The Moon and Sixpence (1919) is a book by William Somerset Maugham based on the life of the painter Paul Gauguin. The story is told in episodic form by the first-person narrator as a series of glimpses into the mind and soul of the central character, Charles Strickland, a middle aged English stock broker who abandons his wife and children abruptly in order to pursue the life of a painter. (Amazon.com)

Based on the life of Paul Gauguin, The Moon and Sixpence is W. Somerset Maugham's ode to the powerful forces behind creative genius.

Charles Strickland is a staid banker, a man of wealth and privilege.  He is also a man possessed of an unquenchable desire to create art.  As Strickland pursues his artistic vision, he leaves London for Paris and Tahiti, and in his quest makes sacrifices that leaves the lives of those closest to him in tatters.  Through Maugham's sympathetic eye Stricland's tortured and cruel soul becomes a symbol of the blessing and the curse of transcendent artistic genius, and the cost in humans lives it sometimes demands.

"[A] witty, compelling roman à clef...that mock[s] the way the world makes saints of the sinners who are often its best artists." -The Boston Globe

"It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham.... He was always so entirely there." -Gore Vidal

About the Author
William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965), in addition to being one of the most successful playwrights on the London stage, was celebrated for his novels, short stories, and travel writing. Robert Calder is professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan.

Download The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham

PDF format, 497KB, 228 Pages.

The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham, the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18202-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them.

Cover Design: Jim Manis
Copyright © 2007 The Pennsylvania State University

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