
The Moon and the Sixpence
'The Moon and the Sixpence' Summary
The book is written largely from the point of view of the narrator, a young, aspiring writer and playwright in London. Certain chapters entirely comprise accounts of events by other characters, which the narrator recalls from memory (selectively editing or elaborating on certain aspects of dialogue, particularly Strickland's, as Strickland is said by the narrator to have a very poor ability to express himself in words). The narrator first develops an acquaintance with Strickland's wife at literary parties and later meets Strickland himself, who appears to be an unremarkable businessman with no interest in his wife's literary or artistic tastes.
Strickland is a well-off, middle-class stockbroker in London sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Early in the novel, he leaves his wife and children and goes to Paris. (The narrator enters directly into the story at this point, when he is asked by Mrs Strickland to go to Paris and talk with her husband.) He lives a destitute but defiantly content life there as a painter, lodging in run-down hotels and falling prey to both illness and hunger. Strickland, in his drive to express through his art what appears to continually possess and compel him on the inside, cares nothing for physical discomfort and is indifferent to his surroundings. He is helped and supported by a commercially successful but hackneyed Dutch painter, Dirk Stroeve (coincidentally, also an old friend of the narrator's), who recognises Strickland's genius as a painter. After helping Strickland recover from a life-threatening illness, Stroeve is repaid by having his wife, Blanche, abandon him for Strickland. Strickland later discards the wife; all he really sought from Blanche was a model to paint, not serious companionship, and it is hinted in the novel's dialogue that he indicated this to her and she took the risk anyway. Blanche then commits suicide – yet another human casualty in Strickland's single-minded pursuit of art and beauty, the first casualties being his own established life and those of his wife and children.
After the Paris episode, the story continues in Tahiti. Strickland has already died, and the narrator attempts to piece together his life there from recollections of others. He finds that Strickland had taken up with a native woman, had two children by her (one of whom died), and started painting profusely. We learn that Strickland had settled for a short while in the French port of Marseilles before traveling to Tahiti, where he lived for a few years before dying of leprosy. Strickland left behind numerous paintings, but his magnum opus, which he painted on the walls of his hut before losing his sight to leprosy, was burnt after his death by his wife per his dying orders.
Book Details
Authors
W. Somerset Maugham
France
William Somerset Maughamwas an English playwright, novelist, and short-story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest-paid author during the 1930s. Dur...
Books by W. Somerset MaughamDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Lanagan Amateur Detective by Edward H. Hurlbut
In the quaint town of Lanagan, where secrets whisper through the rustling leaves and every cobblestone holds a story, a reluctant amateur detective em...

Jeremy At Crale; His Friends, His Ambitions And His One Great Enemy by Hugh Walpole
Step into the intriguing world of Jeremy At Crale as he navigates friendships, ambitions, and a formidable enemy in this captivating novel by Hugh Wa...

Dead Letter by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor
Published in 1866, "The Dead Letter" is a pioneering American crime fiction novel. It follows Richard Redfield, a clerk in the Dead Letter Office, who...

Cross Brand by Max Brand
In Max Brand's "Cross Brand," the story follows Jack Bristol, a man driven to desperation by a harsh world. After a violent act against the law, he fl...

The House without the Key by Earl Derr Biggers
It is a mystery novel. First published in 1925, it is the first in a series of novels featuring the iconic detective, Charlie Chan. The story is set i...

The Masquerader by Katherine Cecil Thurston
The Masquerader is a novel by the Irish writer Katherine Cecil Thurston which was first published in 1904. It was the third most popular book in the U...

One of My Sons by Anna Katharine Green
In Anna Katharine Green's 'One of My Sons,' a young girl's plea for help leads Arthur Outhwaite into a labyrinth of intrigue and danger. He finds him...

Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello's "Late Mattia Pascal" delves into the themes of identity and reality, exploring how our perception of ourselves can be shattered by...

The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island by Laura Lee Hope
It follows the story of a group of friends - Betty, Mollie, Amy, and Grace - as they embark on a journey to Pine Island, a secluded and mysterious isl...

The Unholy Three by Tod Robbins
The book tells the story of a group of criminals who come together to commit a series of daring heists using their unique skills and abilities. It was...
Reviews for The Moon and the Sixpence
No reviews posted or approved, yet...