The Greatest Plays of W. Somerset Maugham (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Lady Frederick, The Explorer, The Circle, Caesar's Wife, Penelope, Mrs. Dot, East of Suez…By William Somerset Maugham
Length31h 7m
About this audiobook
The Greatest Plays of W. Somerset Maugham gathers the dramatic works through which Maugham established himself as one of the most dexterous theatrical craftsmen of the Edwardian and interwar stage. Marked by elegant construction, lucid dialogue, ironic reversals, and a keen sense of social performance, these plays anatomize marriage, reputation, class manners, and moral compromise. Situated between the well-made play tradition and the sharper modern comedy of manners, they reveal Maugham's gift for turning drawing-room surfaces into arenas of psychological exposure. William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965), trained as a physician before becoming a professional writer, brought to drama the clinician's habit of detached observation. His cosmopolitan life, early success in the London theatre, and lifelong interest in human self-deception shaped works that are worldly without being sentimental. Before his fame as a novelist and short-story writer became dominant, Maugham was among the most performed playwrights in England, and these plays illuminate that formative achievement. This collection is recommended to readers interested in sophisticated theatrical prose, social satire, and the evolution of modern British drama. It offers both pleasure and insight: polished entertainment that quietly dissects the hypocrisies of civilized life.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length31 hrs 7 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 10, 2022
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
26ACT I
2Introduction
27ACT II
3Author Biography
28ACT III
4Historical Context
29Penelope
5Synopsis (Selection)
30Characters
Show all chaptersShow less
6A Man of Honour
31The First Act
7GENERAL PREFACE
32The Second Act
8THE FIRST ACT
33The Third Act
9THE SECOND ACT
34Mrs. Dot
10THE THIRD ACT
35Characters
11THE FOURTH ACT
36The First Act
12Lady Frederick
37The Second Act
13THE FIRST ACT
38The Third Act
14THE SECOND ACT
39Landed Gentry
15THIRD ACT
40Characters
16The Explorer
41The First Act
17THE FIRST ACT
42The Second Act
18THE SECOND ACT
43The Third Act
19THE THIRD ACT
44The Fourth Act
20THE FOURTH ACT
45East of Suez
21The Circle
46Scene I
22THE FIRST ACT
47Scene II
23THE SECOND ACT
48Scene III
24THE THIRD ACT
49Scene IV
25Caesar's Wife
50Scene V
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
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Annotated)William Shakespeare157h 18m$2 · $0.00
C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis38h 55m$30
The Jeeves and Wooster Stories: The Complete Collection (33 Books)P. G. Wodehouse21h 57m$15 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m$46 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky270h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 10m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë203h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of the Brontë Family Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë140h 13m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5.0 (2)$2 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
Ivanhoe (Annotated)Walter Scott22h 52m$2 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$2 · $0.00
You may also like
The Descent of Man and Other StoriesEdith Wharton7h 1m$2.30 · $0.00
Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens35h 36m$40
Every Man in His HumourBen Jonson3h 2m$2 · $0.00
The Parade's End Tetralogy: Some Do Not, No More Parades, A Man Could Stand Up & Last PostFord Madox Ford38h 27m$2 · $0.00
The Wild Body. A Soldier of Humour and Other StoriesWyndham Lewis7h 23m$1 · $0.00
White Working ClassJoan C. Williams3h 29m$17
Rameau's Nephew (in a new translation by Ian C. Johnston)Denis Diderot4h 44m$2 · $0.00
Hay Fever A Light Comedy In Three ActsNoël Coward2h 45m$2.40
Greville FaneHenry James45m$2.30
The CaravanersElizabeth Von Arnim9h 31m$2.30 · $0.00
CelibatesGeorge Moore11h 4m$2 · $0.00
Curiosities of ImpecuniosityH. G. Somerville9h 21m$2 · $0.00
The Physiology of Marriage (Vol. 1-3) (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac14h 16m$2 · $0.00
Crucial InstancesEdith Wharton4h 10m$2 · $0.00
CrankismsLisle de Vaux Matthewman26m$2 · $0.00
MosquitoesWilliam Faulkner11h 58m$23
The Collected Stories of Dorothy ParkerDorothy Parker8h 36m$1 · $0.00
Tales of Social Shape-Shifting – 5 Classic Satire NovelsF. Anstey, Douglas William Jerrold, Israel Zangwill, Herman Melville, Rudyard Kipling43h 51m$2
Stockholm Syndrome ChristianityJohn G. West10h 45m$25
BabbittSinclair Lewis14h 22m$2 · $0.00