Library

This is a master's book of gossip and Maugham's insight into human nature. Balzac was a softie; Jane Austen was rustic and didn't know how to match clothes; Emily Bronte had homosexual tendencies. Maugham did this not intentionally to play devil's advocate or to sensationalize, but to remove all pretense, leaving only the real torso. Using his profound insight into human nature and his rich experience as a professional writer, he filtered out the possible kinship between the writer's experience and his works, and showed readers a different literary history that is gossipy and fun!

This book is a collection of short stories, including six novels, set in Malay Island. It is an exotic novel collection and represents Maugham's mature novel achievements. A secret murder case, a couple hiding on the reef, an unexpected love, a sad incest story, a way of dealing with an affair marriage, and an unscrupulousness. The last six wonderful stories happened in the Malay Peninsula. They were written during Maugham's travels in Southeast Asia, showing the strange style of the collision of Western civilization and Eastern sentiment.

"The Moon and Sixpence" was written in 1919. In this novel, Maugham uses the first-person narrative technique to narrate the entire story. The plot of this book is based on the life of the French post-Impressionist painter Gauguin. The protagonist was originally a securities broker. In his middle age, he gave up everything and went to Tahiti in the South Pacific to live with the indigenous people, where he gained inspiration and created many artistic masterpieces. The theme of escapism revealed in the novel is consistent with the pursuit of many people in the West and has become a popular novel in the 20th century.

Katie, a beautiful but vain British woman, accepted the marriage proposal of Walter, a withdrawn doctor, and followed Walter to the mysterious Eastern colony-Hong Kong. After Walter discovers that his wife has been unfaithful, he begins a strange and terrifying revenge plan: Katie must accompany him to the distant mainland of China to quell a cholera plague. ... Struggling in the whirlpool of love, betrayal and death, Katie finally gradually lifted the veil of life from her eyes and embarked on the road of spiritual growth without regrets. "The Color Veil" is Maugham's most controversial work, and the film of the same name received rave reviews.

"Past and Present" is one of Maugham's most important historical novels. The story takes place in Italy, the country he was most interested in. The historical background is set in the most turbulent, colorful and dramatic Renaissance period. The central character is Niccolò Machiavelli, a far-reaching politician, diplomat, philosopher and writer. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Italy was politically divided. Various petty tyrants and petty tyrants used force to conquer and plunder everywhere, driven by their own ambitions. The Republic of Florence, the center of the Italian Renaissance, relied on huge tributes and was sheltered under the patronage of the French king and the protection of mercenaries. At this time, Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentino, the pope's illegitimate son, conquered the city with the support of the pope and French King Louis XII, and became the hottest new political star and the careerist who threatened Florence the most. In 1502, under the threat of force from the Duke, Machiavelli, the chief secretary of the Second Chamber of the Consulate of the Florentine Republic, sent an envoy to Imola, the seat of the Duke's temporary palace, to negotiate with the Duke. During those three tumultuous months, Machiavelli witnessed with his own eyes how the Duke captured cities, captured powerful officials, and eliminated opponents, and experienced...

Short stories play an important role in Maugham's creation. Anthony Burgess once commented that he wrote "the best short stories in English literature." His novels such as "The Shackles of Humanity" and "The Knife's Edge" made Maugham famous all over the world, while his short stories won him more readers and became a global phenomenon with his exquisite skills in weaving stories and his keen insight into human nature and social life. In 1951, Maugham published a four-volume collection of short stories, including a total of 91 stories. He personally determined the titles and order, and wrote a preface for each volume. In 1963, Penguin Press launched a new edition based on this, and it has since been recognized as the standard edition and has been reprinted many times. This book is translated from the 2002 Penguin edition of the complete works. There are many Chinese translations of Maugham's works, and most of his short stories are published in selected collections. The "Complete Collection of Somerset Maugham's Short Stories" (four volumes) planned to be launched this time will reproduce the full picture of Maugham's short stories in wonderful translations. This book is the second volume.

