
The Moon and Sixpence: One Man's Journey Across the Field of Art and into Its Depths (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Based on the Life of Paul GauguinBy William Somerset MaughamLength9h 54m
About this audiobook
The Moon and Sixpence is a brilliant modernist-inflected novel of artistic obsession, loosely inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin. Through the urbane, ironic narration characteristic of Maugham's fiction, the book follows Charles Strickland, a respectable London stockbroker who abandons family, comfort, and social duty to pursue painting in Paris and Tahiti. Its spare, lucid prose conceals a searching inquiry into genius, selfishness, beauty, and the moral cost of creation, placing it within the early twentieth-century fascination with bohemian rebellion and the artist as outsider. William Somerset Maugham, physician by training and cosmopolitan observer by temperament, brought to the novel a rare knowledge of human contradiction. His travels in Europe and the Pacific, his theatrical success, and his acute awareness of bourgeois convention all shaped his portrait of Strickland. Maugham's skeptical intelligence allowed him neither to sentimentalize the artist nor to dismiss the unsettling force of artistic vocation. This novel is recommended to readers interested in art, modernism, and the psychology of ambition. It remains compelling because it asks whether greatness can excuse cruelty, and whether beauty is worth the ruins left in its wake.
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
Length9 hrs 54 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 11, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Enriched Edition. Based on the Life of Paul Gauguin
26Chapter XX
2Introduction
27Chapter XXI
3Synopsis
28Chapter XXII
4Historical Context
29Chapter XXIII
5Author Biography
30Chapter XXIV
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Moon and Sixpence: One Man's Journey Across the Field of Art and into Its Depths (Based on the Life of Paul Gauguin)
31Chapter XXV
7Chapter I
32Chapter XXVI
8Chapter II
33Chapter XXVII
9Chapter III
34Chapter XXVIII
10Chapter IV
35Chapter XXIX
11Chapter V
36Chapter XXX
12Chapter VI
37Chapter XXXI
13Chapter VII
38Chapter XXXII
14Chapter VIII
39Chapter XXXIII
15Chapter IX
40Chapter XXXIV
16Chapter X
41Chapter XXXV
17Chapter XI
42Chapter XXXVI
18Chapter XII
43Chapter XXXVII
19Chapter XIII
44Chapter XXXVIII
20Chapter XIV
45Chapter XXXIX
21Chapter XV
46Chapter XL
22Chapter XVI
47Chapter XLI
23Chapter XVII
48Chapter XLII
24Chapter XVIII
49Chapter XLIII
25Chapter XIX
50Chapter XLIV