Review: The Moon and Sixpence

The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book, my first time reading Maugham, I do understand why he is no longer widely read compared to other English writers of the early 20th century. The narrative is highly character-driven, with minimal action, and most of the characters are, frankly, detestable. However, I found this novel interesting if read as a study in the genders at their very worst. The dialogue and actions of the female characters reveals an acute misogyny; however, even as a feminist, I was struck by how accurate I found many of the observations of female behavior. Of course, the men in the novel are widely despicable themselves, particularly Strickland, based closely on the notoriously misanthropic Paul Gauguin. This book is a museum of the grotesque, but I found the characters interesting because they were caricatures of both men and women's worst qualities--and not inaccurate ones. It was a very quick read, and worth a look if you've never read Maugham before or are interested in gender or character study.



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