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The Moon and Sixpence
W. Somerset Maugham Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Moon and Sixpence
"A middle class stock broker leaves his wife. She and her peers assume he left for another woman. It turns out that he's always wanted to paint. He heads off for the South Pacific to pursue that dream and ends of dying years later of leprosy."
Timothy Scanlon, Resident Scholar

"In this book, based on the life of the artist Paul Gaugin Maugham follows the life of Charles Strickland, a rather dull and uninspiring London stockbroker leaves his wife and possessions to go to France, and later Tahiti to follow an ambition to express himself in painting. This desire to paint soon implodes into obsession, with grave repercussions. His life ended tragically, but he left a legacy of genius. "
Jonathan Harris, Resident Scholar

"This story is based on the life of French painter, Paul Gauguin. The hero is called Charles Strickland. He is a seemingly ordinary broker, until at the age of forty he leaves his wife and child to go to Paris to become a painter.    He meets a Dutch painter who helps him, but then he seduces the painter's wife and deserts her. She commits suicide.

Strickland leaves Paris and eventually goes to Tahiti, where he lives with a native woman and their children. He continues painting and finally contracts leprosy. As a final act he paints his last masterpiece on the walls of his hut. His last wish is that the hut be burned down. "

Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar

"Charles Strickland disappears with no explanation. The narrator, having been sent in pursuit by the grieving and confused wife of Strickland, tracks him down in Paris. There he finds his target who is unrepentant and offers an explanation of his behaviour which is at odds with the theories of those he has left behind. Strickland is remorseless and absolutely determined to fulfill the desire he has within to paint. "
Stepehn Mullen, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Moon and Sixpence
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1900-1920's
Life of a profession: - artist
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Pacific islander
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - artist
Age: - long lived adults
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - obsessed
Ethnicity/Nationality - British
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Asia/Pacific Yes
Island? Yes
Island: - Pacific Islands
City? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
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The Moon and Sixpence by William Somerset Maugham
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W. Somerset Maugham Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
John Van der Kiste  

SCHOLARS:
Joan Teague  Stepehn Mullen  Jack Goodstein  Upaka  Rebel  


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