COLLECTED SHORT STORIES: VOLUME 1

CAKES AND ALE

'Cakes and Ale' is both a wickedly satirical novel about contemporary literary poseurs, and a skilfully crafted study of freedom. As he traces the fortunes of Edward Driffield and his wife Rosie, one of the most delightful heroines of twentieth-century literature, Maugham's sardonic wit and lyrical warmth expertly combine in this accomplished and unforgettable novel.

THE MOON AND SIXPENCE

Inspired by the life of Gauguin, this is the story of Charles Strickland. The conventional stockbroker abandons his family to live as a painter in Paris and Tahiti. The book vividly portrays the mentality of genius.