The Summing UpAutobiographical 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. |
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Page 43
They destroy their persuasiveness ; you would not believe a man was very intent
on ploughing a furrow if he carried a hoop with him and jumped through it at
every other step . A good style should show no sign of effort . What is written
should ...
They destroy their persuasiveness ; you would not believe a man was very intent
on ploughing a furrow if he carried a hoop with him and jumped through it at
every other step . A good style should show no sign of effort . What is written
should ...
Page 58
My observation has led me to believe that , all in all , there is not so much
difference between the good and the bad as the moralists would have us believe
. I have not on the whole taken people at their face value . I do not know if this
coolness ...
My observation has led me to believe that , all in all , there is not so much
difference between the good and the bad as the moralists would have us believe
. I have not on the whole taken people at their face value . I do not know if this
coolness ...
Page 141
For the drama is make - believe . It does not deal with truth but with effect . That
willing suspension of disbelief of which Coleridge wrote is essential to it . The
importance of truth to the dramatist is that it adds to interest , but to the dramatist
truth ...
For the drama is make - believe . It does not deal with truth but with effect . That
willing suspension of disbelief of which Coleridge wrote is essential to it . The
importance of truth to the dramatist is that it adds to interest , but to the dramatist
truth ...
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User Review - wjburton - LibraryThingOne of my favourite bedside books of all time. I wore my first copy into pieces from overuse. I don't know of another book quite like it. Read full review
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User Review - hellbent - LibraryThingThis is one of the best books I read for providing a philosophical view of life. It is a book I intend to read again. Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
able accept action actors admire appearance artist asked audience beauty believe better called cause character common complete course critic deal difficult discover drama dramatist easy effect emotion English existence experience eyes fact feeling fiction follow forced gave give given hard human ideas imagination important instinct interest Italy knew knowledge least less literature live longer look matter Maugham means mind nature never novel once passing pattern perfect perhaps persons philosophers picture play pleasure possible present produced prose reader reason seemed seen sense short sometimes sort speak story success suggested suppose taken tell theatre things thought tion told took true truth turn universe wanted whole write written wrote young
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Summing Up Volume 10 of Collected edition of the works of W. Somerset Maugham W. Somerset Maugham Works Works, William Somerset Maugham |
| Author | William Somerset Maugham |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Arno Press, 1977 |
| Original from | The Ohio State University |
| Digitized | 18 May 2018 |
| ISBN | 0405078307, 9780405078309 |
| Length | 310 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / Literary |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |