Maugham 18941965 was safely settled in the south of france when the storm broke over this book. Read cakes and ale the skeleton in the cupboard by w. Cakes and ales can be read at several levels, from the surface level satire of the english literati to a bildungsroman, or coming of age book. Social climber alroy kear is flattered when he is selected by edward driffields. William somerset maugham was an english playwright, novelist and short story writer. As he traces the fortunes of edward driffield and his extraordinary wife rosie, one of the most delightful heroines of twentiethcentury literature, maugham s sardonic wit and lyrical warmth expertly combine in this. It is mostly family friendly, no bad words, violence but some may object to the presence of sex. Review of cakes and ale by somerset maugham a writers. Caesars wife east of suez the explorer the hero the land o. Buy a cheap copy of cakes and ale, the painted veil, liza of. Short stories by somerset maugham pdf william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and educated at the kings. The novel deals with the craft of writing and the foibles of those. Cakes and ale is a comedy of literary england in the early decades of the 20th century narrated by ashenden.
Social climber alroy kear is flattered when he is selected by edward driffields wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. Cakes and ale vintage international english edition. Or the british agent is a 1927 collection of loosely linked stories by w. Somerset maugham and artist graham sutherland, signed on the limitation page.
When cakes and ale was first published in 1930 it roused a storm of controversy, since many people imagined they recognised portraits of literary figures now no more. Cakes and ale by william somerset maugham paperback. For me, then, that element of the book failed to engage me. Somerset maugham is currently considered a single author. Cakes and ale vintage international kindle edition by. The story is told by willie ashenden, a character who previously appeared in maughams shortstory collection ashenden. Jan 25, 2014 cakes and ale is probably the most cheerful of maugham s works, considering that it comprises chiefly of the narrators recollections of a carefree summer vacation due to a strange friendship with a middleaged writer, driffield, and his sensuous, friendly wife, rosie. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this cakes and ale study guide and get instant. Commercial success with high book sales, successful theatre productions and a string of film adaptations, backed by astute stock market investments, allowed maugham to live a very comfortable life. Cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society betwe.
William somerset maugham, ch january 25, 1874 december 16, 1965 was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Somerset william somerset 1874 1965 date of first publication. The remote locations of the quietly magnificent yet decaying british empire offered him beautiful canvasses on which to write his stories and plays. Ashenden is a novelist in his fifties who during the course of the narrative has several meetings with another. Somerset maugham free pdf d0wnl0ad, audio books, books to read, good books to read, cheap books, good books, online books, books online, book. Cakes and ale is a satire of london literary society between the wars. It is partly based on the authors experience as a member of british intelligence in europe during the first world war. Somerset maugham download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Per doubledays practice of designating first editions, first edition so stated on title page verso. During wwi, a writer named ashenden, introduced only by his. W somerset maugham cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society between the wars. Click download or read online button to get somerset maugham book now. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. William somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer.
Cakes and ale is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs and a skilfully crafted study of freedom. Somerset maugham primary author only author division. A novelist, ashenden is befriended by the ambitious, selfserving alroy kear, who has been commissioned to. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. The story is told by willie ashenden, a character who previously appeared in maugham s shortstory collection ashenden. Topics cakes, ale, maugham collection opensource language english. Cakes and ale vintage international kindle edition by maugham. In cakes and ale, the most literary of maugham s novels, the narrator assumes the name willie ashenden, one that maugham had used in his collection of short stories based upon his work as an intelligence agent ashenden, 1928. Cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society between the. A near fine copy with foxing to the page edges, in a near fine dustwrapper, crisp and bright showing a touch of toning to the spine. Somerset maugham tells the story of author william ashendens series of contracts over decades with a greatly renowned novelist, and the need of his wouldbe biographer for details that william alone can provide.
