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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 41
Page 165
For he could not have sufficient experience of life to write of contemporary
manners ; history provided him with a story and characters and the romantic
fervour of his young blood gave him the dash that was needed for this sort of
composition .
For he could not have sufficient experience of life to write of contemporary
manners ; history provided him with a story and characters and the romantic
fervour of his young blood gave him the dash that was needed for this sort of
composition .
Page 213
So different may be the finished product from the original that it must be a
common experience of authors to be accused of having drawn a lifelike portrait of
a certain person when they had in mind someone quite different . Further , it is
just ...
So different may be the finished product from the original that it must be a
common experience of authors to be accused of having drawn a lifelike portrait of
a certain person when they had in mind someone quite different . Further , it is
just ...
Page 274
But at this point a certain hesitation has betrayed itself . Common experience ,
especially the common experience of philosophers , shows that a great many
men are no great shakes . Immortality is too stupendous a notion to be
entertained in ...
But at this point a certain hesitation has betrayed itself . Common experience ,
especially the common experience of philosophers , shows that a great many
men are no great shakes . Immortality is too stupendous a notion to be
entertained in ...
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
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
LibraryThing Review
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
Other editions - View all
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 |