The Moon and Sixpence (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
Worth buying if: You relish artist-biography fiction centered on Charles Strickland.
Skip it if: You prefer plot-driven thrillers over meditative character studies.
Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140185973. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin, Maugham’s 1919 novel tracks Charles Strickland’s abrupt departure from family life to pursue painting in Paris and Tahiti, probing artistic obsession, moral blind spots, and the cost of genius across 224 brisk pages.
Why this book now
Penguin’s Twentieth-Century Classics edition keeps Maugham’s probing portrait of creative exile and modern celebrity resonant for readers reassessing ambition and artistic myth-mak.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You relish artist-biography fiction centered on Charles Strickland.
- You appreciate Maugham’s clear-eyed narration and moral observation.
- You prefer plot-driven thrillers over meditative character studies.
- You want a sympathetic protagonist rather than Strickland’s amoral artist.
- You only want something with very current references and examples.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140185973
Worth buying if: You relish artist-biography fiction centered on Charles Strickland.
Skip it if: You prefer plot-driven thrillers over meditative character studies.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At 224 pages, this compact Penguin edition reads quickly but asks for reflective pauses to absorb Maugham’s ethical judgments and vivid Tahitian episodes.
What stands out here
This Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics copy emphasizes Maugham’s prose and critical introduction, ideal for readers studying Strickland’s link to Gauguin and modern ideas of artistry.
Best way to approach it
Approach it as a focused character study: note Maugham’s ironic narrator, trace Strickland’s choices, and let the moral questions about art and responsibility surface between chapters.
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Paperback: ISBN-13 9780140185973
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.