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 127
A play does not exist without an audience . Indeed the definition of a play is a
piece of writing in dialogue devised to be spoken by actors and heard by an
indefinite number of persons . A play written to be read in the study is a form of
the novel ...
A play does not exist without an audience . Indeed the definition of a play is a
piece of writing in dialogue devised to be spoken by actors and heard by an
indefinite number of persons . A play written to be read in the study is a form of
the novel ...
Page 134
I can think of no serious prose play that has survived the generation that gave it
birth . A few comedies have haphazardly travelled down a couple of centuries or
so . They are revived now and then because a famous part tempts a leading actor
...
I can think of no serious prose play that has survived the generation that gave it
birth . A few comedies have haphazardly travelled down a couple of centuries or
so . They are revived now and then because a famous part tempts a leading actor
...
Page 151
He decides when to go quick and when to go slow ; when to emphasize , when to
slur ; when to play up and when to play down . He deals with the sets and sees
that they are suitable and practicable to the action ; he chooses the clothes to ...
He decides when to go quick and when to go slow ; when to emphasize , when to
slur ; when to play up and when to play down . He deals with the sets and sees
that they are suitable and practicable to the action ; he chooses the clothes to ...
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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 |