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Far and Wide. Nine Novels (The Companion Book Club) - W. Somerset Maugham
Home > Blog >Far and Wide, 2 vols. 1955
Far and Wide. Nine Novels by W. Somerset Maugham Selected by the Author. 2 vols. London: The Companion Book Club, 1955. Besides first editions, from time to time I get drawn to some copies that may have nothing special "bibliographically," but just that they are pleasing to the eye. It is an aesthetic pleasure that is hard to explain.Such is what I felt when I lay eyes on these two volumes: Far and Wide published by The Companion Book Club…
Letter to the Editor from W. Somerset Maugham
Home > Blog >Picture of Maugham around 1908. He was once described by a reporter as
"a slim man, thirty-five years of age, with black hair and high forehead." Today I read something that is close to a spiritual emancipation from all the wrongs in the world. A tall order, certainly.On the rarest occasion, I have a glimpse (which you soon will too) of W. Somerset Maugham openly defending himself.Here and there, over the years, Maugham had argued for his arts and his very own manne…
Liza of Lambeth - First Edition by W. Somerset Maugham
Liza of Lambeth (London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1897)Liza of Lambeth (1897) is Maugham's first novel; he wrote it when he was still in the medical school at St. Thomas's. When it was accepted and published, Maugham made up his mind to ditch medicine and launched himself into the writing career. Liza of Lambeth is currently out of copyright, and you can find a link to a free digitalised copy of this novel, among others, by Somerset Maugham on the Free eBook page on this blog. This post is abou…
Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham - Jubilee Edition
Liza of Lambeth (London: Heinemann, 1947).Have been busy lately. During this time several books have come into my possession. This is one of them. This is not the first edition, but it is a beautiful one with original dust jacket: the Jubilee edition, with a new preface that Maugham wrote especially for it. One thousand copies were printed and signed. This is the first signed edition that I get; imagine the emotion! As for the first edition of Maugham's first published work, I wonder if I …