THE MOSCOW STATE LIIVERSITY William Somerset Maugham b. 1874 d. 1965 Report by Andrey Krechetov, 103 а норв MOSCOW 0 William Somerset Maugham was born Jan. 25,1874 in Paris France and died Dec. 16, 1965 inNice. Maugham s parents died when he was 10. He was brought up by an uncle. Maugham waseducated at King s School, Canterbury. After a year at Heidelberg, he enteredSt. Thomas medical school in London.In 1897 he graduated and qualified as adoctor.
In 1897 Maughham wrote his first novel, Liza of Lambeth , covering his experiences as an obstetrician. The book was a success, which encouraged him to stop hismedical practise and to turn to writing. In 1908 he traveled in Spain and Italy,writing all the time. He achieved his theatrical triumph in London, where four of his play were stagedsimultaneously. This brought him financial security. During World War I he worked as a secretagent.After the war he resumed his interrupted travels.
He settled down in1928, when he bought a villa on Cape Ferrat in the south of France.His reputation as a novelist is based onfour books Of HumanBondage 1915 , asemi-autobiographical account of a young medicalstudent s painful progresstoward maturity The Moon and Sixpence 1919 , an account of anunconventional artist, suggested by the life of Paul Gauguin Cakes and Ale 1930 , the story of a famous novelist, which is thought to contain caricaturesof Thomas Hardy and Hugh Walpole and The Razor s Edge 1944 , the story of ayoung American war veteran s quest for a satisfying way of life. Maugham splays were mainly Edwardian social comedies.
His short stories gained thebiggest popularity. In his works, Maugham mainly portrays theconflict of Europeans in aliensurroundings that provoke strong emotions. The readers are attracred byMaugham s skill in handling plot, in the manner of Guy de Maupassant.Maugham s philosophy of life is explainedin The Summing Up 1938 and AWriter s Notebook 1949 . The author stands for atheism, skepticism about the extent of man s innategoodness and intelligence could be seen. That s whatt gives his work itsastringent cynicism.
In general, Maugham s novels andshort stories coulb characterized by great narrative facility, a simple, clear,unadored style, a disillusioned and ironicpoint of view, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of humannature. That s what gave W.S. Maugham his world s popularity.