These 30 short stories, comprising Somerset Maugham's first collection, are set in locations ranging from England, France and Spain to the silver sands of the South Pacific. They include Rain, The Three Fat Women of Antibes, The Voice of the Turtle, and Before the Party.
Collected Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham Series
This collection offers a cross-section of the masterful work of one of the 20th century's preeminent storytellers. Set in exotic locales as well as the English countryside, the tales explore human nature with keen insight and subtle wit. Each story presents meticulously drawn characters and timeless themes of love, betrayal, and the search for meaning. It is essential reading for fans of classic short fiction.
Recommended Reading Order
Collected Short Stories Volume 2
- 432 pages
- 16 hours of reading
The second of four volumes of short stories which reflect Somerset Maugham's wry perception of human foibles and gift for evoking drama from a sense of time and place. Set in Malaya, America and England, they include "Flotsam and Jetsam", "The Man With the Scar" and "The Vessel of Wrath".
Collected short stories. Volume 3
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
The third volume of the renowned English author's short stories deal with the adventures of Ashenden, an agent in the Intelligence Department during the First World War
This final classic collection reveals Somerset Maugham’s unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships in tales of love, infidelity, passion and prejudice. The stories range from “The Lotus Eater” where a man envisions a life of bliss in the Mediterranean, to the astringent tales of “The Outstation” and “The Back of Beyond” in Malaya and South East Asia. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.