Short Stories

Somerset Maugham is the acknowledged master of the short story and his full range is represented in this collection. In acclaimed stories such as Rain The Letter The Vessel of Wrath and The Alien Corn Maugham illustrates his wry perception of human weakness and his genius for evoking compelling drama and an acute sense of time and place. Review His plots are cool and deadly and his timing is absolutely flawless -- Raymond ChanderThe short story was Maughams true metier and the stories he wrote are among the best in the language -- Anthony BurgessOne of our great story-tellers ―IndependentAt his best he can tell a story as well as any man alive or dead -- Desmond McCarthy From the Inside Flap The full range of Somerset Maughams art is represented in this collection. It includes the famous story Rain the tragedy of a narrow-minded and overzealous missionary and a prostitute and The Vessel of Wrath a tale of the unexpected love between a missionary and a drunken reprobate. Maughams wry perception of human foibles and genius for evoking compelling drama form an acute sense of time and place. From the Back Cover The modern writer who has influenced me the most. - George OrwellOne of my favourite writers. - Gabriel Garcia MarquezA writer of great dedication. - Graham Greene About the Author William Somerset Maugham famous as novelist playwright and short-story writer was born in 1874 and lived in Paris until he was ten. He was educated at Kings School Canterbury and at Heidelberg University. He spent some time at St. Thomas Hospital with a view to practising medicine but the success of his first novel Liza of Lambeth published in 1897 won him over to letters. Of Human Bondage the first of his masterpieces came out in 1915 and with the publication in 1919 of The Moon and Sixpence his reputation as a novelist was established. His position as a successful playwright was being consolidated at the same time. His first play A Man of Honour was followed by a series of successes just before and after World War I and his career in the theatre did not end until 1933 with Sheppey. His fame as a short story writer began with The Trembling of a Leaf subtitled Little Stories of the South Sea Islands in 1921 after which he published more than ten collections. His other works include travel books such as On a Chinese Screen and Don Fernando essays criticism and the autobiographical The Summing Up and A Writers Notebook.In 1927 he settled in the south of France and lived there until his death in 1965.