Rating: 
Summary: Final opinions of an intelligent man
Review: "The Summing Up" is not an autobiography. It was Maugham's attempt to put his thoughts in order and tell people what he really thought. Just like a "summing up" in a courtroom, it refers to earlier evidence, and repeats itself.Writers will find the book fascinating, because a lot of Maugham's considered opinions are about his trade: writing. In a time when everyone adores Chekhov, including me,
it is instructive to read anti-Chekhov Maugham. Maugham admits that Chekhov has put every other short-story writer's nose out of joint, so he's jealous. But he very astutely points out Chekhov's major failing: he can't make a plot or a story to
save his life. His stories are impressions, unforgettable slices of life. But Chekhov had no ability at standard story-telling. Along with much else, there is a fascinating summary and critique of Stendhal's "The Red and the Black," from the perspective of a working writer. I suspect Maugham is right on the money with this one -- Stendhal began with a news clipping, poured his soul into creating his hero, Julien Sorel, and then was forced to go back
to his news clipping to finish his novel. But when Julien Sorel -- the most interesting character in fiction -- suddenly commits murder and goes to the guillotine, it's the most unlikely ending you could imagine. Stendhal let his character run away with him! This book is entertaining reading for people who write, and people who like to read about writers. It is certainly not a "tell-all" autobiography, like many which are published nowadays, with an eye to high royalties from telling scandalous tales
out of school. By these standards, "The Summing Up" is downright demure. Maugham was not about to tell the world about his sex life, much less reveal his gay orientation. That had to wait until he was dead and gone. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: One of the century's best essayists at his best.
Review: By his account, W. Somerset Maugham was a first-rate writer of the second rank. In a career that saw him become a highly respected dramatist, short story writer, and novellist (Of Human Bondage and The Razor's Edge are two novels made into successful movies) Maugham learned a thing or two about writing. The Summing Up is a literary memoir of the first rank. While his plays, short stories and novels earned him worldwide fame, his essays stand up best, and this book shows his talents at their finest. My favourite passage is his essay on the anatomy of good writing, but others stand out as well. Anyone interested in a writer's life, or life in general, should enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book if you are a Maugham fan
Review: I do not mean to discourge pepole from reading this book if they are not Maugham's fans. I have read the book twice or three times. In the book he summarizes his life and he has something to say just about everything. I found his philosophical discussions intersting. He is also a master of literary criticism and you learn a lot about the art of fiction as well as many artists, writers and famous people of his time. This is not a book for people interested in his biography, but a philosophical book about how he lived his life and how you should live if you go by his opinions. I highly recommend it to Maugham's fans and people studying literature and arts.
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Maugham!
Review: I first read this book 12 years ago on a transcontinental flight and got hooked on Maugham rightaway.Since then I have devoured every printed word by the great man and haven't come across a dull paragraph____well, the only exception would be the novel "Then and Now" .This book is a veritable treat! It offers a broad panorama of his artistic evolution (without a trace of humbug___a typical Maugham trait) and is leavened with mordant observations on art,life,death,philosophy,free will,determinism,money,love and CONCUPISCENCE! ____the whole ball of wax !If this book turns you into a Maugham fan, as I hope it will, you might want to read the eminently readable biography of Maugham by Ted Morgan. Happy reading!
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Maugham!
Review: I first read this book on a transcontinental flight and got hooked on Maugham rightaway.Since then I have devoured every word by the master and have scarcely found a dull paragraph____well, the only boring one being the novel "Then and Now"....not a bad batting average for such a prolific writer!In this book Maugham offers us a broad panorama of his artistic development without a trace of frippery or humbug(typical Maugham!) These pages are leavened with mordant observations on the art of writing,life,death,the paintings of El Greco,philosophy,love(unrequited),money and CONCUPISCENCE !The scope of this short book is sweeping____the distillation of a half a century of civilised thinking .Highly recommended & happy reading!
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Maugham!
Review: I first read this book on a transcontinental flight and got hooked on Maugham rightaway.Since then I have devoured every word by the master and have scarcely found a dull paragraph____well, the only boring one being the novel "Then and Now"....not a bad batting average for such a prolific writer!In this book Maugham offers us a broad panorama of his artistic development without a trace of frippery or humbug(typical Maugham!) These pages are leavened with mordant observations on the art of writing,life,death,the paintings of El Greco,philosophy,love(unrequited),money and CONCUPISCENCE !The scope of this short book is sweeping____the distillation of a half a century of civilised thinking .Highly recommended & happy reading!