This is a collection of Maugham's many short stories, including "Rain", "Honolulu", and "The Fall of Edward Barnard", a total of thirty pieces. The background of the novel ranges from the United Kingdom to France, Spain, and to the coast of the South Pacific. It interprets one wonderful and unforgettable story after another. It not only reflects Maugham's superb short story skills, but also provides a calm and objective analysis of human nature.

You and I all have friends like this - ordinary office workers, middle-aged, married, with one child, working hard to earn a living. Maybe you yourself are such a person and have entered middle age unknowingly in such a life. The protagonist Charles in "The Moon and Sixpence" is exactly like this, but one day he suddenly responded to the call of his heart and left a note saying: Dinner is ready. He abandoned everything and ran away from home, pursuing his passion for painting. He went to Tahiti in the South Pacific to live with the indigenous people, and he never looked back despite poverty and illness. Charles dared to become an unreasonable madman in the eyes of others. Many people said that he was an idiot and even irresponsible. But only he knew the passion in his heart and the ideal he pursued, and chose his own life path in the way he liked! But in real life, how many people just timidly look up at the moon and continue to lower their heads to chase the sixpence they depend on for food and clothing?

In 1922, when Maugham was achieving great success as a playwright, short story and novelist, and even a socialite, he put it all aside and made a long and arduous trip to Southeast Asia. Maugham accidentally read a passage from Herzlitt's "On Travel" on the boat going up the Irrawaddy River to Bagan: "Wonderful! Break free from the shackles of the world and public opinion - leave our entangled, annoying, endless self-identity in nature, be a person of the moment, and eliminate all burdens --Only a plate of offal to sustain everything, and owe nothing except the night's wine debt. No longer seeking applause and being despised, only known by the title of the gentleman in the drawing room!" I was so enlightened that I decided to write such a travelogue and titled it "The Gentleman in the Drawing Room". However, it was not until seven years later that he actually wrote the book, and confessed in the "Preface": "This book is not an accident like "On the Chinese Screen". The journey described in the book was my wish; but I had intended to write it as a book from the beginning. I had fun writing "On the Chinese Screen". I want to try my craft again on the same subject, but on a more refined scale and in a form that I can give a clear pattern. This is an exercise in style."

"The Moon and Sixpence" tells the story of a British stock exchange broker who was obsessed with the art of painting and resolutely gave up his original family and job and went to Paris to study painting and pursue his dream. Based on the French post-Impressionist painter Gauguin, this book explores the relationship between reality and ideals, secularity and spirituality, personality and genius, society and art.

Charles Strickland is a British securities broker with a successful career and a prominent family. What puzzled everyone was that in middle age, he suddenly abandoned his wife and children and came to Paris penniless to study painting. In a foreign country, he was poor and sick, but he became more determined and persistent in his dream. After experiencing various bizarre encounters, he came to an isolated island in the South Pacific, married a local girl, had children, and successfully created a series of stunning masterpieces. At this moment, he was struck down by terminal illness and blindness. Before he died, he made an astonishing decision... The protagonist of this novel is based on the famous French painter Gauguin. The novel mainly expresses the contradiction between dreams and survival, the contradiction between responsibility and self, and the contradiction between genius and madman. "There were six pennies all over the ground, but he looked up and saw the moon." Charles has been pursuing a kind of pure and shocking beauty throughout his life. Perhaps this kind of beauty is the real value of life. May you and I both be the ones who always chase the moon.

This book is based on the author's personal experience of traveling in China from 1919 to 1920. The story takes place in the British colony of Hong Kong and a place called "Meitan Mansion" in inland China. The heroine Katie Finn had an affair with Charlie, the assistant chief secretary of Hong Kong. Her husband Walter (a bacteriologist in the Hong Kong government) found out and forced her to go to Meitan Mansion where cholera was rampant. Unfortunately, Walter eventually contracted the disease and died. Katie returned to Hong Kong and fell into the arms of Charlie. She was so ashamed that she finally returned to the UK to reconcile with her father and went to live with her father in the Bahamas. From the book, readers can see the ambiguity and contradiction behind a seemingly indifferent narrator: as a part of the imperial narrative, the author's orientalist political and cultural views are hidden under the veil; as an individual writer who pays attention to human nature, his doubts and longing for love, ridicule and tolerance of human nature are hidden under his veil.

