Ashenden

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

A celebrated writer by the time the war broke out in 1914, Maugham had the perfect cover for living in Switzerland. Multilingual and knowledgeable about many European countries, he was dispatched by the Secret Service to Lucerne - under the guise of completing a play.

An assignment whose danger and drama appealed both to his sense of romance and of the ridiculous. Ashenden is a collection of stories rooted in Maugham's own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity.

Public Domain (P)2024 SNR Audio

I love the dry humor

Very enjoyable characters and compelling story.
Love Somerset Maugham’s books in my youth and again at 75.

Beautifully written

The Preface is fascinating. In it, Maugham explained his philosophy of writing novels. He said he preferred to write books with plots that follow story lines. He contrasted this with the style of writers like Chekhov, who he said focused on descriptions and highlighted atmosphere.

Yet ironically, this book is essentially a series of vignettes—some long, some short—in which Maugham focused heavily on descriptions of atmosphere and sensations. The language, of course, is beautiful and extremely evocative.

Great narrator

Terrific story telling. The story with Fritz the dog will stay with me always. Also last chapter.

Weak story line

Rarely do not finish books but this one did not live up to the expectations of an historical novel and its characters were annoying.