Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham
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(Paperback)
- Publisher: Random House Inc
- Pub. Date: April 2000
- ISBN-13: 9780375724626
- Sales Rank: 85,509
- 224pp
- Series: International Ser.
Synopsis
Set in a villa in the hills above Florence, this moving novel reveals the power of desperate love. Mary Panton ignores her desires as she contemplates her loveless marriage, but a single act of compassion begins a nightmare of violence that destroys her serenity.
Library Journal
Delany isn't the only author Vintage is keeping afloat. Published in 1939, 1937, and 1940, respectively, these novels follow Maugham's popular theme whereby people whose seemingly steady lives become completely and utterly altered. Note also that Up at the Villa was made into a feature film in 2000, which may draw additional readers. Maugham is always a quick and pleasant read. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
W. Somerset Maugham lived in France and England. He died in 1965.
Customer Reviews
A Perfect Little Storyby Anonymous
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April 19, 2003: This is a short introduction to the perfectly crafted writing of W. Somerset Maugham. Maugham uses language with such skill that, like so many experts in so many fields, he makes it look easy (although I wish he had made more frequent use of the comma, and there is the occasional now-outdated phrase).
Maugham tells a rather simple story with his usual sort of characters -- mostly upper-class, well-traveled, and British. But within this simple framework, Maugham creates beautiful prose. The dialogue is natural and interesting. The character development is surprisingly deep for such a short work. The description of the inner turmoil of some of the characters is particularly good -- probably Maugham's greatest strength is a keen understanding of human nature.
This work is too short to demonstrate Maugham's skills thoroughly and the simple story seems almost like a made-for-TV movie. (USA Films did turn it into a movie in 2000.) Early on, it seems like a romance novel but it's not your typical romance and is so short that it's definitely worth the read.
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