Daily Jots

I have been reading a bit of W. Somerset Maugham lately.  He was a very interesting man, and a writer worth reading and studying. He was considered an expert at plot; each word was deliberately placed to propel the storyline without sacrificing the story itself.

“I have never pretended to be anything but a story teller. It has amused me to tell stories and I have told a great many. It is a misfortune for me that the telling of a story just for the sake of the story is not an activity that is in favor with the intelligentsia.”

Maugham was a very successful author but considered himself only second-rate.  It is possible his severe stutter contributed to his self-esteem.  It is certain the view he held of himself contributed to his writing and how he viewed humanity.  The quotes I have here reflect that he viewed the “ordinary as abnormal,” and the abnormal as the norm.

Over 100 films have been made that were based on Maugham’s works.  The most recent was “Being Julia,” starring Annette Benning. 

“The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic, and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary, it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant, and kind. Failure makes people cruel and bitter.”

“It’s no good trying to keep up old friendships. It’s painful for both sides. The fact is, one grows out of people, and the only thing is to face it.”

“In the country the darkness of night is friendly and familiar, but in a city, with its blaze of lights, it is unnatural, hostile and menacing. It is like a monstrous vulture that hovers, biding its time.”

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