1.
The Moon and Sixpence
2.
Commentary on the work / Songmu
3.
Author's chronology

Somerset Maugham's greatest masterpiece, reviving the legend of Paul Gauguin.

The Moon and Sixpence is the defining work that made the author Somerset Maugham known to the world.
This work, which depicts the mad artistic journey of a soul obsessed with art, was published in 1919, the year after the end of World War I, and became extremely popular.
It was soon translated into several European languages ​​and became a bestseller, and its popularity led to a reevaluation of 『In the Human Bondage』, which had been published four years earlier but received little attention.
The body's position as an author was solidified by this work.
Within a decade of its publication, The Moon and Sixpence was hailed as a "classic" by a number of critics, and by the 1940s it was recognized as one of the most popular books of its time.

The Moon and Sixpence is evaluated as the work that left the strongest impression on the 20th century world literature, as the main character's personality is strongly revealed.
Charles Strickland's eccentric escapades, his willingness to forsake commonplace recognition and normal humanity for the sake of art, are portrayed as almost demonic.
“I think the most interesting part of art is the artist’s personality.
“If you have a unique personality, I am willing to forgive you a thousand flaws,” the narrator says at the beginning of the work, and Strickland’s devilish artistic spirit and extraordinary genius strongly and boldly permeate the entire work.
This intense character portrayal, which overwhelms other sub-themes, is also the result of the author's own character research, honed through dozens of short stories.
Somerset Maugham, who is called the 'British Maupassant', meticulously and candidly explores human character and psychology.

As is well known, The Moon and Sixpence is based on the life of the famous French painter Paul Gauguin.
Maugham once lived a bohemian life, hanging out with Parisian painters, and was deeply impressed by the tragic death of Gauguin in Tahiti.
In 『The Human Bondage』, which was published before 『The Moon and Sixpence』, there is also a mention of a painter who is clearly presumed to be Gauguin.

It was during the World War that Maugham began to collect specific information about Gauguin.
As the war broke out, he was working in Switzerland on a secret order from the intelligence agency, but fell ill and had to recuperate in the United States, where he traveled to islands in the South Pacific, including Tahiti.
The body even visited Tahiti in person to write a novel based on Gauguin.
There he visited Gauguin's house, interviewed a woman who had lived with Gauguin, and purchased a painting left by Gauguin.
In 1917, he was again dispatched to Russia as an intelligence agent, but his illness worsened due to overwork and he was treated at the North of Scotland Hospital.
"The Moon and Sixpence" was written during this period of convalescence.

The body maximizes the romantic elements of Gauguin's life and creates a powerful and dramatic story called 'The Moon and Sixpence'.
As the title of the book suggests, Gauguin rejected the superficial civilization (selfish worldliness) represented by the 'sixpence' and devoted himself to the world of the 'moon', which symbolizes rich imagination and mad passion.
Like Strickland, Gauguin was a stockbroker and began painting in his twenties while working in the stock market.
He began exhibiting his paintings in his early 30s, and at the age of 35, he lost his job due to the stock market crash and decided to become a full-time artist.

As their lives became more difficult and the conflict between the couple intensified, the wife left him with the children, which was somewhat different from Strickland's case, where he abandoned his wife and children.
Gauguin, who also worked as a construction worker on the Panama Canal, eventually left France and settled in Tahiti.
He lives with and paints a 13-year-old mixed-race prostitute who reminds him of Ata from The Moon and Sixpence.
After that, his health deteriorated due to heart disease, syphilis, and other illnesses, and he even attempted suicide by taking drugs out of despair.
Although he continued to paint prolifically during this time, his health continued to deteriorate, and he eventually became unable to walk.
In 1903, Gauguin died of a heart attack at the age of 55.

On the other hand, The Moon and Sixpence cannot be seen only as a story about an exceptional person obsessed with an abnormal artistic impulse.
In fact, much of this novel deals with worldly life and human beings.
The body sharply satirizes the snobbery of London's literary and social circles; the painter Strobe, who is innocent at heart but lacks the agonizing spirit of art and only paints paintings that sell well; Blanche, who pursues only physical sensuality; and Mrs. Strickland, who boasts about being the wife of her husband, whom she cursed when he left home, when he became known as a genius.
Somerset Maugham, considered one of the most satirical novelists in 20th-century British literature, uses a cold and ruthless style to expose the vulgarity and hypocrisy that British people tend to fall into.

A Modern Shakespeare—The Noble Canon of the 20th Century

"The Moon and Sixpence" is the work that best embodies the author's own belief that "novels should be entertaining."
The reason why "The Moon and Sixpence" is an interesting and easy read also lies in his writing style.
His writing style, which is mainly conversational, is clear, concise, and logical, making it extremely natural to read and understand.
The simple and witty sentences follow a smooth sequence of ordinary words, and pierce the human heart with breathtaking skill.

Somerset Maugham has been writing for over half a century, and has written in almost every literary genre other than poetry.
But his greatness lies not only in his mastery of a wide range of literary forms, but also in the fact that his works consistently capture the interest of readers.
By publishing novels that were enjoyable for the general public to read, he attracted readers from all over the world and raised their literary standards.
In that sense, he played the role of a 'valuable disseminator of literature' and can be compared to a modern Shakespeare.

Just because he claims to be a storyteller for the general public, we cannot dismiss him as a mere popular writer.
His writings have at least satisfied the minds of many educated people.
In particular, 『The Moon and Sixpence』 aroused a longing for the world of the soul and the world of purity among the younger generation who felt a deep sense of disgust with humanity and human civilization through the World War.
It remains a powerful work that, regardless of the immediate realities of life, stimulates a universal desire inherent in all of us: to escape the oppressive reality and live freely as our hearts desire.

Critic Gore Vidal's remarks aptly capture Somerset Maugham's position as a writer.
“It would be difficult to ignore Somerset Maugham among the writers of the 20th century.
The body is a gateway that those who study literature must pass through.
“I read all the great Shakespeare and Maugham without fail until I was seventeen.” Few scholars have taken him up on serious study, but it is true that he has now become a canonical writer for the 20th century.