Orientations (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Early Short Fiction of Desire, Disillusion, Social Satire, and Moral Ambiguity at the Fin de SiècleBy William Somerset Maugham
Length6h 48m
About this audiobook
Orientations, William Somerset Maugham's first collection of short fiction, reveals a young writer testing the range of his art at the fin de siècle. Its stories move through cosmopolitan settings and theatrical situations, often concerned with desire, disillusion, social performance, and the moral ambiguities of refined life. Written in an elegant, controlled prose already marked by Maugham's gift for irony and observation, the volume belongs to the late-Victorian and Decadent literary moment, yet it also anticipates the cooler realism and narrative economy of his mature work. Maugham, trained as a physician before turning decisively to literature, brought to fiction an unusually clinical eye for motive, weakness, and self-deception. His early years in London, his exposure to European culture, and his sensitivity to the constraints of class and convention all inform these stories. Orientations shows him absorbing contemporary influences while beginning to shape the worldly, unsentimental voice that would later distinguish Of Human Bondage, his plays, and his celebrated travel-inflected fiction. This collection is recommended for readers interested in Maugham's artistic beginnings and in the transition from Victorian manners to modern psychological fiction. It offers not merely apprentice work, but a revealing map of themes he would refine throughout his career.
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.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction
Length6 hrs 48 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 10, 2022
LanguageEnglish
Theatre (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham10h 48m$2 · $0.00
The Moon and Sixpence: One Man's Journey Across the Field of Art and into Its Depths (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 54m$2 · $0.00
The Greatest Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham30h 49m$2 · $0.00
Collected Plays of W. Somerset Maugham (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham22h 14m$2 · $0.00
Rain and Other South Sea Stories (The Trembling of a Leaf Collection) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 31m$2 · $0.00
Of Human Bondage (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham30h$2 · $0.00
Of Human Bondage (Autobiographical Novel) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham29h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Razor's Edge (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham14h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Painted Veil (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 32m$2 · $0.00
The Merry-Go-Round (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham2h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Essential Somerset Maugham: 33 Books in One Edition (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham147h 22m$2 · $0.00
The Land of the Blessed Virgin: Sketches and Impressions in Andalusia & On a Chinese Screen (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham12h$2 · $0.00
Mrs Craddock (Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham12h 34m$2 · $0.00
The Hero (The Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 40m$2 · $0.00
Liza of Lambeth (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham5h 48m$2 · $0.00
The Moon and Sixpence: One Man's Journey Across the Field of Art and into Its Depths (Based on Paul Gauguin's Life) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 47m$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works: Novels, Short Stories, Plays and Travel Sketches (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham147h 18m$2 · $0.00
The Hero (Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 40m$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works: Novels, Short Stories, Plays and Travel SketchesWilliam Somerset Maugham147h 16m$1 · $0.00
The Moon and Sixpence (Inspired by the Real Life Story of Paul Gauguin)William Somerset Maugham9h 26m$1 · $0.00
Under His ProtectionB. Love5h 7m$15
Heart of IronC. M. Alongi15h 24m$30
Ethic IIAshley Antoinette9h 1m$20
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5.0 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5.0 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.4 (20)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
You may also like
Russian Classics Ultimate Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Folk Tales & LegendsMikhail Lermontov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol, Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev, Maxim Gorky, M.Y. Saltykov, V.G. Korolenko, V.N. Garshin, F.K. Sologub, I.N. Potapenko, S.T. Semyonov, Leonid Andreyev, M.P. Artzybashev, A.I. Kuprin, Nikolai Evreinov, Denis Fonvizin, Ivan Goncharov, Saki, H. H. Munro380h 8m$2 · $0.00
A Crooked MileOliver Onions8h 2m$2 · $0.00
GreuzeAlys Eyre Macklin56m$1 · $0.00
The CounterlifePhilip Roth12h 14m$20
Bad Weather and Other Short StoriesAnton Chekhov2h 48m$2.30
At the End of the CenturyRuth Prawer Jhabvala15h 53m$23 · $0.00
The Dry Grass of AugustAnna Jean Mayhew9h 31m$20
What Maisie Knew (Annotated)Henry James12h 17m$2 · $0.00
Adivasi Will Not Dance, TheHansda Sowvendra Shekhar5h 20m$8
Man in ArmourSiobhan McKenna11h 10m$29 · $0.00
Autobiographical WorksFyodor Dostoyevsky40h 55m$1 · $0.00
Never Play DeadTomi Lahren5h 1m$24 · $0.00
The Best of Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House + Hedda Gabler + Ghosts + An Enemy of the People + The Wild Duck + Peer Gynt (Illustrated) (Annotated)Henrik Ibsen25h 25m$2 · $0.00
The Kreutzer Sonata and Other StoriesLeo graf Tolstoy7h 51m$2 · $0.00
The Woman Who Climbed TreesSmriti Ravindra16h 11m$33 · $0.00
The Soul of John BrownStephen Graham8h 20m$2.30
Martha PeakePatrick McGrath12h 38m$30 · $0.00
Felix Holt, the RadicalGeorge Eliot19h 48m$2.30 · $0.00
Mr. Cutten's RevoltPeter B. Kyne1h 40m$1 · $0.00
MichelangeloEmil Ludwig4h 34m$1.20 · $0.00