W Somerset Maugham Poradie kníh (chronologicky)

From 1892, when he was 18, until 1949, when this book was first published, Somerset Maugham kept a notebook. Part autobiographical, part confessional, this is a collection of Maugham's observations, confidences, aspirations and arbitrary jottings.

William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. By 1914 he was famous, with 10 plays produced and 10 published novels. His masterpiece is generally agreed to be Of Human Bondage (1915), a semi-autobiographical novel that deals with the life of the main character Philip Carey, who like Maugham, was orphaned, and brought up by his pious uncle. His last major novel, The Razor's Edge, published in 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. While much of the novel takes place in Europe, its main characters are American, not British. His other works include: Liza of Lambeth (1897), Mrs Craddock (1902), A Man of Honour (1903), The Land of the Blessed Virgin (1905), The Bishop's Apron (1906), Lady Frederick (1907), The Magician (1908), Home and Beauty (1909), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), The Circle (1921), The Trembling of a Leaf (1921), and On a Chinese Screen (1922).

Autobiographical and confessional, and yet not, this is one of the most highly regarded expressions of a personal credo – both a classic avowal of an author’s ideas and his craft.

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. As he traces the fortunes of Edward Driffield and his extraordinary wife Rosie, one of the most delightful heroines of twentieth-century literature, Maugham's sardonic wit and lyrical warmth expertly combine in this accomplished and unforgettable novel.

This final classic collection reveals Somerset Maugham’s unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships in tales of love, infidelity, passion and prejudice. The stories range from “The Lotus Eater” where a man envisions a life of bliss in the Mediterranean, to the astringent tales of “The Outstation” and “The Back of Beyond” in Malaya and South East Asia. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Príbeh románu Maľovaný závoj sa odohráva v južnej Číne za epidémie cholery. Vykresľuje osobnostný rozvoj Kitty, mladej ženy, ktorá vyrastá v meštiackom anglickom prostredí a vydá sa iba preto, že nechce, aby ju predbehla mladšia sestra. Jej manžel Walter ju odvedie do Hongkongu, kde pôsobí ako bakteriológ. Kitty sa z dlhej chvíle bezhlavo zaľúbi do Charlieho, vysokopostaveného a povrchného úradníka koloniálnej správy. Keď príde na lámanie chleba, Charlie ju bez výčitiek svedomia opustí a jej neostáva iné, len odcestovať s manželom do vnútrozemia, kde zúri epidémia cholery. A práve tvrdý tlak odlišnej spoločenskej reality, vedomie viny a obetavosť francúzskych mníšok i jej manžela ju napokon privedú na novú cestu, ukážu jej nový zmysel existencie. Keď sa po manželovej tragickej smrti vráti domov, rozhodne sa napraviť svoj vzťah k ovdovenému otcovi a začať úplne odznova. Nesmierne pôvabný a myšlienkovo hlboký príbeh nepochybne zaujme mnohých čitateľov a najmä čitateľky. Potvrdzuje, že William Somerset Maugham má čo povedať i dnešným čitateľom. Autorova kresba vzťahov v nešťastnom manželskom trojuholníku je natoľko presvedčivá, že azda každého donúti zamyslieť sa nad vlastným životom.