"The Moon and Sixpence" is a novel written by W. Somerset Maugham. The book is loosely based on the life of the French painter Paul Gauguin and explores themes of creativity, passion, and the clash between societal expectations and individual desire. The story revolves around Charles Strickland, a middle-aged London stockbroker who abandons his family and career to pursue his passion for painting. Strickland's journey takes him to Paris, where he meets the bohemian art community and eventually settles in Tahiti, where he immerses himself in the local culture and creates some of his most famous works. How will Strickland develop his career? How will his work be known by the audience? The novel also explores the impact of Strickland's selfishness on those around him, including his wife and children. The Moon and Sixpence is a nuanced exploration of the human condition, showcasing the complexities of human relationships and the sacrifices that people make in pursuit of their passions.
An English author best renowned for his plays, novels, and short stories was William Somerset Maugham. After completing his studies in England, Maugham enrolled in a university in Germany. He spent his first ten years of life in Paris, where he was born. He enrolled at a medical school in London, where he graduated with a medical degree in 1897. He stopped being a doctor and started working as a writer full-time. His first work, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, although he first achieved national notoriety as a playwright. He had four plays running simultaneously in London's West End by 1908. In 1933, he finished writing his 32nd and final play. Thereafter, he gave up writing plays and focused on writing novels and short tales. Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1925), Cakes and Ale (1930), and The Razor's Edge are among Maugham's books that came following Liza of Lambeth (1944). His short stories have been published in collections like The Casuarina Tree (1926) and The Mixture as Before (1940). Highbrow critics had negative reactions to his enormous popularity and sales, and many of them tried to denigrate him by calling him.
