The Merry-go-round

"The Merry-go-round" by W. Somerset Maugham is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story begins to unfold through the interactions of Miss Elizabeth Dwarris, a wealthy and overbearing woman, and her equally stubborn cousin, Miss Ley. The narrative introduces themes of family dynamics, power, and independence, specifically revolving around the tyrannical presence of Miss Dwarris in the lives of her relatives. At the start of the book, we are introduced to Miss Elizabeth Dwarris, who wielded her wealth to manipulate and subdue her poorer relatives. She takes delight in controlling their thoughts and actions, deriving pleasure from their discomfort. Particularly noteworthy is her contentious relationship with Miss Ley, who is uniquely able to challenge Dwarris with her wit and bluntness. Their exchanges hint at a longstanding feud, illustrating the tension between authority and rebellion within family structures. The opening portion effectively sets the stage for a story that promises to explore complex interpersonal relationships and the consequences of power and independence. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Somerset Maugham was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German university. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, and became a full-time writer. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. By 1908 he had four plays running at once in the West End of London. He wrote his 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre and concentrated on novels and short stories.