"The Moon and Sixpence" tells the story of Strickland, a successful securities broker who has a comfortable life that others envy. Later, he went to Paris alone because he was obsessed with painting. However, his colorful paintings were not recognized by the outside world, and he fell into the abyss of poverty and illness. "The Veil" tells the story of the young and beautiful Katie who went to Hong Kong with her husband. Katie fell in love with a married man and thought she had met true love. But after the affair was revealed, her lover immediately abandoned her for the sake of his reputation. After experiencing betrayal, Walter decided to practice medicine in Meitan Mansion, where the epidemic was rampant, and asked the painful Katie to go with him. "Blade" tells the story of Larry, who fought bravely and returned to the United States after World War I. What greeted him was a seemingly magnanimous life. But the cruelty of the war and the death of his comrades made him doubt the meaning and value of life.

"The Magician" is a dark fantasy story created by Maugham in his early years. When a famous British doctor named Arthur Burton visited his fiancée in Paris, he met Hadot, a magician who was proficient in occult arts. Burton believed in science all his life and scorned all kinds of theories about chaotic powers and monsters. Therefore, he repeatedly humiliated Hadot in public on many social occasions. In retaliation, the evil magician used magic to seduce and control Burton's fiancée, and quickly married her. He did this not only to torture Burton, but also to realize a terrible plan: to sacrifice the woman's life to complete a dark spell. In the end, Burton and his friends started a life-and-death showdown with the magician in his ancestral home...

"Maugham's Life Trilogy" is composed of the famous British writer Maugham's classic masterpieces "The Moon and Sixpence", "The Blade" and "The Shackles of Life". Maugham adopts a calm and analytical outsider attitude in his works, from "The Moon and Sixpence" to "The Blade" ", and finally "The Shackles of Life", which lists all the choices and problems in life, leading readers to think: Do you choose the moon or sixpence? Everyone walks on the blade of their own life; Man is born free, but he is always in shackles...

"The Gluttonous Man" is the sixth volume of "The Complete Collection of Maugham's Short Stories", which contains a total of 15 short stories. These short stories were all written before the outbreak of World War II. The background of the stories may take place in Southeast Asian countries during the British colonial period, or on an isolated island in the South Pacific, or in Capri, Italy, or in French Guiana, showing readers the humanistic and historical pictures of different regions. Some stories are embarrassing to read, some are awe-inspiring, some torture the humanity of ordinary people and praise the kindness of ordinary people, and some satirize the hypocrisy of the Western bourgeoisie and criticize the absurdity of the Western capitalist system. The descriptions of their thoughts and feelings are sincere and delicate, and the writing style is also extremely humorous. The stories are full of warning words of wisdom and aphorisms.

