THIS SYMBOL AT THE ENTRANCE
TO W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM'S VILLA IS A MOORISH
SHIELD AGAINST EVIL. IT APPEARS AS AN
ORNAMENT AND TALISMAN IN SUCH FAMOUS BOOKS OF
HIS AS OF HUMAN BONDAGE,</i> CAKES AND ALE,</i> AND
THE MOON AND SIXPENCE.</i> CAP FERRAT, WHERE
HIS HOUSE STANDS, REACHES OUT FROM THE FRENCH
RIVIERA TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. MAUGHAM'S LIFE IN
LITERATURE AND IN DRAMA GOES BACK TO THE GREATS
OF MODERN ENGLISH LETTERS: KIPLING, SHAW,
ARNOLD BENNETT, MAX BEERBOHM AND
SCORES OF OTHERS. HERE MAUGHAM CONVERSES WITH
HIS FRIEND, ALAN PRYCE-JONES, FORMER EDITOR OF THE LONDON</i><i>
</i>TIMES</i> LITERARY SUPPLEMENT AND NOW A LONDON
DRAMA CRITIC. IT'S JUST THIRTY YEARS, WILLY,
SINCE I FIRST CAME AND STAYED WITH YOU IN THIS HOUSE AND I
SUPPOSE THAT THIRTY YEARS AGO YOU WERE JUST ABOUT THE
SAME AGE THAT I AM NOW. HAVE YOU FOUND THAT LIFE
BECAME MORE INTERESTING, MORE FASCINATING BETWEEN,
SAY, FIFTY AND EIGHTY? I SHOULD SAY THAT ON THE
WHOLE I DON'T KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT LIFE THAN I
KNEW THIRTY YEARS AGO. AFTER ALL, REMEMBER
THAT THIRTY YEARS AGO I WAS ALREADY
AN ELDERLY MAN. I AM CONSCIOUS OF THAT
MYSELF BUT I AM HOPING THAT ONE DOES LEARN A BIT MORE
IN THE DECADES TO COME. NO, I THINK PROBABLY AS ONE
REACHES MY ADVANCED AGE ONE CARES MUCH LESS THAN
ONE DID WHEN ONE WAS YOUNG WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE THINK OF ONE. YOU'VE JUST MADE A LONG
JOURNEY THROUGH THE FAR EAST; NOW DID YOU TAKE A
NOTEBOOK WITH YOU? DID YOU MAKE ANY PLANS
FOR USING THAT JOURNEY? NO, NO, INDEED NOT. WHEN
THE PRESS DISCOVERED THAT I WAS GOING TO
TAKE THIS JOURNEY, ON ALL SIDES I HAD MUNIFICENT
OFFERS TO WRITE ABOUT IT BUT I REFUSED
EVERYTHING. I JUST WANTED TO GO TO ENJOY
MYSELF BUT FOR SOME REASON THE PRESS DESCRIBED IT
AS A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY AND IT WASN'T ANY
MORE SENTIMENTAL THAN GOING DOWN TO BRIGHTON
FOR A WEEKEND REALLY. DID YOU TAKE A LOT
OF BOOKS WITH YOU? DO YOU NOW READ
A GREAT DEAL? OH, I ALWAYS TRAVEL
WITH A LOT OF BOOKS. YEARS AGO - I MEAN
35, 40 YEARS AGO - I USED TO TRAVEL WITH A
HUGE BOOK BAG FULL OF BOOKS. IN FACT I CALLED A
STORY THE BOOK BAG.</i> AT THAT TIME ALL MY
STORIES WERE PUBLISHED IN THE</i> COSMOPOLITAN</i> BY
RAY LEUNG AND THE</i> BOOK</i> BAG</i> WAS THE ONLY STORY I
WROTE HE EVER REFUSED. HE WROTE TO ME AND SAID
"I'VE GONE FURTHER WITH YOU THAN WITH ANY OTHER AUTHOR
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INCEST I HAVE TO
DRAW THE LINE." IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY
DIFFICULT, WASN'T IT, TO DECIDE WHICH FORM TO ADOPT WHEN
YOU HAD AN IDEA FOR A PLOT? OH, I DON'T THINK
IT WAS AT ALL. IDEAS COME TO YOU
ALREADY WITH A CERTAIN SHAPE AND YOU USE THEM
EITHER TO MAKE INTO A NOVEL OR SHORT
STORY OR PLAY. BUT SOMETIMES YOU
VARIED A LITTLE BIT. I REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING
OF CAKES AND ALE </i>YOU SAID YOU JUST THOUGHT OF IT
