Book Of Very Short Stories Volume 4

Don't have a Kindle? What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a product review. Showing of 2 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I have to read the other volumes This collection of Stories by W. Somerset Maugham presents a wide range of human behaviour and its rainbow shadow of everyone's feelings.

Really a very good book.

I have to read the other volumes of his stories. It transports you to Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. This is a Maughm classic. It transports you to exotic locations and touches your heart with the humaneness of tragicomic sitiuation of the human condition.

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon. My first exposure to Somerset Maugham was more than three decades back, when we had one of his stories in out school text book. His description are so vivid , that I still remember that characters of the story, though I have never read it after that. Somehow, while he was one of my top rated authors, I could not chance to read many of his works. And so, to make up for all the lost time, I am determined to read all of the collections available on Kindle.

I would not even attempt to rate or comment on his work — that would be sacrilege. I always regard short story writing to be a tougher than writing novels. In a novel, one has the luxury to fill in the middle. The short story has very little in the middle. So, it requires a high degree of story telling to be writing short stories. The differentiating aspect of Somerset Maugham is the descriptives of the characters. I just read it and close my eyes and can very well draw a picture of the character.

He brings life out of words. And he can make a story out of anything - a visit to a wrong house The Poet. The humour is so succinct, just there but not all over the place. I am off to downloading the remaining sets of books……. For years I have been repeating the old idea that Somerset Maugham was not quite an "A" writer, but was certainly among the best of the "B" writers.

I think this idea originated with Maugham himself.

But the passage of years has made this idea look ridiculous. Maybe we should widen the playing field: In the second case, I come up with Chekhov another doctor. It transports you to exotic locations and touches your heart with the humaneness of tragicomic sitiuation of the human condition. Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.

My first exposure to Somerset Maugham was more than three decades back, when we had one of his stories in out school text book. His description are so vivid , that I still remember that characters of the story, though I have never read it after that. Somehow, while he was one of my top rated authors, I could not chance to read many of his works. And so, to make up for all the lost time, I am determined to read all of the collections available on Kindle. I would not even attempt to rate or comment on his work — that would be sacrilege. I always regard short story writing to be a tougher than writing novels.

In a novel, one has the luxury to fill in the middle. The short story has very little in the middle. So, it requires a high degree of story telling to be writing short stories. The differentiating aspect of Somerset Maugham is the descriptives of the characters. I just read it and close my eyes and can very well draw a picture of the character. He brings life out of words.

And he can make a story out of anything - a visit to a wrong house The Poet. The humour is so succinct, just there but not all over the place. I am off to downloading the remaining sets of books……. For years I have been repeating the old idea that Somerset Maugham was not quite an "A" writer, but was certainly among the best of the "B" writers. I think this idea originated with Maugham himself.

But the passage of years has made this idea look ridiculous. Maybe we should widen the playing field: In the second case, I come up with Chekhov another doctor.

But, leaving all thoughts of competition and comparison behind, please read "The Luncheon" or "The Ant and the Grasshopper" for a side of Maugham rarely mentioned: He may be skewering a victim while doing so, but that's hardly illegal. If you find yourself gnashing your teeth when the book is finished, relax.

Has the (non-series) prequel

There are three more volumes. As an avid Maugham fan, I am enjoying this book and am about half way through. He was a great world traveler and when he describes the places he uses in his stories, yoy feel as if you are there along with the characters. Maugham sounds very continental most of the time, but he can surprise you with some idioms and he made me laugh at unexpected moments.

One of his very best short stories and then made into a play, then a movie, is "The Letter". A truly wonderful writer of superb stories. A must for anyone appreciating this high level of literature - especially this collection for those who enjoy intrigue and spy-craft. Received my book, exactly as described, in 2 days!

This volume 3 of W. Somerset Maugham's short stories are the adventures of a spy. Maugham groups them so that they are an on going event. As he was in reality an intelligences agent in the First World War, his candid descriptions are very enjoyable.

I am an avid fan of Maugham's and have just purchased through Amazon more of his books. My book shelf is getting crowded, but there is always room for W. Get to Know Us.

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