"The Moon and Sixpence" is a stock exchange broker who has a stable job and a happy family, but he is obsessed with painting and feels like he is "possessed by the devil". He suddenly abandons his home and goes to Paris to pursue his artistic ideals. After some bizarre encounters, he finally left the civilized world and escaped to the isolated island of Tahiti in the South Pacific, where he injected all the value of life into the gorgeous canvas. "The Veil" Kitty, a beautiful but vain British woman, accepts the proposal of Walter Fane, a withdrawn doctor, in order to avoid becoming an old maid. She left London's flashy and empty social circle and followed Walter to the mysterious Eastern colony - Hong Kong. Kitty, who is dissatisfied with her marriage, secretly has an affair with Charlie Tongson, the assistant chief secretary of Hong Kong who shakes her heart. After Walter discovered his wife's infidelity, he made a desperate move and began his strange and terrible revenge plan: taking Kitty to the distant mainland of China to quell a cholera plague that was spreading crazily... "Pleasure" Popular writer Alroy Keel wanted to write a biography of the late famous writer Driffield, but he knew little about the young Driffield, so he asked Driffield's friend, another writer Ashenden, for help. Under Keel's insistence, Ashenden recalled his early relationship with Driffield and his ex-wife Rosie. The protagonist Philip in "The Shackles of Life" was born in the upper class, but his parents died when he was young, and he was born with a disability. He spent his childhood in a sojourn life where he was ignored. After entering the society, he experienced the hardships of the world. In the rough road of life and the tumultuous torrent of life, he abandoned unrealistic dreams, worked hard to break free from the shackles of the spirit, and constantly pursued the true meaning of life. During the First World War in "Blade", American young man Larry's comrades sacrificed their lives to rescue him. This experience completely changed Larry's thinking. He began to ask his inner questions: Since there is good in the world, why does evil also coexist? After the war, he stubbornly pursued the answer. He first went to Paris to study philosophy, and then came to a monastery in Bonn. However, Christian doctrine failed to provide him with a satisfactory answer, so he went to Spain and tried to find the true meaning of life through art. After getting no results, he ran to India and stayed there for five years before finally finding his true faith in Indian religion.

2017 new best-selling translation! Exclusive unabridged illustrated version! No. 1 On readers' word-of-mouth recommendation list! Poet Xu Chungang, who won the Bobby Fiction Award, translated from the authoritative final version of British VintageBooks! Maugham's masterpiece with sales exceeding 1 million copies! Bai Yansong, Yu Hua, and Gao Xiaosong are highly recommended by word of mouth! "The world is so long that it passes quickly. Some people see dust, while others see stars. You only have one real choice in your life. Should you be illuminated by dreams or money?"

A forty-year-old securities broker gave up his affluent life and became crazy about painting. In order to pursue his artistic ideals, he suffered from poverty and hunger, endured mental pain and torture, and finally escaped to the isolated island of Tahiti and became a unique painter. Maugham used humorous words, touching plots, and profound thoughts to weave the legendary life of an artist, and explored the contradiction and interaction between art and life. The novel's wonderful narrative has made generations of readers unable to put it down.

"Human Bonds" is Maugham's long semi-autobiographical novel and his representative work. It was published in 1915. Although the work was controversial among critics, it has been in print for a long time since its publication and has been greatly welcomed. It has also been remade into film and television works. The novel narrates the confusion, exploration, disappointment, frustration and pain of the protagonist Philip in the first half of his life from a first-person perspective. The theme of the work is the freedom of human nature under the fetters of fate.

The book "The Moon and Sixpence" translated by Wenzhu is one of the three masterpieces of William Somerset Maugham in the United Kingdom and was completed in 1919. The inspiration for "The Moon and Sixpence" is based on the life of the French post-Impressionist painter Gauguin. The protagonist was originally an accomplished securities broker. After reaching middle age, he suddenly responded to the call of his heart and became obsessed with painting. He gave up everything and went to Tahiti in the South Pacific to live with the indigenous people, gain inspiration, and create amazing masterpieces. Maugham deeply explores the contradictions and interactions between life and art in his novels. After Maugham's novel came out, it became a sensation in the literary world for its fascinating plot and profound writing, and people rushed to read it.

This book is a classic literary masterpiece with a high literary status. The novel uses the life of French Impressionist painter Paul as the material. It describes Strickland, an originally ordinary securities broker. From beginning to end, it revolves around the theme of Strickland's strange life and explores what he is pursuing. The story unfolds through the description of such a geek who is obsessed with art and does not understand the world, as well as the characters such as Stroeve, Blanche, and Etta who closely surround him. By narrating this development process, the author deeply explores the contradictions and interactions between life and art, and explores thought-provoking issues such as the relationship between personality and genius, and the contradiction between artists and society.

