# W. Maugham

## Biography

William Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 in Paris, where his father worked for the British Embassy. Orphaned by age ten, he was sent to live with his uncle in England, a challenging period marked by a stammer and an unhappy school experience. Maugham initially studied medicine, qualifying as a doctor in 1897, an experience that informed his first novel, "Liza of Lambeth." However, the success of his early plays soon allowed him to pursue writing full-time, becoming a celebrated playwright in London's West End.

He achieved widespread recognition for his novels, including the semi-autobiographical "Of Human Bondage," "The Moon and Sixpence," and "The Razor's Edge," known for their clear style and astute observations of human nature. Maugham also served as a British intelligence agent during World War I, experiences that influenced some of his short stories. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively, often with his longtime male companion, Gerald Haxton, and spent his later years at his villa on the French Riviera until his death in 1965.

## Books

- [The Moon and Sixpence](https://samolit.com/books/96761)
- [Of Human Bondage](https://samolit.com/books/96603)