Rating:
Summary: An absolutely astounding passage:
Review: I've misplaced my copy of this book or else I would quote the passage. A little background first: this is this is a well written (5 star) autobiography of W. Somerset Maugham (which incidentally was not his last book), and towards the middle he describes the part of his life during the first World War when he worked as a spy for the British Secret Service (the third volume of his short stories are based on passages from this experience where he thinly veils himself as Ashenden). Now, sick and emaciated from TB, he is sent into Russia at the very brink of the Communist revolution with a mission to do his best to prevent it. Here's the astounding part: Maugham claims that with just a little more time, just a little more health, and just a little more cooperation from the Russians, HE MIGHT HAVE PULLED IT OFF! Is this to be believed? Can you imagine what the world would have been (and would be today) if Russia had not gone Commie in 1917? On the first reading it's very hard to swallow, one man, Maugham, preventing what seemed like a force of nature. But then think about it. There was a time, at the very start, when the revolution was far from certain, when it really could have gone either way. Also Maugham is not one to boast, if anything his trademark is an extremely sharp perception of the world around him, and a confident honesty about himself and his talents. Given that I'm increasingly tempted to believe him. Amazing if it's true, and it just might be true.
Rating: 
Summary: Concerns on reading Maugham
Review: In subject matter (the arts, philosophy) The Summing Up reminds me of the Journals of Andre Gide. However, unlike when reading Maugham, when reading Gide, you immediately know that here is an author who wants to take you into his personal world, to share with you his most intimate thoughts & feelings. If reading is the food for personal growth, then Gide offers an entire layer of insights that Maugham would not want to discuss. I hope that any reader would question Maugham's vicious attack of Anton Chekhov in Chapter 56. One Chekhov story I will always cherish, The Lady with the Little Dog, totally fails to fit Maugham's criticisms. Harsh criticism without sound support points to hidden motives & intellectual dishonesty. Maugham's attack shows us his pride as he tries to build himself up by putting Chekhov down. Had Maugham been capable of humbleness, he might have given us the likely truth: "I envy Chekhov's talent." In Chapter 66, Maugham offers this frightening viewpoint, "I decided that right and wrong were merely words and that the rules of conduct were no more than conventions that men had set up to serve their own selfish purposes. The free man had no reason to follow them except in so far as they suited his conveniences." Is this freedom? Maugham speaks so well for those who choose to face destiny with bitterness. In his book Freedom & Destiny, Rollo May defines freedom differently: "... how you confront your limits." "...one can be free only as one is responsible..." "We have to have responsibility if we are to live with any harmony in community." In the last paragraph of The Summing Up, Maugham states, "But goodness is shown in right action and who can tell ... what right action is?" This irresponsible viewpoint could be used to rationalize almost any abuse against another human being. Rollo May can respond: "Without compassion, freedom can be self- righteous, inhuman, self-centered, and cruel." "Compassion limits our freedom, but it renders freedom human ..." - JP
Rating:
Summary: Like sitting at the feet of the master!
Review: Maugham has always been one of my favorite writers. He was an Edwardian gentleman in every sense of the word. I can't really call this an autobiography because many chapters are concerned with Maugham's literary and artistic insights, as well as philosophy and religion. But, my God!...what an incredible conversationalist he must have been. The narrator here, Charlton Griffin, perfectly captures the suave, unflappable, urbane charm that Maugham exuded. I don't know what Maugham sounded like, but I can no longer imagine him without hearing this tape in my head. That world-weariness that descended on Maugham and his class in Britain is superbly realized in Griffin's voice. Make no mistake about it - this will be a classic recording for years to come...the definitive recorded edition.
Rating:
Summary: Like sitting at the feet of the master!
Review: Maugham has always been one of my favorite writers. He was an Edwardian gentleman in every sense of the word. I can't really call this an autobiography because many chapters are concerned with Maugham's literary and artistic insights, as well as philosophy and religion. But, my God!...what an incredible conversationalist he must have been. The narrator here, Charlton Griffin, perfectly captures the suave, unflappable, urbane charm that Maugham exuded. I don't know what Maugham sounded like, but I can no longer imagine him without hearing this tape in my head. That world-weariness that descended on Maugham and his class in Britain is superbly realized in Griffin's voice. Make no mistake about it - this will be a classic recording for years to come...the definitive recorded edition.
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