Selected into "50 Spiritual Classics", Zipei's translation of the classic has been circulated for 35 years; in 1944, in the smoke of World War II, "Blade" appeared in front of readers who had been tortured by the war. In fact, this book was written before World War II when the author was traveling in the United States. The story told takes place around the First World War. When a friend of his friend suddenly died in the war, American young man Riley began to ask deep questions in his heart: If there is good in the world, why does evil also coexist? After the war, Larry felt the enthusiasm of the United States to build a "magnificent and prosperous era" in his hometown, but it was difficult to stay out of it. He stubbornly wanted to pursue the question in his heart that he couldn't let go of. He discovered it in books and sorted it out in meditation. To this end, he devoted almost all his energy and enthusiasm, and even broke off his engagement with his lover Isabel. After that, he fled to France, and then began to travel around the world.

After the famous writer Edward Driffield died, his second wife asked someone to write his biography. The narrator "I" of the novel, the young writer Ashenton, was invited by the biographer Roy to go to Driffield's country mansion to recall the story of his interaction with the writer. However, in the depths of my memory, what shines more dazzlingly than the writer is his ex-wife Rosie, a charming woman who was not bound by etiquette, was frank, passionate and innocent like a child. In the eyes of the town, Driffield was an unacceptable lothario, but I could not resist Rosie's charm and became close friends with the couple. When I came back from school, I unexpectedly learned that the Driffield family had committed fraud and fled without a trace. Years later, I unexpectedly reunited with them in London, Driffield was beginning to become famous in the literary world, and I had an unforgettable romance with Rosie. From this, we learned about the unknown past behind Driffield's famous work.

If there was a profession called a reader in the world, no one would be more suitable than Maugham. It seems natural that writers love reading, but like Somerset Maugham, he followed the chart, from the writer's works to the writer's life and character, and then turned around from their life and character to care about the writer's work, and wrote a wonderful collection of essays based on this, which is also a rare thing in the history of literature. This is a book of gossip by a master, and also a book of Maugham's insights into reading and philosophy. The spicy secrets and interesting humanity of the literary giant, Jane Austen's kind "meanness", Stendhal's inner inferiority, Flaubert's first love on the beach in childhood, Leo Tolstoy's confusion and confession in his life, Dostoyevsky's betrayal...

"I have never said that I have the ability to make up stories out of thin air; I often need an event or a character to start writing, but I always use my imagination, creativity and sense of drama to make the material my own." Maugham said. Since the age of eighteen in 1892, Maugham has developed the habit of recording various creative materials at any time, a habit he has continued for more than fifty years. In 1949, Maugham, who was already seventy-five years old, carefully selected from the fifteen volumes of notes, memoranda and travel notes he had saved, and published this "Writer's Notes" with concise notes. This is undoubtedly one of Maugham's most important and authentic works. It is tantamount to making his "warehouse of writing materials", the ultimate secret of his creation, public to the public after officially giving up the creation of fictional literature. Although he later published two collections of essays and reviews, "What Happens" and "Viewpoints," "A Writer's Notes" can be seen as the starting point and end point of Maugham's literary creation, and it was his farewell to his long literary career.

The author of "The Knife's Edge" is William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), a famous British novelist and dramatist. "The Blade" is one of his major works. "Blade" tells the story of Larry Darrell, a young American pilot who participated in World War I. In the army, Larry met an Irish friend: This man was usually such a lively and fearless pilot, but he was shot and died trying to save Larry during an encounter. As a result, Larry felt confused about life and could not understand why there was evil and misfortune in the world. Larry began his incredible transformation...

