
Liza of Lambeth (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Modern RomanceBy William Somerset MaughamLength5h 47m
About this audiobook
Liza of Lambeth (1897), W. Somerset Maugham's first novel, is a compact yet vivid study of working-class life in the London slums at the end of the Victorian period. Centred on Liza Kemp, a spirited young factory girl whose affair with a married man brings social and emotional catastrophe, the novel combines melodramatic intensity with documentary realism. Its brisk dialogue, local idiom, and unsentimental attention to poverty place it within the late-nineteenth-century tradition of urban naturalism, while already revealing Maugham's gift for irony, narrative economy, and moral ambiguity. Maugham wrote the novel while training as a medical student at St Thomas's Hospital, where his work among the poor of Lambeth gave him direct knowledge of the district's streets, speech, and domestic pressures. Before becoming one of the twentieth century's most widely read novelists and playwrights, he drew here on clinical observation as well as youthful ambition, transforming social experience into fiction with notable discipline and restraint. This book is recommended to readers interested in Victorian realism, London social history, and the beginnings of Maugham's literary career. Brief but powerful, it offers both a compelling tragic narrative and an illuminating glimpse of an author learning to turn observation into art.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length5 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 7, 2022
LanguageEnglish