The Hero (Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A post-war British character study and psychological exploration of military duty, grief, and colonial lifeBy William Somerset Maugham
Length9h 40m
About this audiobook
The Hero is an early novel in which W. Somerset Maugham subjects the Victorian cult of martial glory to cool, ironic scrutiny. Set against the aftermath of the South African War, it follows the return of a celebrated soldier to domestic and provincial life, where public adulation, private desire, and moral convention gradually expose the emptiness of heroic reputation. Written in a lucid realist style, the book belongs to the transitional moment between late-Victorian moral fiction and the sharper psychological fiction of the Edwardian age. Maugham, trained as a physician and already alert to the contradictions of respectability, brought to this novel the clinical eye that would distinguish his mature work. His early experience among London's poor, his cosmopolitan upbringing, and his instinctive skepticism toward social performance all inform the narrative. Though not yet the polished master of later novels and stories, he is already fascinated by self-deception, hypocrisy, and the cost of living by inherited ideals. This unabridged edition is recommended to readers interested in Maugham's development, anti-heroic fiction, and the literary response to imperial war. It offers a concise but revealing study of courage, reputation, and disillusionment.
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
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (417)
Includes Goodreads
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length9 hrs 40 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 11, 2015
LanguageEnglish
The Trembling of a Leaf Collection – Rain & Other South Sea StoriesWilliam Somerset Maugham8h 27m4.2 (3K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Magician (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 38m4.3 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
The Explorer (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham10h 28m$2 · $0.00
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 14m4.6 (12)$2 · $0.00
Rain and Other South Sea Stories (The Trembling of a Leaf Collection) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 31m4.4 (11)$2 · $0.00
Of Human Bondage (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham30h$2 · $0.00
Of Human Bondage (Autobiographical Novel) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham29h 59m4.3 (79.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Razor's Edge (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham14h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Painted Veil (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 32m4.2 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
The Merry-Go-Round (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham2h 59m4.1 (12)$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 34m3.9 (2K)$2 · $0.00
The Hero (The Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham9h 40m3.9 (444)$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 47m4.1 (33K)$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works: Novels, Short Stories, Plays and Travel Sketches (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham147h 18m4.4 (183)$2 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 40m4.6 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 54m4.5 (10.6K)$2 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Grimoire Of The Everyday WitchIsadora Lys / Virginia Santos5h 35m4.5 (3.9K)$9 · $0.00
Winnie-the-PoohAlan Alexander Milne2h 52m4.5 (401.1K)$3 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Poetic Edda & The Prose EddaSnorri Sturluson, Saemund Sigfusson9h 34m4.5 (4K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Satires & Essays of Mark Twain (Annotated)Mark Twain23h 21m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Rilla of InglesideLucy Maud Montgomery10h 58m4.5 (46.7K)$1 · $0.00
The Posthumous Memoirs Of Brás CubasMachado De Assis7h 39m4.4 (120.4K)$5 · $0.00
The Iliad & The OdysseyHomer25h 12m4.4 (39K)$12 · $0.00
The Ladies' Paradise (Vizetelly Translation, Unabridged) (Annotated)Émile Zola19h 34m4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
Cast in BloodMichelle Sagara16h 35m4.6 (607)$33 · $0.00
The Captain Blood Trilogy (Annotated)Rafael Sabatini29h 20m4.6 (1K)$3 · $0.00
Ship of the Line (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith11h 13m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell24h 46m4.5 (14.4K)$12 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 38m4.5 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
Driving ForceElle James4h 58m4.6 (407)$20 · $0.00
When God Calls the HeartBrian Bird, Michelle Cox3h 24m4.6 (439)$10 · $0.00
Five Little IndiansMichelle Good10h 34m4.5 (64.5K)$29 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m4.6 (2.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m4.5 (359.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m4.5 (58K)$8 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett11h 23m4.5 (189.9K)$29 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
The Book Of NegroesLawrence Hill15h 45m4.5 (107.3K)$33 · $0.00
Lieutenant Hornblower (Annotated)C. S. Forester11h 41m4.5 (2.9K)$2 · $0.00
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen14h 46m4.5 (5.3M)$4 · $0.00
You may also like
The Awakening, and selected Short StoriesKate Chopin7h 10m3.9 (27.9K)$2.30
A Woman of Thirty (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac9h 14m3.6 (7.8K)$2 · $0.00
Madame BovaryGustave Flaubert13h 8m3.9 (476.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
Lady SusanJane Austen2h 27m3.8 (80.5K)$3.50 · $0.00
MathildaMary Wollstonecraft Shelley4h 27m3.7 (9.4K)$2 · $0.00
The Darling and Other StoriesAnton Pavlovich Chekhov7h 52m4.1 (892)$2.30
The Good SoldierFord Madox Ford8h 4m3.8 (39.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Gentleman from San Francisco, and Other StoriesIvan Alekseevich Bunin2h 8m4.0 (2.6K)$3
The House of MirthEdith Wharton14h 12m4.1 (130.4K)$2 · $0.00
The DevilLeo Tolstoy2h 2m3.9 (9.2K)$2.30
The Age of InnocenceEdith Wharton10h 39m4.1 (217K)$2.30
Tess of the D’UrbervillesThomas Hardy14h 15m4.0 (347.6K)$23
The Party and Other StoriesAnton Pavlovich Chekhov7h 44m4.2 (1.2K)$2.30
The Doctor's Wife (Annotated)Mary Elizabeth Braddon18h 41m3.8 (2.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
The House of MirthEdith Wharton15h 36m4.1 (134.8K)$2 · $0.00
The House of MirthEdith Wharton14h 11m4.1 (128.1K)$2.30
The Good SoldierFord Madox Ford7h 51m3.8 (40.8K)$2.30
Comedy of Marriage and Other TalesGuy de Maupassant7h 18m$2 · $0.00
The French Military Romance Collection – 3 Classic Historical Romance NovelsJames Fenimore Cooper, James Grant, Ouida78h 7m$2
Prisoners: Fast Bound In Misery And IronMary Cholmondeley8h 9m2.4 (10)$1 · $0.00