AS A VERY SHORT STORY AND THEN IT TURNS INTO
THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL. I SUPPOSE THAT HAPPENED
IN THE ACT OF WRITING? IN THE ACT OF
WRITING, YES. AS ONE WROTE ONE THOUGHT
OF MORE AND MORE THINGS. IT IS EASY, REALLY,
I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN ANYTHING SO EASILY OR
WITH SO MUCH PLEASURE. HOW ABOUT OF</i><i>
</i>HUMAN</i> BONDAGE</i> - WAS THAT A VERY
DIFFICULT BOOK TO WRITE? WELL, YOU SEE, IT WAS
WRITTEN NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO, MORE PROBABLY.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER I CORRECTED THE
PROOFS IN FLANDERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST
WORLD WAR, SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN WRITTEN TWO OR
THREE YEARS BEFORE THAT. AND IN THAT PARTICULAR
CASE I HAD RECOLLECTIONS WHICH TORMENTED ME AND
I DID WHAT I ALWAYS DO IN SUCH A CASE - I
WROTE THEM OUT IN A BOOK AND AFTER THAT THEY CEASED
TO TORMENT ME... SIMPLE. YES, BUT IT'S SUCH A WONDERFULLY
COMPLEX, LARGE BOOK. I WONDER IF THAT CAME
STRAIGHT THROUGH YOUR NATURAL PROCESSES OF
INVENTION OR RECOLLECTION OR WHETHER IT INVOLVED
A LOT OF WORKING OUT. OH, I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK
IT CAME STRAIGHT THROUGH. WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNG MAN
YOU WERE A MEDICAL STUDENT AND THEN A DOCTOR,
WEREN'T YOU? I WAS INDEED, AND I
HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT DURING THOSE FIVE YEARS I
WAS AT ST. THOMAS' HOSPITAL I LEARNED EVERYTHING I
KNOW ABOUT HUMAN NATURE. BECAUSE NORMALLY, AS WE
KNOW, PEOPLE WEAR A MASK, BUT WHEN THEY ARE
ILL AND AFRAID TO DIE THEY DROP THE MASK AND
YOU SEE THEM AS THEY ARE. AS FAR AS BOOKS GO, AM I
RIGHT IN THINKING THAT YOU PUT MOBY DICK</i> AND HUCK</i><i>
</i>FINN</i> AND LEAVES OF GRASS</i> ABOVE ALL
THE OTHERS? YES I THINK SO, I THINK
SO, AND EXCEPTING FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS</i><i>
</i>IS EXTREMELY NEAR. YOU ARE AN ADMIRER
OF HEMINGWAY. I AM A GREAT ADMIRER
OF HEMINGWAY. I'VE READ I THINK ALL HIS SHORT
STORIES AND ALL HIS NOVELS AND I THINK HE IS A VERY
GOOD WRITER INDEED, AND HE'S
ALWAYS READABLE. YOU KNOW SOME
BOOKS ARE EXCELLENT WITHOUT BEING READABLE,
HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT? HOW ABOUT
WILLIAM FAULKNER? WELL, I ONLY KNOW HIS
SHORT STORIES, WHICH I LIKE. THEY'RE GOOD BUT I
HAVEN'T READ HIS NOVELS. WHAT IS INTERESTING IS
THE ABSOLUTE DIVERGENCE OF OPINION BETWEEN FAULKNER
AND YOURSELF IN ONE RESPECT BECAUSE YOU'VE LIVED
MOST OF YOUR LIFE OUT OF YOUR HOME
COUNTRY AND HE'S LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE IN
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. DO YOU REGRET HAVING
LIVED SO MUCH ABROAD? WELL, YOU SEE, I
NEVER REALLY HAD A HOME BECAUSE I WAS MADE AN
ORPHAN AT A VERY EARLY AGE AND I'VE BEEN EITHER
HUSTLED AROUND AND GONE ABOUT PLACES
OF MY OWN FREE WILL ALL OVER THE WORLD AS
LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE
