Sunday, March 19, 2006

The Wit & Wisdom of Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham was an English playwright.

Born on the 25th January 1874 (making him an Aquarian), he qualified in medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital, London. However, with the success of his writing, he gave up medicine for a career as a novelist and playwright.

He died on the 16th December 1965.

He has many quotes attributed to him. The following are just a few of my favourites:

On Life:

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences.

I made up my mind long ago that life was too short to do anything for myself that I could pay others to do for me.



On Death:

Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.


On Writing:

Writing is the supreme solace.

Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.

It's very hard to be a gentleman and a writer.

The crown of literature is poetry.

When I read a book I seem to read it with my eyes only, but now and then I come across a passage, perhaps only a phrase, which has a meaning for me, and it becomes part of me.

There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

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