Includes new facsimile dust jacket in archival brodart sleeve. With an overdrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for ataglance information about availability. Maugham was aware that he never wrote anything more alive and, for that reason, more likely to endure. Somerset maugham was the master of the short, concise novel and he could convey relationships, greed and ambition with a startling reality. Nov 08, 2008 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Cakes and ale,the painted veil,liza of lambeth,razors edge. Somerset maughams cakes and ale dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading cakes and ale vintage international. Maugham confessed to a friend that his cruel portrait of walpole had origins in walpoles behaviour towards maugham s friend, the society painter sir gerald kelly the lionel hillier of cakes and ale when, after sitting for several portraits, walpole not only dropped kelly but asked him to approach augustus john to paint his. Rosie is enough to make cakes and ale an enjoyable read, but at least for me, it offered little more than that. Somerset maugham the writers point of view first edition.
He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. Cakes and ale, or, the skeleton in the cupboard 1930 is a novel by the british author w. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. Of human bondage autobiographical novel ebook by william. Casting about one evening in the villa mauresque for a good book to take to bed, he sighed. Somerset william somerset 18741965 date of first publication.
Publication date 1985 publisher penguin collection. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Twelfth night takes for its theme the doubleness of human character, ranging from the calculated hypocrisy of the virtuous exemplified by literary opportunist and wouldbe biographer alroy kear to the animal weaknesses of the goodhearted yet unreformable rosie, former barmaid and first. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham and other ebooks from all genres of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, historical documents and sheet music, all of which are available on a subscription basis. Maugham was not known as a bombthrower, but cakes and ale in 1930 changed that. As we learn from selina hastings in her excellent biography, the secret lives of somerset maugham, cakes and ale was written in 1930 in maugham s sumptuous home, the villa mauresque on cap ferrat, at the time in his life when he was happiest and most content. Cakes and ale is a piercing satire of british literary circles, and features apparently very recognisable portraits of authors thomas hardy, and maugham s erstwhile friend horace walpole. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Jun 17, 2016 maughams 1930 novel cakes and ale is a thinly veiled portrait of thomas hardy, whose wild inclinations in youth were later tamed into the staid respectability expected of a great novelist by.
But then kear discovers the great novelists voluptuous muse and unlikely first wife, rosie. The story is told by a firstperson narrator and welltodo author, william ashenden, who, at the beginning of the novel. Maughams masterpiece is generally agreed to be of human bondage, a semiautobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character. Publication date 1930 topics cdac collection digitallibraryindia. Octavo, 255pp, full morocco white spine, navy blue boards, gilt band. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. Social climber alroy kear is flattered when he is selected by edward driffields wife to pen the official biography of. Somerset maugham s cakes and ale is not the powerhouse novel that was of human bondage or the magician or the razors edge and i feel quite sure that quite a few readers might agree with me and, to a large extent, it is not but it has a character, rosie driffield, who is so unique, so seductive, enchanting, and mysterious that she carries this book to the. Buy cakes and ale by william somerset maugham from amazons fiction books store.
Maugham, english novelist, shortstory writer, and playwright is best remembered for his novel of human bondage. The moon and sixpence by william somerset maugham paperback. Cakes and ale is a delicious satire of london literary society between the wars. Although maugham had written short stories early in his career. It is the novel for which maugham wished to be remembered. With an introduction by nicholas shakespeare cakes and ale is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs and a skilfully crafted study of freedom.
Of all somerset maugham s novels this is the most entertaining and arguably his best ever. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. Read of human bondage autobiographical novel one of the top 100 best novels of the 20th century by the prolific british playwright, novelist and short story writer, author of the razors edge, the painted veil, cakes and ale by william somerset maugham available from rakuten kobo. Somerset maugham novels, short stories, plays and travel sketches is formatted for your ereader with a functional and detailed table of contents. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. If you scroll up a bit and click the third button under other maugham eresources that says nonfiction with my logo on it, you will go to the ebook page of nonfiction, including travel books and essays. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. Maugham exposes the misguided social snobbery levelled at the character rosie driffield, whose frankness, honesty, and sexual freedom make her a target of conservative propriety. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt, in pictorial dustwrapper printed in black and red.
Ebook cakes and ale as pdf download portable document format. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Mar 04, 2010 cakes and ale is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs and a skilfully crafted study of freedom. Cakes and ale vintage international kindle edition by maugham, w. Maugham did create a captivating and memorable character in rosie, a strong, passionate woman in an otherwise staid turnofthecentury setting. Somerset maugham cakes and ale is several things all of them well written.
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