Having long misunderstanding as his novel whenever I came across its title in any bookstore or library, I just finished reading this one as his first memoir that may contradictorily intrigue any reader when he/she reads its opening sentence, “This is not an autobiography nor is it a book of recollections” (p. 1) but it’s categorized as such at the back cover and in his ‘Other Works’ list inside, his other memoir being “A Writer’s Notebook”. b : to assess and then describe briefly : size up. As a matter of fact, the numbers suggest that... Autobiographical and confessional, and yet not, this is one of the most highly regarded expressions of a personal credo; both a classic avowal of an author's ideas and his craft. In "The Summing Up", a non-fiction book detailing Maugham's own personal philosophy, I thought I'd enjoy it far more than I did. To sum up, we need to reduce our expenditures and target new markets in order to grow. For fans of Maugham this is an enjoyable read which provides insight into how much of his personal experience is reflected in his works such as Of Human Bondage and Moon and Sixpence. Summing-up definition: In a trial , the judge's summing-up is the speech the judge makes at the end of the trial... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples The simplicity with which he writes and his acute sense of word usage is what makes his writing style so easy to engage with. The summing up by W. Somerset Maugham, 1938, W. Heinemann edition, in English He then went on to live another 30 years (born in 1874, he died in 1965 at age 91). Books Hello, Sign in. The Summing Up. I asked my friend what effect this behaviour had on the rest of the company. If you are unfamiliar with his novels or short stories or are looking to try reading him for the first time I would recommend starting elsewhere. My grandfather carved the beef, and then a servant handed him a dish of potatoes baked in their skins. In this book W Somerset Maugham talks about a lot of his different philosophies and the work is part autobiographical in that it discusses a lot of his youth and how the different things he read influenced him throughout the course of his life. The simplicity with which he writes and his acute sense of word usage is what makes his writing style so easy to engage with. n. 1. a review or summary of the main points of an argument, speech, etc. But I do believe this book is one for his fans. The Summing Up: Books - Amazon.ca. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. It is so nice to read essays on life. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. As he put it, “I can see very clearly what is just beyond the end of my nose; the great writers can see through a brick wall.”, "You can get a great deal of entertainment out of tedious people if you keep your head. This book gives you the experience of sitting down with an accomplished old man, and listening as he beautifully explains his life story and the wisdom it gave him. Perhaps, this might have been a ground-breaking way of writing a memoir, I mean stating as such he has meant to be differing from the ordinary way of writing this genre especially around during his lifetime of writing career. Start by marking “The Summing Up” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Definition of sum up (Entry 2 of 2) transitive verb. He was sixty-four years old, and his greatest literary achievements – ‘Of Human Bondage’, ‘Cakes and Ales’, ‘The Moon and the Sixpence’ amongst others – were all behind him. summing up: the last part of a speech or the judge's statement of a case to the jurors before they retire to consider their verdict. He told me that no one took any notice." These blends of memoir and ‘how to’ guide fascinate us either because we want to see how our favourite stories were created, or if we are trying to follow their path we are keen to see if the authors have pointed out any shortcuts. He predicts the coming dominance of films and television! I've only read two, but I have yet to find a Maugham I like. That unavoidable human temptation to put a period somewhere in the stream of existence, as if the endings and beginnings we create for ourselves actually exist. In his early sixties and not knowing how much longer he might live, W. Somerset Maugham decided to set down in The Summing Up not so much an autobiography as his observations about life. 2. Skip to main content.ca. Maugham was a keen observer with a “tell it like it is” attitude and a simple style that made him very popular first with the play-going and then with the reading public. p.13. Close reading of scholarly texts (Flexibility in weighing alternative interpretations.) Maugham was a keen observer with a “tell it like it is” attitude and a simple style that made him very popular first with the play-going and then with the reading pub, I read this book every few years—and enjoy it more each time. But the conclusion of anything seems to bring it back to mind. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the last sentence in the book. To see what your friends thought of this book. :D How awesome. At times, he loses focus, but as he says, he doesn't write in a Euclidean manner. The Summing Up book. A couple of golden nuggets in this quasi-autobiographical super-essay, but also lots of boring blather on how to write. The Summing Up is a literary memoir by W. Somerset Maugham, written when he was 64 years old, first published in 1938. We live in uncertain times and our all may yet be taken from us. This is much more a rambling collection of random thought that occasionally organizes around a subject such as theatre or philosophy and then moves on. The subject matter includes his childhood, his initial success in theater, his transition from theater to fiction writing, and other miscellaneous topics such as travel, and philosophy. It improves after a while. noun. William Somerset Maugham. Somerset Maugham gives the reader an account of his inspirations for various books, his beginnings, his early successes as well as the way in which said successes impaired his potential to have a wider scope on his surroundings. This brings me back to George Orwell, who was a steadfast supporter of real equality and democracy. The Summing Up, LXIII. Prime. plural summings up a statement by a judge or lawyer to a jury in a court legal action that gives the main facts that have been provided, in order to help the jury decide if someone is guilty or not: The failure of the trial judge to put this defence before the jury in his summing up … I am definitely glad I read it, but I would not recommend the book to any except true fans of the author. After al. For fans of Maugham this is an enjoyable read which provides insight into how much of his personal experience is reflected in his works such as Of Human Bondage and Moon and Sixpence. The chapter is two paragraphs. The Summing Up (Penguin 20th Century Classic) Item in acceptable condition including possible liquid damage. Having long misunderstanding as his novel whenever I came across its title in any bookstore or library, I just finished reading this one as his first memoir that may contradictorily intrigue any reader when he/she reads its opening sentence, “This is not an autobiography nor is it a book of recollections” (p. 1) but it’s categorized as such at the back cover and in his ‘Other Works’ list inside, his other memoir being “A Writer’s Notebook”. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. However he proceeded to explain why this is the case and provided his wishes that such condition can be mended. I've read some decent how to write books since college. Nature, in Her infinite awesomeness, can provide solace even when you’re stuck in the house. I was seriously contemplating dumping this book, but then it turned around. I think this would only interest Maugham's most devoted readers, as it is the man, Mr. Maugham Himself speaking to those who care about him about his intimate relationship with letters. The world in which he lived was about to enter into a bloody war, and society as he understood it as a younger man had changed irrevocably. ‘he was obviously startled at her cynical summing-up of his offer’. A condensation of the essential or main points of something: Faithfull deserves a deeper and more reflective, Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Summerville Commissioners of Public Works, Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association, Summit County Foreclosure Prevention Partnership. He tickles us with his travels, and explains his love for plays. Not think so read writers when they write about writing discussion topics on website... I now know why Orwell said this about Maugham: “ the up. 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