FEELING OF HAVING, SO TO SPEAK, CUT YOURSELF OFF
FROM YOUR GRASS ROOTS BY LIVING IN THE
SOUTH OF FRANCE RATHER THAN LIVING IN THE
SOUTH OF GREAT BRITAIN? OH, THAT IS
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. I WOULDN'T HAVE EVER SETTLED
HERE IF I HADN'T REALIZED THAT MY WRITING CAREER
WAS COMING TO AN END. I DON'T THINK A WRITING CAREER
EVER COMES TO AN END. IT HAS</i> COME
TO AN END. I WILL BELIEVE THAT
WHEN I SEE IT. DO YOU EVER SUFFER FROM
SELF DOUBT, OR DO YOU KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT YOU
CAN DO JUST WHAT YOU WANT? OH NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, THE
FIRST WRITING IS UNSATISFACTORY AND I WRITE IT AGAIN. I GENERALLY WRITE
IT THREE TIMES UNTIL I'VE REACHED A POINT
WHERE I SAY TO MYSELF IT MAY BE ALL WRONG BUT
IT'S THE BEST I CAN DO. AND YOU DO
THIS BY HAND? ALL BY HAND. WHEN YOU WERE AT THE HEIGHT
OF YOUR OUTPUT DID YOU ENJOY WRITING FICTION AS MUCH AS
WRITING THEATER, FOR EXAMPLE? YES, I THINK SO. DO YOU KNOW, IT WAS AWFULLY
HARD IN THOSE DAYS TO GET A PLAY PRODUCED - I'M SPEAKING
OF FIFTY YEARS AGO AND MORE BECAUSE THE THEATER
WAS IN THE HANDS OF THREE OR FOUR MEN
WHO WROTE A PLAY ONE EVERY YEAR AND FOR
AN OUTSIDER TO COME IN WAS, WELL, EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT. BUT YOU DIDN'T REMAIN
AN OUTSIDER FOR LONG. WELL, I DON'T
KNOW ABOUT THAT. FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS
I'D WRITTEN PLAYS THAT NO MANAGER WOULD ACCEPT
AND THEN WHEN I WAS 34 ONE OF THESE PLAYS WAS
ACCEPTED BY PURE ACCIDENT. INSTEAD OF LASTING FOR SIX
WEEKS IT LASTED OVER A YEAR AND WITHIN THREE
OR FOUR MONTHS I HAD FOUR PLAYS
RUNNING IN LONDON. WHICH IS YOUR
FAVORITE AMONG THEM? OH, CERTAINLY THE CIRCLE</i><i>
</i>AND I STILL THINK IT'S THE BEST PLAY
I WROTE AND I THINK THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL
ARE AGREED ON THAT POINT. IF YOU LIKE WRITING
PLAYS SO MUCH WHY DID YOU STOP
WRITING THEM? WELL, I DIDN'T STOP UNTIL
I WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD, YOU MUST REMEMBER, AND
I'D COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT PLAYS DEPEND
LARGELY - I MEAN, THE SORT OF PLAYS I WAS
WRITING ARE PLAYS DESIGNED TO INTEREST AND AMUSE -
DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY AND THAT MEANS
THAT IN ORDER TO WRITE THEM YOU HAVE TO LIVE
THE LIFE OF THE DAY. WELL, AT THE AGE OF
SIXTY I FELT I COULDN'T AND SO I DECIDED TO WRITE
FOUR MORE PLAYS AND STOP, AND THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT I DID. YOU'VE KNOWN WHAT'S
CALLED "EVERYBODY" ON BOTH SIDES
OF THE ATLANTIC, AND I SUPPOSE ALL OVER
THE WORLD, FOR A LONG TIME. ARE THERE ANY OF YOUR
CONTEMPORARY WRITERS THAT YOU LOOK BACK TO
WITH SPECIAL ADMIRATION? FOR EXAMPLE, MAX BEERBOHM
OR ARNOLD BENNETT OR KIPLING? WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
A CERTAIN SPACE BETWEEN ADMIRATION
AND AFFECTION. AND I ADMIRED RUDYARD KIPLING
VERY MUCH BUT I CAN'T SAY I HAD ANY AFFECTION FOR HIM AND
