W. Somerset Maugham

William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was born in Paris and trained as a physician, an experience that informed his unsentimental view of human nature. He achieved early success as a playwright in London before turning to novels and short stories. His semi-autobiographical masterpiece, Of Human Bondage (1915), traces a young man's struggle for freedom and self-knowledge. The Moon and Sixpence (1919), inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin, examines the artist's ruthless pursuit of creativity. Maugham's work as a British intelligence agent during World War I provided material for the spy stories in Ashenden (1928). His travel writings, including On a Chinese Screen (1922), reflect his cosmopolitan outlook. Though often dismissed by critics as merely popular, Maugham's precise craftsmanship and narrative clarity have ensured his lasting influence on twentieth-century fiction.