The Moon And Sixpence

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Robert Hardy

Charles Strickland, a conventional stockbroker, abandons his wife and children for Paris and Tahiti, to live his life as a painter. While his betrayal of family, duty and honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness, his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications.©2008 The Executers of the Estate of W. Somerset Maugham 2008 (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Still a gripping story, marred by hysterical narration.

This book is a grand tale, ranging over the globe in pursuit of the meaning of art in society. A little heavy on the "noble savage" theme; however this is defensible by the era of its writing.
The narration is frantic and hysterical, with unintelligible accents.

Great novel, great listening

I read the book and I would love to add a listening experience to this great book. I was not disappointed, highly recommend!

Glad I Read it, But......

Well written book loosely based on life of Gauguin. Why? Why not write a biography based on facts? One comes away not knowing what is truth and what is fiction. I looked it up. A lot is fiction. What will stick with me....the truth or the fiction?

Still, it was an enjoyable story and a good reader. It DID make me do some research I might not have done on my own.....

Art and the Artist

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd highly recommend The Moon and Sixpence to anyone, particularly those struggling with the dichotomy between great art produced by a less-than-great human being.

What did you like best about this story?

Maugham uses a journalistic tone in The Moon and Sixpence to create the idea that the story happened to him just as he tells it. It is not only beautifully written but very convincing. If I didn't know that the story was based on the life of the painter Paul Gauguin and that Maugham did not actually know the artist, I'd believe this is a true story.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was probably Maugham's confrontation with Strickland in his rundown Paris hotel. Maugham goes there full of preconceived notions about what Strickland is doing and finds that not one of them is true. The reality is much worse!

There are so many great scenes, when Stroeve does his utmost to convince his wife to allow him to bring the deathly ill Strickland home to their house. The death of Blanche Stroeve is another powerful scene. The scene when the landlady convinces Strickland to take a native wife. The description by the doctor of Strickland's destroyed masterpiece on the walls of his death hut. And the last scene when Mrs. Strickland and her children discuss the responsibilities of being related to a genius. Very ironic.

If you could rename The Moon And Sixpence, what would you call it?

Why fool with the title of a masterpiece?

Any additional comments?

Robert Hardy does a SPECTACULAR job on bringing this powerful and thought provoking novel to life. His characterizations are masterful.

Love the classics!

The narrator is amazing! What struck me so much about this book is the fact that nothing has really changed in 100 years. As human beings we are still dealing with the same issues that we were dealing with 100 years ago. No matter how evolved or technically advanced we think we are, we can’t run away forever from the reality of life and death.

Fantastic author and book!!

Really incredible book and author. Both stand this test of time, despite the language and attitudes.

Roman a clef-abominable french artist Paul Gauguin

A dreadful misogynist who left his wife and 3 kids without remorse or a smidgen of regret in his mid-40s to pursue the painter's life in Paris, stole the wife of another painter who committed suicide when he rejected her as no longer necessary. Ultimately, he moves to Tahiti to live, paint masterpieces, marry a young native girl and die a leper.

Maugham's interesting study based on the life of the painter Paul Gauguin is partly a mockery of society's willingness to turn sinners into saints and partly a sober look at the artist's lifelong pursuit of "beauty" and its costs to both himself/herself and to loved ones.

I'd recommend it if you like Somerset Maugham, which I do, even though he was somewhat of an old lady in temperament. Warning too: it's pretty sexist -- one example, "Women are strange little beasts,... You can treat them like dogs, you can beat them till your arm aches, and still they love you." He shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, it is one of the most absurd illusions of Christianity that they have souls.... In the end they get you, and you are helpless in their hands. White or brown, they are all the same."

Do not skip over this Audiobook!

If you could sum up The Moon And Sixpence in three words, what would they be?

Raw.Honest.Masterpiece

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Moon And Sixpence?

It's not so much a memorable moment as a theme.. How wonderfully revealing this novel is for exposing the things we will sometimes do to one another in order to fulfill our own needs.. And how can it be any other way? We are shown through Maugham's masterful use of the English language how one man's personality points fall somewhere so opposite those whom he comes in contact with on the many spectrum of life. And also how his points on those spectrum determine how his relationships play out and how he effects each person he meets. It is ugly - his truth - but is it truly his fault, being who he is? There are too many memorable moments to name just one. An incredible exploration of the darkness within us all and the overwhelming need for one and all to give of themselves or take for themselves to meet their own own needs of emotional survival. Is Charles Strickland a madman or a genius? You be the judge.

Which scene was your favorite?

There is a random meeting between the narrator and Strickland that underscores the narrator's assessment of Strickland and his base personality. It is particularly revealing and is focused on his point-blank questioning of Strickland regarding a very serious issue.

If you could take any character from The Moon And Sixpence out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would have to be Charles Strickland, because it would be once in a lifetime to be in the presence of genius or madman and have the opportunity to decide for oneself which of those he truly is.

Any additional comments?

Well worth the time and money to just put yourself into this story as you listen and to explore where you might come out in the end...

story very thin

couldn't finish left with another hour to go couldn't bear listening to the tedious story