I THINK ITS REALLY TRAGIC NOW IN POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
HE'S ENTIRELY NEGLECTED. AS PERHAPS YOU KNOW A LITTLE
WHILE AGO HIS DAUGHTER WAS UPSET BECAUSE NO ONE
IS BUYING HIS BOOKS ANYMORE AND ASKED ME IF I
WOULD MAKE A SELECTION OF HIS BEST STORIES
AND WRITE A PREFACE. I DID THAT AND I DID PUT IN A
NUMBER OF STORIES WHICH ARE EXTREMELY READABLE BUT
NOBODY WOULD READ THEM. AND IT'S
POLITICAL AFFAIR. YOU SEE, HE IS
AN IMPERIALIST. IMPERIALISM IS OUT OF FASHION
NOW BUT HE IS THE BEST SHORT STORY WRITER THAT EITHER
ENGLAND OR THE UNITED STATES HAVE PRODUCED, AND
EVENTUALLY HE MUST COME BACK. AT LEAST HE HAS STRONG
SUPPORT FROM YOURSELF AND FROM T.S. ELIOT AND
THAT GIVES HIS REPUTATION SOMETHING
TO RELY ON. AND NOW SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT
MAX BEERBOHM FOR A MOMENT? WELL, HE WAS ALSO AN OLD
FRIEND BUT HE, AS YOU KNOW, PRODUCED
EXTREMELY LITTLE. THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM
JUST BEFORE HE DIED HE SAID TO ME
"I LOVE TO DRAW, BUT TO WRITE HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A TORTURE TO ME". DID YOU FIND HIS
CONVERSATION VERY AMUSING? HE WAS CHARMING, HE
WASN'T AWFULLY AMUSING, HE WAS CHARMING. AND HOW ABOUT SOME OF
THE AMERICAN WRITERS FOR EXAMPLE,
SINCLAIR LEWIS... YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN HIM
VERY WELL, DIDN'T YOU? I DID INDEED. HE WAS AN
INTIMATE FRIEND OF MINE AND I'D KNOWN
HIM FOR YEARS. HE USED TO COME TO LONDON
A GOOD DEAL AND, OH, HE WOULD LUNCH ME PERHAPS
TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK AND HE WAS AWFULLY
GOOD COMPANY. AND EVENTUALLY OF COURSE HE
RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES AND WHEN HE ARRIVED IN NEW
YORK THE REPORTERS ALL CAME ON BOARD AND ASKED HIM WHAT
HE THOUGHT ABOUT ENGLAND. AND HE SAID, "WELL, THE
ENGLISH NOVELISTS ARE LOUSY AND THEIR COCKTAILS
ARE WARM". WELL, I DIDN'T IN THE LEAST MIND
HIS SAYING THAT THE NOVELISTS WERE LOUSY BUT I DID RESENT HIS
SAYING THE COCKTAILS WERE WARM BECAUSE HE HAD DRUNK A
GREAT MANY IN MY HOUSE WITH, AS FAR AS I COULD JUDGE,
A GREAT APPRECIATION. EVER MOVE MUCH
AMONG PAINTERS? WELL, I HAVE LIVED AMONG
PAINTERS, BUT OF COURSE YEARS AND YEARS AGO, AND
I'VE HAD MY PORTRAIT PAINTED AND SCULPTURED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL I'M BLUE IN THE FACE
AND I ENJOY THEIR COMPANY. THE TROUBLE OF COURSE WITH
SOME CONTEMPORARY PAINTERS IS THAT THEY MAY MAKE ONE
LITERALLY BLUE IN THE FACE. YOU'VE GOT A LOVELY
PORTRAIT ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVEN'T YOU, OF
GRAHAM SUTHERLAND'S? YES. THAT WAS A GOOD ONE
AND, OH, SEVERAL PAINTERS. SIR GERALD KELLY DID
A LOVELY ONE OF YOU. YES, THAT IS
A GOOD ONE. I WONDER IF YOU'D LIKE
ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT MARIE LAURENCIN WHO WROTE
TO ME ONE DAY AND SAID TO ME "I'D LIKE TO PAINT A PORTRAIT
OF YOU" AND I WROTE BACK AND SAID I'D BE
EXTREMELY FLATTERED BUT I THOUGHT I OUGHT TO
REMIND HER THAT I WASN'T A YOUNG MAN WITH GREAT
