The Moon and Sixpence

I always chafe when I hear people downplay the talent and importance of Somerset Maugham. He happens to be one of my favorite writers and The Moon and Sixpence is by far--in my opinion--his best book. I reread it yesterday and continue to be moved by its emotion. No other novel describes the passion which motivates the artist in such intricate detail. With Strickland, our neo-Gauguin, we see that the force that drives is absolute... Read Full Review

so goes the personality of charles strickland, the hero of "moon and sixpence". based loosely on the life of the great french painter paul gaguin, the story is of an english banker who suddenly abandons his middle class existence in england and moves to paris to paint. fired by his passion for his art, he's so absorbed in it at the cost of being indifferent (often misinterpreted as ruthless) to everything else - even his... Read Full Review

There are many good books out there and none of us have time to read them all. Here is one that you should make the time to read. For much labor, thought, and (dare I say it) love went into the writing of this classic biography of the artistic genius, stockbroker turned painter, Paul Gauguin. Much love, and some imagination, and a ton of research including visits to the haunts of the man himself -- Paris and Tahiti and Taravao,... Read Full Review

It has been noted many times that artists are usually not the most pleasant human beings to be around; Maugham's novel is, among other things, a compelling examination of why this is so. The obsessed artist who dominates this book, Charles Strickland (based on the notorious Paul Gauguin), walks away from his cushy middle-class existence in England to pursue his dream to paint, amid frightful poverty, in France. Strickland... Read Full Review