The Moon and Sixpence

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the story of an artist who was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of art. In much of its general outline, this famous novel follows the life of Paul Gauguin, famous French post-impressionist painter, but it is not a novelized biography of Gauguin. Rather it is a sharply-delineated, carefully wrought "private life", written by one of the most vivid and penetrating contemporary literary masters.

Charles Strickland, the central character, is a stock broker in London. One day, at the age of 40, he leaves his business, his wife, and their children and goes to Paris. He has neither money nor prospects. He knows almost nothing of art. But he is seized with a passion to paint, and for the rest of his life nothing else matters to him. He gives up everything to which he has been accustomed for extreme poverty, social ostracism, and the freedom to paint. When he finally dies of leprosy in Tahiti, where he had gone native, the few paintings that turn up for sale bring only six to 10 francs apiece. But he has achieved his desire to create beauty and, with the years, the world fully recognizes his blazing genius.

(P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks

Slow start, but s great story.

The narrator was excellent in pivoting from one character to another. The slight inflection in voice kept my interest. After the first couple of chapters, I was irrevocably hooked. This wasn't a neat, tidy happy ending tale. The drama and challenges of the characters were told in such a way that you wanted to know more. The author didn't leave you dangling trying to understand each person and truly brought the motives of all full circle. Well done!

5-star to Somerset Maugham, 0-stars to Davidson

The writer is a master, the reader a madman.
Frederick Davidson had previously ruined another Audible I purchased and returned. For various reasons, I had to stomach his ridiculous reading style through, this time: he is unbearable. And dulcis in fundo, he reads the last line of the whole book is such a way that is shockingly callous, abrupt, and doesn't allow the listener to gently come to a landing (so to speak) of this long journey... He just reads it with his idiotic intonation that does not know how to sound an actual full stop!
If you have a chance, read the physical book.
The story is good--almost a "take 2"/alternative version of "Of Human Bondage" by the same author... there are some elements in common between the two (the love of visual arts, the fascination with artists' lives, and so on), but "The Moon and Sixpence" is actually a tighter, more precise narrative, and strangely without a proper central character: the stage is ultimately shared by Strickland as much as by the narrator and other characters who populate the narrative with their own important presence. In fact, if anything, Strickland/Gauguin's elusiveness (his shallow characterization) is W. Somerset Maugham's major flaw here.

Strange

Strange how some persons love the reader and some can’t stand him.
I belong to the second category. I wonder how anyone can be so enthralled by his/her own voice that she/he completely loses any self criticism.
The story I had already read several times. I like Maugham very much.
I find this novel original . It makes one reflect a lot about the human mind.

Fascinating, discomforting, and worthwhile

The first few chapters might get you worried, rest assured after this extended idle this novel gets going. The novel is an exploration of character and philosophy, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it. The story examines the depth of the veneer of society and the utility of endeavor, even for art, at the expense of all else.

chef d'oeuvre

complexity of life and art and love is written with so much intelligence and humour, that even with my difficult english (I'm french), I appreciate this book as one of the best book I ever read, near Dostoievski or Garcia Marquez.

Entertaining!

Great writer, excellent story but this classic is not at all about Paul Gauguin. Enjoy!

Another wonderful narration by Frederick Davidson

I am rereading this after 40 years and 3 visits to French Polynesia and viewing Gaugin's works around the world. Mr Maugham brings Tahiti to life.

Disappointing

Most of the characters were unsympathetic. The plot (such as it was) was hard to follow. I am a fan of the movie The Razor’s Edge but I don’t feel interested in reading any more by Maugham.

Dated but very much worth the listen

I loved Maugham as a 70s teen, this was my first return since reading most of his oeuvre then. While I found some of the characters annoying and unbelievable, a return to the era of his authorship (post WW1 Britain, France and Tahiti) was very interesting, and I will now explore the life of Paul Gaugin, on whose life the character of thw odious Strickland was based. Very happy I listened to it (on a long drive) and the posh narrator did a great job.

Strange novel which is not like many modern/American stories

“The Moon Sixpence”

….leaves a person disturbed, uneasy, and wondering about many things….(Things near, distant and unknown).

Wonderings about oneself + how this story fits (if at all) within the world/space one occupies themselves. But mostly (for me), I am left with the question: How do I account for this tale + should I gain a message or lesson with which to fortify my own life’s travels?