Maugham, W. Somerset: 1874-1965

The Moon and Sixpence, 1919 - Summary

  • The story of a middle-aged bourgeois stockbroker who deserts his wife and children to pursue the life of a Bohemian artist first in Paris and then later in Tahiti. In Tahiti he marries a beautiful native woman but forsakes all love in his obsession with artistic beauty. However his marvelous paintings cannot overcome the cruelty and insensitivity that eventually destroys him.
  • Plot summary in 5 Minutes
  • Plot summary in 5 Minutes with text