Literature Network » H.G. Wells

The Outsider; The long and worldly life of a successful storyteller.

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From: The Washington Post
Date: 20040328
Author:Reviewed by Dennis Drabelle

SOMERSET MAUGHAM: A Life

By Jeffrey Meyers. Knopf. 411 pp. $30

When W. Somerset Maugham turned his basilisk's stare on his own career, he placed himself no higher than the upper reaches of second- class writers. But, as Jeffrey Meyers points out in his new biography, in the four decades since his death, Maugham has lasted better than most of his contemporary rivals -- the likes of John Galsworthy, H.G. Wells and Arnold Bennett -- and his books have sold more than 40 million copies. Maugham is still read for his crack storytelling, shrewd characterization, fluid style and the exotic flavor of ...

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