The Trembling Leaf, W. Somerset Maugham
The Trembling Leaf, W. Somerset Maugham
List: $16.95 | Sale: $11.87
Club: $8.47

The Trembling Leaf
Little Stories of the South Sea Islands

Author: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Unabridged: 7 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2007

Categories: Fiction

Synopsis

When noted English writer W. Somerset Maugham set off for the South Seas to regain his health, his experiences would become the bedrock for the stories represented here. These are among Maugham's best work, and some of the best stories ever written about the exotic South Seas. "Macintosh" is a taut psychological study of two officials on a remote tropic island. "The Fall of Edward Barnard" is a story about what is important in life, a precursor to Maugham's well known novel, The Razor's Edge. Love is always a subject of the tropics, and Maugham's deft, ironic handling of the theme in "Red" and "Honolulu" is masterful. "The Pool" tells a poignant and tragic tale about the pitfalls for love across cultures. Maughams most famous story, "Rain," about the ironic consequences of obsession, was adapted for both theater and film.

About W. Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. His semiautobiographical Of Human Bondage is considered to be his masterpiece. Other notable works by Maugham include The Moon and Sixpence, The Razor's Edge, Cakes and Ale, and The Gentleman in the Parlour.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on November 19, 2017

There's a politically incorrect expression used in this book, "going native," but that is a lot of what these stories are about. Brits (mostly men) from the sun-deprived northern climes (and in one case, an American) arrive in the tropical South Pacific isles, mainly Tahiti, to shed their clothes an......more

Goodreads review by Pam on November 25, 2023

My copy was an English language version, not the Spanish version listed here. Maugham’s South Sea stories are wonderfully crafted. I can’t think of an equal at his time. Not only are they extremely illuminating as far as human nature goes, but the dialog seems very realistic and the settings are brea......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on March 22, 2024

This is my second time through this collection of Maugham short stories, and in reading my review of the first, I think I was originally a bit harsh. Coincidently, I’ve started reading a book by Carl Sagan wherein he covers my original concerns about racism rather elegantly… Society corrupts the b......more

Goodreads review by Realini on February 26, 2025

Rain and other South Sea Stories by Somerset Maugham Somerset Maugham is one of my absolute favorites. As answer to one of those questions what books would you take with you on a deserted island, books by Maugham will be on the short list... His short stories kept me good company while I have spent da......more

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