The Moon and Sixpence

"The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows the life of Charles Strickland, a stockbroker who abandons his conventional life in London to pursue his passion for painting, ultimately leading him to Tahiti. Strickland's character serves as a vehicle for exploring themes of artistic genius, the sacrifices made for passion, and the complexity of human relationships. At the start of the novel, the narrator reflects on his initial impressions of Strickland, who appears to be an ordinary man with a respectable family but is later revealed to have a profound and tumultuous soul. The opening delves into Strickland's life prior to his transformation into an artist and sets the tone for the ensuing narrative by hinting at his profound impact on those around him, including his wife, Amy Strickland, who becomes a significant presence in the unfolding drama. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Strickland's pursuit of art comes at a great personal cost, leading to complications in his personal life that only foreshadow the chaotic events to come. (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.