During the First World War, Maugham, who was already a well-known writer, was dispatched by the British MI6 to engage in secret intelligence work in Europe. Later, he used this personal experience and knowledge as material to create a series of independent short stories, which were collected into a volume, "The British Agent Ashenden". This work is hailed as one of the greatest British spy novels, setting the tone for a new generation of spy literature and influencing many writers including the father of "007", Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, John le Carré, etc. Maugham used the agent Ashenden as the character who connects the stories. Through a narrative that is both literary and realistic, and a humorous and sharp style, he created an impressive group of characters. In these stories full of thrills, deceit and absurdity, Maugham was still most interested in human nature appearing in extraordinary situations, and he never lost his calm eye for paying attention to the things around him.

Through a trio of stories, it shows readers the chaos of human love and reason: the brief but happy marriage of a priest's daughter to a dying poet; a woman who committed adultery with a shameless man and later turned into a reasonable and good wife; and Maugham's favorite theme - a respectable person who decides to practice virtue to the extreme.

During World War I, American young man Larry's comrades died trying to rescue him. This experience completely changed Larry's thinking. He began to ask his inner questions: Since there is good in the world, why does evil also coexist? After the war, he stubbornly pursued the answer. He first went to Paris to study philosophy, and then came to a monastery in Bonn. However, Christian doctrine failed to provide him with a satisfactory answer, so he went to Spain and tried to find the true meaning of life through art. After getting no results, he ran to India and stayed there for five years before finally finding his true faith in Indian religion. "The Knife's Edge" is Maugham's full-length work published in 1944. It is based on the famous philosopher Wittgenstein. It profoundly shows the mental journey of an entire generation of Western intellectuals in their search for the meaning of existence, and presents a picture of life in the Western world after World War I. , From the United States to Europe and India, from Paris and London to Chicago and New York, from the city to the seaside, from the upper class to the lower class, the author provides us with a group of vivid and flesh-and-blood characters in a broad geographical and social background.

The protagonist Philip was born in the upper class, but his parents died when he was young, and he was born with a disability. He spent his childhood in a sojourn life where he was ignored. After entering the society, he experienced the hardships of the world. In the rough road of life and the tumultuous torrent of life, he abandoned unrealistic dreams, worked hard to break free from the shackles of the spirit, and constantly pursued the true meaning of life. "The Shackles of Life" is Maugham's masterpiece, published in 1915. It is based on the author's real life experiences in his early years and has an obvious autobiographical flavor. After the novel was published, it was highly praised by the American writer Theodore Dreiser and became popular in Britain, the United States and even the world. Maugham himself regarded the book as "an immortal novel".

Popular writer Alroy Keel wanted to write a biography of the late famous writer Driffield, but he knew little about the young Driffield, so he turned to Driffield's friend, another writer Ashenden, for help. Under Keel's insistence, Ashenden recalled his early relationship with Driffield and his ex-wife Rosie. "Fun", also known as "Family Scandal", was published in 1930 and is Maugham's favorite novel. The author changes the prejudice against women in his previous works and draws materials from the real literary and artistic circles. He recalls the life of a beautiful woman as an admirer and sarcastically embellishes it with interesting anecdotes from the literary and artistic circles.

This book is the last of Maugham's four masterpieces. After the first draft of the novel was completed, he said: "Writing this book brought me great pleasure. I don't care whether other people think this book is good or bad. I can finally speak out. For me, this is the most important thing "The background of this book is set during the two world wars. The protagonist Larry served in the Air Force during World War I. He once flew high in the vast sky and wanted "power and honor far beyond the world." The death of his comrades shocked him to the helplessness and insurmountability of life. After being discharged from the army, Larry did not go to college, get married, or find a job. He left his relatives and friends behind and traveled to Europe. Finally, he went to India, where he was inspired by a Ganesha master's ashram and realized the true meaning of life. This book is a novel in which Maugham uses his own name as the narrator. Although the characters in the book have "different names", the content is "not fictitious" and is derived from the personal experiences of Maugham and his friends.