SLOE-LIKE EYES AND BIG CHEEKS AND A RED MOUTH BUT AN OLD
GENTLEMAN WITH WRINKLES. TO WHICH SHE ANSWERED "I
DON'T MIND ABOUT THE WRINKLES BUT DON'T COME
IN A COAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW
TO PAINT A COAT". AND SO I WENT IN A DRESSING
GOWN AND I SAT FOR FOUR DAYS AND SHE TOLD ME THE
WHOLE STORY OF HER LIFE AND I HAD A WONDERFUL
TIME AND AT THE END SHE LOOKED AT THE
CANVAS AND SHE SAID "YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
ALWAYS COMPLAIN THAT MY PORTRAITS
AREN'T LIKE THE CITY'S AND I CAN'T TELL YOU
HOW LITTLE I CARE". AND SHE TOOK THE CANVAS
OFF THE EASEL AND SAID "THERE'S A
PRESENT FOR YOU". AND I HAVE IT HERE UPSTAIRS
ONLY SHE PAINTED A YOUNG MAN WITH BEAUTIFUL BLACK EYES, A
WHITE COMPLEXION AND RED LIPS. THE PICTURE OF CHARLES
STRICKLAND WHICH YOU GAVE IN THE MOON AND SIXPENCE</i><i>
</i>SUGGESTS THAT YOU KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE
PROCESSES OF PAINTING. HAVE YOU EVER
PAINTED YOURSELF? NO, NO, AND I HAVEN'T GOT ANY
GIFTS IN THAT DIRECTION AT ALL. HAVE YOU FOUND THAT YOUR TASTE
ALTERED MUCH WITH THE YEARS? THAT'S TO SAY PEOPLE LIKE
PICASSO AND SO FORTH? ENORMOUSLY. I REMEMBER THAT FIFTY YEARS
AGO - MORE - I WAS IN PARIS AND I WAS TAKEN BY GERALD
KELLY, WHO AFTERWARDS BECAME PRESIDENT OF
THE ROYAL ACADEMY, TO SEE THE FIRST COLLECTION
OF THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS. AND WE LOOKED AT THEM
AND I FOUND THEM ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE
AND I COULDN'T IMAGINE HOW ANYONE
COULD THINK THAT THAT WAS
GOOD PAINTING. AND THEN THE YEARS
PASSED ONE BY ONE, EVERYONE GOT USED TO THEM
AND SAW THEIR ORIGINALITY AND THEIR BEAUTY AND
ONE THING OR ANOTHER AND I HAVE SEVERAL OF
THEM IN THE HOUSE NOW. HOW ABOUT MUSIC? DOES THAT
MEAN A GREAT DEAL TO YOU? I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD
HONESTLY SAY A GREAT DEAL. I LIKE TO
LISTEN TO MUSIC. I'M PARTICULARLY FOND OF OPERA
AND I HAVE MY FAVORITE OPERAS AND I THINK MY FAVORITE OPERA
OF ALL IS DIE MEISTERSINGER</i> AND I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT
THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DIE TO THE STRAINS
OF THE LAST ACT. LOVELY, LOVELY MUSIC;
ENCHANTING MUSIC. LOOKING ROUND THE WHOLE
OF LIFE AS WE'VE BEEN DOING, GOING FROM ONE
THING TO ANOTHER, ARE YOU CONSCIOUS
OF ANY GREAT GAP? I REMEMBER ONCE HAROLD
NICHOLSON SAYING TO ME THAT HE VERY
MUCH REGRETTED HE HAD NEVER KNOWN
ANYTHING ABOUT SPORT. I REMEMBER YOUR BEING
VERY GOOD AT TENNIS. FAIRLY GOOD,
FAIRLY GOOD. I LEFT IT OFF BECAUSE I
USED TO HAVE THE SEMI-PROS WHO USED TO COME
FROM MONTE CARLO AND THEY LIKED
TO COME BECAUSE THEY GOT GOOD
TEA AND DRINKS AND I HEARD ONE OF
THEM SAY TO ANOTHER "CONSIDERING HIS AGE HE
DOESN'T PLAY AT ALL A BAD GAME" AND I SAID TO MYSELF
"THAT ISN'T ENOUGH". AND SO FROM THAT DAY ON
I NEVER PLAYED A GAME. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BROUGHT
YOU THE GREATEST HAPPINESS - TRAVEL, OR PEOPLE,
OR IDEAS OR YOUR WORK? OH NO. ALTHOUGH I'VE LIKED
