When Maugham was 75 years old, he personally selected 15 volumes of his notes and added concise notes to write this book. The book covers Maugham's life experience and inner thinking from the age of 18 to 70, and is full of keen observations. This autobiographical note is the germ of many of Maugham's outstanding works. The writing inspiration for "The Moon and Sixpence" and "The Blade" came from this. This is undoubtedly one of Maugham's most important and true works, and a summary of his life. This book can be regarded as the starting point and end point of Maugham's literary creation, and it is his farewell to his long literary career.
Reader comments
Maugham was an all-rounder with a solid medical foundation. He has an unsatisfactory married life, but he can't get rid of it. This may have contributed to him becoming the most influential expert on gender issues. As a young man he had homosexual tendencies. His experience and ability to think enabled him to look deeply into his own heart. This allows him to understand the psychology of others as well as the brain circuits of others. Based on this, his literary talent appears to be so broad, yet meticulous, and deeply rooted in people's hearts.
This book is like Maugham's "literary memoir", recording his thoughts and inspirations. His observations are really sharp and remind me of the people around me who do stupid things but are great at talking. And I resonate with many of the views in the book, such as "Good luck always brings virtue, but it does not follow virtue." It feels very true. Maugham seemed to be chatting with me, sharing his wisdom on life.
Maugham was an all-rounder with a solid medical foundation. He has an unsatisfactory married life, but he can't get rid of it. This may have contributed to him becoming the most influential expert on gender issues. As a young man he had homosexual tendencies. His experience and ability to think enabled him to look deeply into his own heart. This allows him to understand the psychology of others as well as the brain circuits of others. Based on this, his literary talent appears to be so broad, yet meticulous, and deeply rooted in people's hearts.
This book is like Maugham's "literary memoir", recording his thoughts and inspirations. His observations are really sharp and remind me of the people around me who do stupid things but are great at talking. And I resonate with many of the views in the book, such as "Good luck always brings virtue, but it does not follow virtue." It feels very true. Maugham seemed to be chatting with me, sharing his wisdom on life.
Many of the things he said are very realistic