"The Shackles of Life" is Maugham's profound realist work. The protagonist Philip's parents died when he was young, and he was born with a disability. He spent his childhood in a strange environment, and his character is therefore withdrawn and sensitive. During the years he spent in boarding school, he suffered from the unreasonable school system. When he entered the society, he experienced pain in love. On the bumpy road of life, he had to struggle hard every step he took. He has been trying to break away from the two shackles of religion and petty citizen consciousness that imprisoned his spirit, and tried to find the true meaning of life in the chaotic and chaotic life.

London Stock Exchange broker Sturt Creland hides the soul of a talented artist beneath his dull appearance. He originally lived a prosperous and stable life, but one day he suddenly abandoned his wife and children and ran away from Paris to pursue a painting career. He lived in a shack and lived a life of material poverty and spiritual burning: driven by an inexplicable force, he devoted himself to creation day after day as if possessed by a ghost. However, he was unable to paint what he felt due to lack of training and basic skills. During this period, he also had an emotional entanglement with the wife of his only painter friend who appreciated him, which led to tragedy. Later, he escaped to the island and concentrated on creation in an environment isolated from modern civilization. Finally, when he was sick and dying, he found the ideal expression for his inner fantasy.

The little boy Philip was born lame, lost his parents at an early age, sensitive and withdrawn, and was raised by his uncle and aunt. During his studies, he was bullied due to his shy nature; young Philip chose to leave his hometown, first to study in Heidelberg, Germany, then to London as an accounting apprentice, then to Paris to study painting, and finally returned to London to study medicine... The genius novelist Somerset Maugham used his unique and vivid writing to vividly express the confusion and frustration in growing up, the desire for the opposite sex, etc. Reality hits us face to face, human nature is subtle and complex, and our moods are secretly ups and downs... We are always asking for the meaning of life, but we will eventually return to ordinary people; the scenery of life that we are diligently searching for may be in truth and freedom.

In 1502, Machiavelli, who was then Secretary of the Consulate of the Italian Republic, was sent to Imola to negotiate with Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentino. During this period, Machiavelli witnessed with his own eyes how the Duke captured cities, beheaded powerful officials, and eliminated opponents, and learned about the Duke's cunning and mysterious nature. While he himself was always vigilant and mediating with the Duke, he formulated a perfect plan to seduce the wife of a local dignitary...

"The Shackles of Humanity" is Maugham's autobiographical classic work, and it is also considered to be an important masterpiece that is second to none and widely circulated. Together with "The Moon and Sixpence", "The Veil" and "The Blade", it laid the foundation of Maugham's "story master" and his unique position in literary history. The story is based on Maugham's personal experience, describing the complete process of the disabled protagonist Philip from being an orphan to growing up, including family, love, friendship, campus, art, and ideals. Amidst the many shackles, he struggled to find freedom and found it rare, and finally discovered that this is the true face of human nature. Can we get rid of the shackles of human nature? What is growing up and what is maturity? The answer is floating in the wind, with laughter and tears.

"The Shackles of Life" is Maugham's masterpiece, published in 1915. It is based on the author's real life experiences in his early years and has an obvious autobiographical flavor. This book became popular all over the world in the 20th century and was regarded as a "perfect work" by Maugham himself. The protagonist of the novel, Philip, comes from a wealthy family, but his parents died when he was young and he was born lame. He spent his childhood in a sojourn life where he was much ignored. After entering the society as an adult, he suffered from all kinds of troubles in life. He experienced confusion, frustration, pain, and disappointment. Finally, he gave up unrealistic fantasies, got rid of all kinds of mental shackles, and chose a life path that suits him. The text of the work is popular, concise and profound. It can be said to be a manifesto calling for the comprehensive and complete freedom and liberation of human nature.

In the countryside of Kent, England, at the end of the 19th century, Bertha, the eldest daughter of a declining family, fell in love with Craddock, the son of a tenant farmer. She pursued love wholeheartedly and married him regardless of the disparity in status and the obstruction of others. The happy newlywed life makes Bertha feel that "the world has just begun." However, soon after her marriage, her ideals of love began to encounter setbacks. She was disappointed again and again. When she put her hope in her soon-to-be-born child, new misfortune befell her...

