Publisher's Synopsis
The Moon and Sixpence is a novel written by W. Somerset Maugham and published in 1919. The book is loosely based on the life of the French artist Paul Gauguin, and tells the story of Charles Strickland, a middle-aged stockbroker who abandons his family and career in London to pursue his passion for painting in Paris.The novel is divided into two parts. In the first part, the narrator, a writer named William Somerset Maugham, meets Strickland in London and is intrigued by his strange behavior and his sudden decision to leave his wife and children. Maugham follows Strickland to Paris, where he becomes a successful painter and lives a bohemian lifestyle. However, his relationships with women are tumultuous and he becomes increasingly isolated and obsessed with his art.In the second part of the novel, Strickland leaves Paris and travels to Tahiti, where he hopes to find inspiration for his paintings. He becomes involved with a young native girl named Ata, and his obsession with her leads to tragedy.Throughout the book, Maugham explores themes of passion, obsession, and the conflict between art and conventional morality. The Moon and Sixpence is widely regarded as one of Maugham's greatest works, and has been adapted into several films and stage productions.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
