March saw the book group read a variety of novels & short stories by W Somerset Maugham. Spending his early years in Paris, losing his mother at an early age, being sent to boarding school in England, developing a stammer that would affect him for most of his life and completing a medical degree (although never practising medicine) shaped his writings and gave him much information to use in his works. He was a world traveller, especially around the Pacific between the wars.Many of his acute observations of people, set against the background of the last days of Imperialism & colonial India, became features in his books.
The group, as usual, had a wide variety of views regarding his writings. Some thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions, details & themes whereas others thought his works were dreary, slow and lacking plot.
All the different opinions expressed meant the meeting was lively and fun.
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