Daren
I am probably guilty of not having read more of Maugham's work - I have read only one other - a novella called Up at the Villa, which I liked well enough.
This collection of short stories all take place in the British colonies of Malaya, Burma (now Myanmar), Kuching (now Malaysian Borneo), Singapore, Indonesia, or on the voyage to or from these places to Britain. While this collection was published in this form in 1993, the stories are presumably much older and appear to be set in the 1930's.
Maugham paints a detailed picture of life in the outposts of the empire, but more they capture the aspects of human nature and the way of life in these places. Particularly it shows the way behaviour's differ in the colonies from the homeland, and how the acceptability of actions and behaviour's differ also.
Footprints in the Jungle - told in the first person, a newcomer to Tanah Merah (in Malaya) meets the locals, and learns the back story of a planter and his wife - that the wife had a previous marriage where her husband was brutally murdered in the jungle under strange circumstances.
Mabel - A very short story about a woman on her way from Britain to join her fiancé after several years apart, although both harbour fears that their partners will have changed.
P. & O. - Set on the P&O liner returning to Britain, Mrs Hamlyn and Mr Gallagher are the main characters who both have different reasons for returning home, and their stories are told during the journey.
The Door of Opportunity - Anne and her husband Alban have just landed in London, having departed from Malaya where Alban was a District Officer in fictional Sondurah. The reason for their departure is the heart or this story and examines Alban's character and behaviour during an uprising in his district.
The Buried Talent - When Convers arrives in Penang on route to his new job in Bangkok he receives a note from a women from the past who was close friend of his girlfriend from long ago, who hopes to meet up with him. This he does and they recount the story of Convers' girlfriend and what happened to her.
Before the Party - Set in the UK, a family about to attend a memorial for Millicent's husband, who died in Malaysian Borneo, where he was the Resident at Kuala Solor (a fictional town). Millicent's sister, mother and father are the only characters in this story and they tease out the story of Harold's death, but end up wishing they had not!
Mr. Know-All - Another ocean liner-set story, in this case told in the first person by a man returning home whose cabin-mate is known on the ship a Mr. Know-all, not well liked as he is a self professed expert at all things. Over the authenticity of pearls, he ends in an argument.
Neil MacAdam - A young Scotsman (Neil) arrives to assist a scientist researching insects and is invited to life with the scientist and his wife. When Neil hears rumours being spread about the wife he defends her, but later discovers that he may have been on the wrong side of the argument and if forced to take steps to extract himself.
The End of the Flight - A new arrival accepts a bed at the Resident's bungalow, and despite being very tired and just wanting to go to sleep is told a story about the last man who stayed with the Resident!
The Force of Circumstance - Newly married and returning to a post he has held for the previous 10 years Guy and Doris are settling into life in a far-flung corner of the empire (Sembulu in Indonesian Kalimantan) when Doris notices some light coloured children in the Kampang. There is also a young Indonesian woman hanging about with a young baby. Finding out about Guy's history doesn't go down so well with Doris.
All of these stories are depicted with the background settings fully intact. With tennis rackets, Gin Pahits and Singapore Slings, an administrators overview and natives needing to be kept in line.
I have heard from others than Maugham's short stories are more favourable than his longer works, but I am still game to try a longer novel if they come close to the amusement value of these stories as I enjoyed these short stories more than I might have expected.
4 stars.
I am probably guilty of not having read more of Maugham's work - I have read only one other - a novella called Up at the Villa, which I liked well enough.
This collection of short stories all take place in the British colonies of Malaya, Burma (now Myanmar), Kuching (now Malaysian Borneo), Singapore, Indonesia, or on the voyage to or from these places to Britain. While this collection was published in this form in 1993, the stories are presumably much older and appear to be set in the 1930's.
Maugham paints a detailed picture of life in the outposts of the empire, but more they capture the aspects of human nature and the way of life in these places. Particularly it shows the way behaviour's differ in the colonies from the homeland, and how the acceptability of actions and behaviour's differ also.
Footprints in the Jungle - told in the first person, a newcomer to Tanah Merah (in Malaya) meets the locals, and learns the back story of a planter and his wife - that the wife had a previous marriage where her husband was brutally murdered in the jungle under strange circumstances.
Mabel - A very short story about a woman on her way from Britain to join her fiancé after several years apart, although both harbour fears that their partners will have changed.
P. & O. - Set on the P&O liner returning to Britain, Mrs Hamlyn and Mr Gallagher are the main characters who both have different reasons for returning home, and their stories are told during the journey.
The Door of Opportunity - Anne and her husband Alban have just landed in London, having departed from Malaya where Alban was a District Officer in fictional Sondurah. The reason for their departure is the heart or this story and examines Alban's character and behaviour during an uprising in his district.
The Buried Talent - When Convers arrives in Penang on route to his new job in Bangkok he receives a note from a women from the past who was close friend of his girlfriend from long ago, who hopes to meet up with him. This he does and they recount the story of Convers' girlfriend and what happened to her.
Before the Party - Set in the UK, a family about to attend a memorial for Millicent's husband, who died in Malaysian Borneo, where he was the Resident at Kuala Solor (a fictional town). Millicent's sister, mother and father are the only characters in this story and they tease out the story of Harold's death, but end up wishing they had not!
Mr. Know-All - Another ocean liner-set story, in this case told in the first person by a man returning home whose cabin-mate is known on the ship a Mr. Know-all, not well liked as he is a self professed expert at all things. Over the authenticity of pearls, he ends in an argument.
Neil MacAdam - A young Scotsman (Neil) arrives to assist a scientist researching insects and is invited to life with the scientist and his wife. When Neil hears rumours being spread about the wife he defends her, but later discovers that he may have been on the wrong side of the argument and if forced to take steps to extract himself.
The End of the Flight - A new arrival accepts a bed at the Resident's bungalow, and despite being very tired and just wanting to go to sleep is told a story about the last man who stayed with the Resident!
The Force of Circumstance - Newly married and returning to a post he has held for the previous 10 years Guy and Doris are settling into life in a far-flung corner of the empire (Sembulu in Indonesian Kalimantan) when Doris notices some light coloured children in the Kampang. There is also a young Indonesian woman hanging about with a young baby. Finding out about Guy's history doesn't go down so well with Doris.
All of these stories are depicted with the background settings fully intact. With tennis rackets, Gin Pahits and Singapore Slings, an administrators overview and natives needing to be kept in line.
I have heard from others than Maugham's short stories are more favourable than his longer works, but I am still game to try a longer novel if they come close to the amusement value of these stories as I enjoyed these short stories more than I might have expected.
4 stars.