who wants to write about a prima donna meets one. Had no twist.
- The Lion's Skin* - a love story with a secret/twist that makes the whole thing sweet.
- The Unconquered** - a German soldier rapes a French girl, then regrets the deed, and cannot leave the family alone. An absolute favourite story of mine! Larger than life, Maugham at his best.
- The Escape - a funny anecdote how a man escaped marriage in a cunning way when he fell out of love but didn't want to jilt the woman.
- The Judgement Seat - a very true story about lives lived in vain.
- Mr. Know-All* - there is a man in the ship everybody hates as he boasts his knowledge on every topic on Earth. Then he proves to be such human that is surprisingly heart-warming. I loved the twist at the end.
- The Happy Man - again a nice story about a man who made a good decision.
- The Romantic Young Lady - how great love can abruptly end. It was disgraceful and I didn't like it.
- The Point of Honour* - sad but very human story about a couple and how the husband was to keep the honour of their name.
- The Poet** - again a story with a surprising and outrageously funny end, about meeting a famous poet.
- The Mother - about a man whose mother is a murderer and she murdered out of love for her son. Made me feel uncomfortable, and not in a nice way.
- A Man from Glasgow - a Scotsman moves to Seville, to a house next to a madman's; a story with a predictable end.
- Before the Party* - a family is about to leave house when a terrible story unfolds. True Maughamian story!
- Louise* - a gentle story of a frail woman who was strong when she wanted to but revenged Maugham when he hinted at it. A good story, bit others I liked more.
- The Promise - the sad story of a lady who always dumped her boyfriends and now finds herself in a funny situation. An okay read.
- A String of Beads* - funny one about a necklace and how its clip being broken changes the life of the governess. Could have been made longer, and with more detail to be really very good.
- The Yellow Streak - about a bora in Borneo. I couldn't get the ending :( (Did Campion refer to Izzart's yellow streak? If so, then anyone with a yellow streak would talk ill of a Caucasian? Or was Campion a half-caste? Or...?)