A GOOD MANY PEOPLE, I'VE DISLIKED A
GOOD MANY MORE, AND MY GREATEST SATISFACTION
IS TO THINK OF A STORY AND WRITE IT AS I WANT
TO SEE IT IN MY MIND'S EYE. COULD YOU GIVE ANY ADVICE
TO A YOUNG WRITER AT ALL TO HELP HIM DO SOMETHING
OF THE SAME SORT? OH, I COULD
CERTAINLY. I SHOULD SAY THROW YOURSELF
INTO THE HURLY-BURLY OF LIFE. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW
MANY MISTAKES YOU MAKE. WHAT UNHAPPINESS YOU HAVE TO
UNDERGO, IT'S ALL YOUR MATERIAL. BUT WOULD YOU ADVISE
HIM TO DO SOMETHING LIKE JOINING A SCHOOL
OF CREATIVE WRITING? OH, NO, THAT'S THE FARTHEST
THING I'D ADVISE HIM TO DO. I THINK HIS
SCHOOL IS LIFE. I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT
WAS VERY DIFFICULT, I AGREE, TO LEARN IN A SCHOOL
OF CREATIVE WRITING, BUT THEY DO EXIST,
THESE SCHOOLS. I KNOW THEY DO,
ALL OVER THE PLACE. I BELIEVE THEM TO
BE ENTIRELY USELESS. AND YOU'D THINK THAT
THE WRITER OUGHT TO BE A FAIRLY WELL-LIVED
CHARACTER. I MEAN, HE OUGHT NOT
TO SHUT HIMSELF UP. OH, CERTAINLY NOT. THEY WRITE TO ME ALL THE
TIME ASKING ME FOR ADVICE AND I ALWAYS GIVE
THE SAME ANSWER: DON'T WAIT FOR EXPERIENCE
TO COME TO YOU, GO OUT AFTER
EXPERIENCE. YOUR EXPERIENCE
IS YOUR MATERIAL. WHEN YOU TURN BACK TOWARDS
THE GREAT NOVEL WRITERS OF THE PAST, HAVE YOU
BEEN ON THE WHOLE FAIRLY FAITHFUL TO
ONE OR TWO OF THEM? LET'S SAY VOLTAIRE
OR GOETHE WHOM I KNOW YOU
ADMIRE VERY MUCH. WELL, YOU KNOW, VOLTAIRE
IS AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERESTING EXAMPLE
OF THE FATE OF A WRITER. HE WROTE REAMS
AND REAMS OF STUFF AND HE LIVES ON ONE SORT
OF NOVEL THAT HE WROTE. EVERYTHING ELSE
HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN. YOU'RE THINKING OF
CANDIDE,</i> I SUPPOSE. YES, A CHARMING
LITTLE NOVEL. DIDN'T YOU WRITE SOMEWHERE
THAT BEFORE YOU STARTED ON A NOVEL YOU ALWAYS
RE-READ CANDIDE?</i> I MAY HAVE
SAID THAT. I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE
AND THERE WAS PROBABLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF TRUTH IN IT. I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED UPON IT
AS AN ENCHANTING LITTLE BOOK, EXTREMELY HUMOROUS AND FULL OF
GOOD SENSE AND HUMAN NATURE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THE GREAT RUSSIANS - TOLSTOY, SAY,
OR DOSTOEVSKY? WELL, I SUPPOSE EVERYBODY
AGREES THAT THE BEST NOVEL THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN
IS TOLSTOY'S WAR AND PEACE.</i> IT WAS A COLOSSAL NOVEL,
IT TOOK HIM YEARS TO WRITE AND HIS UNFORTUNATE
WIFE HAD TO WRITE IT OUT IN LONG HAND
SEVEN TIMES. SHE FREQUENTLY TRIED TO COMMIT
SUICIDE BUT SHE DIDN'T SUCCEED. IT'S ONLY NATURAL IN
THE CIRCUMSTANCES. DO YOU STILL GET PLEASURE OUT
OF THESE GREAT MASTERPIECES? NO, BUT LOOK, I CAN'T
GO ON READING THEM. I'VE READ ALL THE GREAT
NOVELS OF THE WORLD PERHAPS THREE
OR FOUR TIMES AND THE ONLY ONE NOW I
CONTINUE TO READ IS PROUST. I SUPPOSE HE IS
ALMOST INEXHAUSTIBLE. INEXHAUSTIBLE. IT'S FUNNY HE'S
HAD NO INFLUENCE ON WRITING
IN ENGLISH. OH, NONE WHATEVER. HE
