“I thought with melancholy how an author spends months writing a book, and maybe puts his heart’s blood into it, and then it lies about unread till the reader has nothing else in the world to do.”

English writer, early 20th century

W. Somerset Maugham was an English writer of the early 20th century, known for his plays, novels, and short stories. He became widely read for work that combined clear storytelling with sharp observation of people and society. His writing includes plays, novels, and short fiction, and his reputation rests on the range and steady craftsmanship of that body of work.