- Listenly
- Public Library
- All Authors
- W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
author
W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
1874–1965
Known for clear, graceful prose and a sharp eye for human weakness, he became one of the most widely read English writers of the 20th century. His novels, stories, and plays often mix wit, travel, and hard-earned insight about love, ambition, and illusion.
27 Audiobooks
The Moon and Sixpence
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Of Human Bondage
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Painted Veil
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Trembling of a Leaf: Little Stories of the South Sea Islands
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Magician
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
On a Chinese Screen
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Liza of Lambeth
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Canadian
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham, D. Torbett
The Making of a Saint
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Merry-go-round
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Circle: A Comedy in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Hero
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Mrs. Craddock
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Orientations
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Explorer
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Bishop's Apron: A study in the origins of a great family
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Land of The Blessed Virgin; Sketches and Impressions in Andalusia
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Cæsar's Wife: A Comedy in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Penelope: A Comedy in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
East of Suez: A Play in Seven Scenes
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Mrs. Dot: A Farce
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Jack Straw: A Farce in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Unknown; A Play in Three Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
The Land of Promise: A Comedy in Four Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
Landed Gentry: A Comedy in Four Acts
by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham
About the author
Born in Paris on December 25, 1874, and educated in England and Germany, he trained in medicine before turning fully to writing. That early medical experience fed directly into his fiction, most famously in Of Human Bondage, the novel many readers still see as his masterpiece.
He built an unusually broad career, succeeding as a novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and travel writer. Books such as The Moon and Sixpence, Cakes and Ale, and The Razor’s Edge helped make him an international bestseller, while his stories set in Europe and Asia gave his work a distinctive cosmopolitan feel.
Readers still come to his work for its direct style, emotional honesty, and cool but deeply observant view of character. Beneath the polished surface, his writing often asks how people live with disappointment, desire, and the gap between the lives they imagine and the lives they actually lead.