Up at the Villa (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Psychological Novella of Desire, Moral Ambiguity, and Expatriate Drama in 1930s FlorenceBy W. Somerset Maugham
Length5h 2m
About this audiobook
Set in the sunlit yet morally shadowed hills above Florence, Up at the Villa is a compact study in accident, desire, and social performance. Maugham's elegant, economical prose frames Mary Panton, a beautiful young widow poised between respectable security and dangerous impulse, as a single night's act of pity and passion precipitates catastrophe. Written in the tradition of the psychological novella, the book transforms an apparently civilized expatriate milieu into a theatre of ethical ambiguity. W. Somerset Maugham, one of the twentieth century's most widely read English writers, brought to this work his characteristic fascination with masks, motives, and the frailty of conventional morality. His experience as a physician, intelligence agent, dramatist, and cosmopolitan traveler sharpened his eye for human compromise. Like many of his mature fictions, Up at the Villa reflects his skepticism toward romantic idealism and his acute understanding of people caught between instinct and decorum. This novella is recommended to readers who value concise fiction with the density of a moral case study. Those drawn to Henry James's social perception, Graham Greene's ethical unease, or Maugham's own The Painted Veil will find here a subtle, unsettling portrait of choice under pressure.
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, Mystery and Thriller
Length5 hrs 2 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 8, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
10CHAPTER V
2Introduction
11CHAPTER VI
3Synopsis
12CHAPTER VII
4Historical Context
13CHAPTER VIII
5Author Biography
14CHAPTER IX
Mostrar todos os capítulosVer menos
6CHAPTER I
15Analysis
7CHAPTER II
16Reflection
8CHAPTER III
17Memorable Quotes
9CHAPTER IV
The Moon and Sixpence (Based on the Life of Paul Gauguin)W. Somerset Maugham7h 47m4.2 (39K)$10 · $0.00
Ashenden - The British Agent (Annotated)W. Somerset Maugham10h 47m4.4 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The Painted VeilW. Somerset Maugham7h 39m4.1 (78K)$1 · $0.00
Up at the VillaW. Somerset Maugham4h 33m3.9 (11.1K)$1 · $0.00
Liza of LambethW. Somerset Maugham4h 35m3.5 (3.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Summing UpW. Somerset Maugham9h 43m3.9 (2.1K)$1 · $0.00
CosmopolitansW. Somerset Maugham6h 35m3.8 (218)$2 · $0.00
Cæsar's WifeW. Somerset Maugham3h 56m3.8 (58)$2 · $0.00
The HeroW. Somerset Maugham7h 32m3.7 (478)$2 · $0.00
The Hour Before the DawnW. Somerset Maugham8h 7m3.7 (353)$2 · $0.00
The ExplorerW. Somerset Maugham7h 52m3.4 (698)$2 · $0.00
Jack Straw: A Farce in Three ActsW. Somerset Maugham3h 42m3.3 (29)$1 · $0.00
The Merry-go-roundW. Somerset Maugham2h 34m3.9 (817)$2 · $0.00
The Razor's EdgeW. Somerset Maugham14h 30m4.2 (62.1K)$2 · $0.00
Ashenden: or, The British AgentW. Somerset Maugham10h 32m3.9 (6.9K)$1 · $0.00
Of Human BondageW. Somerset Maugham26h 58m4.2 (193.6K)$1 · $0.00
The Hour Before the DawnW. Somerset Maugham9h 28m3.6 (173)$1 · $0.00
The MagicianW. Somerset Maugham9h 30m3.7 (7.4K)$1 · $0.00
Liza of LambethW. Somerset Maugham2h 23m3.6 (3.4K)$1 · $0.00
The Land of The Blessed Virgin; Sketches and Impressions in AndalusiaW. Somerset Maugham6h 34m3.4 (92)$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 50m4.6 (1.3K)$1.99 · $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 Proust16h 8m4.5 (10.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Lessons in TruthH. Emilie3h 50m4.6 (1.4K)$4.70 · $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
Anne of Green GablesL. M. Montgomery11h 1m4.5 (1.2M)$2.30 · $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
Anne of Green GablesLucy Maud Montgomery11h 10m4.4 (1.3M)$8 · $0.00
The Posthumous Memoirs Of Brás CubasMachado De Assis7h 39m4.4 (120.4K)$5 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Gothic Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Illustrated Edition)Edgar Allan Poe21h 5m4.5 (2.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky22h 22m4.4 (1.3M)$0.60 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoyevsky23h 14m4.4 (1.3M)$1 · $0.00
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00
Sworn to ProtectShirlee McCoy5h 7m4.5 (1K)$12 · $0.00
You may also like
Up at the VillaW. Somerset Maugham4h 38m3.8 (12.1K)$2 · $0.00
ScrewedEoin Colfer10h 47m3.7 (2.2K)$26
Hedda GablerHenrik Ibsen3h 57m4.0 (55.5K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Prone GunmanJean-Patrick Manchette4h 45m3.8 (2.7K)$14 · $0.00
The Secret SharerJoseph Conrad1h 46m3.8 (10.3K)$0.60 · $0.00
HombreElmore Leonard4h 21m4.1 (7.2K)$20 · $0.00
The Invisible ManH. G. Wells5h 26m3.8 (507.2K)$21 · $0.00
The Dopeman’s WifeJaQuavis Coleman8h 31m4.4 (6.5K)$20
Flint, Book 4Treasure Hernandez3h 22m4.6 (807)$17
Forty Lashes Less OneElmore Leonard6h 39m4.0 (5.7K)$24 · $0.00
The StreetAnn Petry13h 25m4.4 (23.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Game MakerKitty Thomas5h 21m4.0 (2.7K)$20
The Bobby Gold StoriesAnthony Bourdain3h 40m3.6 (2.2K)$18 · $0.00
Up at the VillaW. Somerset Maugham4h 33m3.9 (11.1K)$1 · $0.00
Behind a Mask, or a Woman's PowerLouisa May Alcott4h 6m4.0 (4.6K)$1 · $0.00
Plunder SquadDonald E. Westlake5h 31m4.1 (2.3K)$20
The ThiefFuminori Nakamura4h 1m3.7 (10.5K)$20 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde8h 30m4.2 (1.7M)$20 · $0.00
Pauline's Passion and PunishmentLouisa May Alcott1h 51m3.8 (1.5K)$2.30 · $0.00
Only One SurvivesHannah Mary McKinnon11h 38m3.9 (4.9K)$29 · $0.00