The Moon And Sixpence

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Robert Hardy

Charles Strickland, a conventional stockbroker, abandons his wife and children for Paris and Tahiti, to live his life as a painter. While his betrayal of family, duty and honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness, his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications.©2008 The Executers of the Estate of W. Somerset Maugham 2008 (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Glad I Read it, But......

Well written book loosely based on life of Gauguin. Why? Why not write a biography based on facts? One comes away not knowing what is truth and what is fiction. I looked it up. A lot is fiction. What will stick with me....the truth or the fiction?

Still, it was an enjoyable story and a good reader. It DID make me do some research I might not have done on my own.....

Still a gripping story, marred by hysterical narration.

This book is a grand tale, ranging over the globe in pursuit of the meaning of art in society. A little heavy on the "noble savage" theme; however this is defensible by the era of its writing.
The narration is frantic and hysterical, with unintelligible accents.

Great novel, great listening

I read the book and I would love to add a listening experience to this great book. I was not disappointed, highly recommend!

Art and the Artist

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd highly recommend The Moon and Sixpence to anyone, particularly those struggling with the dichotomy between great art produced by a less-than-great human being.

What did you like best about this story?

Maugham uses a journalistic tone in The Moon and Sixpence to create the idea that the story happened to him just as he tells it. It is not only beautifully written but very convincing. If I didn't know that the story was based on the life of the painter Paul Gauguin and that Maugham did not actually know the artist, I'd believe this is a true story.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was probably Maugham's confrontation with Strickland in his rundown Paris hotel. Maugham goes there full of preconceived notions about what Strickland is doing and finds that not one of them is true. The reality is much worse!

There are so many great scenes, when Stroeve does his utmost to convince his wife to allow him to bring the deathly ill Strickland home to their house. The death of Blanche Stroeve is another powerful scene. The scene when the landlady convinces Strickland to take a native wife. The description by the doctor of Strickland's destroyed masterpiece on the walls of his death hut. And the last scene when Mrs. Strickland and her children discuss the responsibilities of being related to a genius. Very ironic.

If you could rename The Moon And Sixpence, what would you call it?

Why fool with the title of a masterpiece?

Any additional comments?

Robert Hardy does a SPECTACULAR job on bringing this powerful and thought provoking novel to life. His characterizations are masterful.

Love the classics!

The narrator is amazing! What struck me so much about this book is the fact that nothing has really changed in 100 years. As human beings we are still dealing with the same issues that we were dealing with 100 years ago. No matter how evolved or technically advanced we think we are, we can’t run away forever from the reality of life and death.