Ah King (Works Of W. Somerset Maugham) (1977) - Plot & Excerpts
I have to say it's pretty funny to me that they called these romance stories, because they don't end happily for anyone. In typical Maugham fashion, they are about the intricacies and slow destruction of relationships, and the effect on the people involved.I'd already read "Footprints in the Jungle," "The Door of Opportunity," and "The Vessel of Wrath," as both have appeared in numerous other Maugham collections. The last two were entirely new to me. "The Book Bag" was especially surprising, given the topic it dealt with.Like usual, Maugham shines through in his short stories, and all of these were as engaging and rife with interesting characters as I expected them to be. These stories often make me wonder just how fictional they really are, given the amount of time Maugham spent in the South Seas and how much gossip about the locals he picked up. Nonetheless, the world woven around the characters is usually sparse, focused on the characters, their emotions, and their story. Just the way I like it.
What do You think about Ah King (Works Of W. Somerset Maugham) (1977)?