"I know you are stupid, frivolous, and empty-minded, but I love you. I know your intentions, your ideals, your power and vulgarity, but I love you. I know you are a second-rate thing, but I love you." In order to escape the flashy but empty social circle of London in the 1920s, Katie came to China with her husband Finn. Here, the lonely Kitty had an extramarital affair with the charming married man Charlie. When Finn found out, in order to retaliate and reorganize his life, he took his wife Kitty to practice medicine in a cholera-ravaged area. In the epidemic area, Katie re-examined her life path, experienced the painful process of turning from cocoon into butterfly, and began to learn how to love.

After the outbreak of World War I, Maugham was recruited by the British secret intelligence service because of his proficiency in multiple languages, familiarity with various European countries, and being a well-known writer. He became a genuine "British spy" and went to Europe to perform many important missions. This book was written based on his personal experience and was hailed by The Times as "the first spy novel written by someone who experienced it personally". It is also the only spy novel Maugham wrote in his life. Although he did it by chance, he greatly broadened the writing boundaries of this type of novel, which was originally a popular entertainment form, and made more ambitious writers pay attention to the expressive potential of spy novels, thus occupying a milestone-like position in the history of the development of spy novels. In "The British Agent", Maugham did not just dazzle readers with the so-called thrills. What interested him most was still human nature in extreme situations and critical moments. As the translator of this book, Mr. Gao Jian, said, this book can be regarded as a masterpiece that is highly interesting, realistic and credible: "Some scenes in Maugham's book may not be so dramatic, but it is a perfect book and a tenable novel. "It is a work that is reasonable, credible, readable and interesting. It is based on facts and uses imagination, and it does not violate the artistic and historical truth. In addition, it is full of British style, rich in literary meaning, and has great appreciation value."

The protagonist of the novel, Philip Carey, lost both his parents when he was young. Unfortunately, he was also born with a disability. He spent his childhood in an indifferent and unfamiliar environment, making his character withdrawn and sensitive. The years he spent in boarding school made him suffer from the unreasonable school system, and when he entered the society, he experienced pain in love. On the bumpy road of life, he had to struggle hard every step he took, but Kaili, who was independent in thought and personality, had been trying to break away from the two shackles that restricted his spirit, religion and petty citizen consciousness, and tried to find the true meaning of life in the chaotic and chaotic life.

"The Moon and Sixpence" was written in 1919 and is one of Maugham's masterpieces. The novel narrates the entire story in the first person, and the plot is based on the life of French post-impressionist painter Gauguin. "The moon" is a symbol of lofty ideals, while "sixpence" is a symbol of petty gains. Whether a person looks up at the moon and aims high, or looks down at the ground and pursues small profits, these are two completely different outlooks on life. Through the conflict between a talented artist and the reality he is trying to escape, the author deeply explores the emergence and essence of art, the relationship between personality and genius, as well as the contradictions and interactions between artists and society, art and life, and other thought-provoking issues. The translator of this book is Gu Qinan, a professor in the English Department of Nankai University. He has been engaged in the translation and research of British, American and Canadian literature for many years. He has translated "Mrs. Dalloway" and "Interlude", etc.

The protagonist Philip was born in the upper class, but his parents died when he was young, and he was born with a disability. He spent his childhood in a sojourn life where he was ignored. After entering the society, he experienced the hardships of the world. In the rough road of life and the tumultuous torrent of life, he abandoned unrealistic dreams, worked hard to break free from the shackles of the spirit, and constantly pursued the true meaning of life. "The Shackles of Life" is Maugham's masterpiece, published in 1915. It is based on the author's real life experiences in his early years and has an obvious autobiographical flavor. After the novel was published, it was highly praised by the American writer Theodore Dreiser and became popular in Britain, the United States and even the world. Maugham himself regarded the book as "an immortal novel".