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
Still , there is nothing odd in Maugham's insistence on writing as exorcism , since
the exorcism , at least once , worked well enough for him . It didn't defeat the
ghosts for good , but it kept them quiet for a long spell . What is odd , in the light of
...
Still , there is nothing odd in Maugham's insistence on writing as exorcism , since
the exorcism , at least once , worked well enough for him . It didn't defeat the
ghosts for good , but it kept them quiet for a long spell . What is odd , in the light of
...
Page 42
It is very hard to discover the exact point where the idiom one has formed to
express oneself has lost its tang . As Dr Johnson said : ' He that has once
studiously formed a style , rarely writes afterwards with complete ease . '
Admirably as I think ...
It is very hard to discover the exact point where the idiom one has formed to
express oneself has lost its tang . As Dr Johnson said : ' He that has once
studiously formed a style , rarely writes afterwards with complete ease . '
Admirably as I think ...
Page 126
To do so is now more than ever necessary , for audiences are at once quicker -
witted and more impatient than ever before in the history of the theatre . Plays
have been written in such and such a way be . cause they satisfied audiences .
To do so is now more than ever necessary , for audiences are at once quicker -
witted and more impatient than ever before in the history of the theatre . Plays
have been written in such and such a way be . cause they satisfied audiences .
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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 |