WAS A UNIQUE CREATURE, A RATHER UNPLEASANT
MAN, I SHOULD THINK, BUT AN EXTRAORDINARILY
INTERESTING WRITER. ARE THERE OTHER WRITERS WHO
WERE QUITE UNLIKE YOURSELF WHO YOU
ALSO ESTEEM? WELL, I SUPPOSE YOU'RE
REFERRING TO HENRY JAMES... THAT IS A
POSSIBILITY. ...WHOM I USED TO KNOW AND
LIKED, AND I DO ADMIRE HIM BUT I DON'T THINK HE KNEW
ANYTHING ABOUT LIFE WHATEVER. DID HE TALK
AS HE WRITES? EXACTLY,
YES, EXACTLY. IT MUST HAVE BEEN RATHER A
TRYING EXPERIENCE SOMETIMES. I THINK WRITERS WHO,
UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY'RE
WRITING A NOVEL WRITE SOCIAL DOCUMENTS,
ARE EXTREMELY MISTAKEN. YES, I SEE THAT. YOU ARE INCLUDING
SOME OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED
WRITERS OF OUR TIME. EXACTLY, YES. BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE
GOING TO WRITE IS GOING TO BE OUT OF DATE IN AN
EXTREMELY SHORT WHILE. ONE OF THE HOPES
OF EVERY AUTHOR WHO HAS WRITTEN
A GREAT DEAL I SHOULD SAY WAS TO HOPE
THAT HE WON'T BE ENTIRELY FORGOTTEN AFTER HIS DEATH,
AND THE SOCIAL DOCUMENT IS AN ENTIRELY
EPHEMERAL BUSINESS. DO YOU LOOK ON YOURSELF AS
A WRITER WHO TEACHES PEOPLE OR AS A WRITER
WHO OBSERVES THEM? I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL, SO
TO SPEAK, DETACHED FROM THE EFFECT OF YOUR BOOKS
OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A CERTAIN SPECIFIC IMPACT ON
THE PEOPLE WHO READ THEM? OH, I DON'T THINK SO. I WRITE TO - I THINK I'VE
ALWAYS WRITTEN TO INTEREST AND AMUSE MYSELF, AND
AS TO TEACHING PEOPLE IT HASN'T EVER ENTERED
MY HEAD FOR A MINUTE. BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE TAUGHT
THEM WITHOUT MEANING TO. FOR EXAMPLE, A BOOK
LIKE THE</i> RAZOR'S EDGE,</i> I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT
WAS A KIND OF TEACHING BOOK. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU
MAKE SOME WONDERFUL COMMENTS ON LIFE
IN THE COURSE OF IT. I'M GLAD YOU
THINK LIKE THAT. I WROTE IT BECAUSE IT
PLEASED ME TO WRITE IT AND THE HERO OF
THAT PARTICULAR BOOK IS CALLED LARRY AND SINCE
THEN I'VE HAD HUNDREDS OF LETTERS FROM PEOPLE
ASKING ME TO MEET HIM. HOW FASCINATING. TALKING ABOUT THIS
MATTER OF TEACHING, DID YOU FORM A
PATTERN OF LIFE? DID YOU DECIDE HOW YOUR
LIFE OUGHT TO BE ORGANIZED, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM
THE VERY WORD GO? OH, I DON'T
THINK THAT. I LOOK UPON MYSELF AS
A SLAVE OF ACCIDENTS. AND AS I LOOK BACK I'M
APPALLED AT ALL THE MISTAKES I'VE MADE AT LIFE... TERRIBLE
MISTAKES ALL THE TIME, AND THE ADVANTAGE
OF BEING A WRITER IS THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO USE
ALL YOUR MISTAKES FOR COPY. BUT IF YOU LOOK FORWARD NOW
TO THE YEARS WHICH LIE AHEAD, WHAT SORT OF PLANS
DO YOU HAVE FOR THEM? WELL, YOU SEE, AT MY
VERY ADVANCED AGE I KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T GOT
VERY MUCH LONGER TO LIVE AND I FEEL THAT MY LIFE
HANGS ON A THREAD AND THE THREAD MAY
BREAK ANY MOMENT. WELL, I'M PERFECTLY
RESIGNED TO THAT AND SO FAR AS THE
FUTURE'S CONCERNED I WANT TO LIVE THE
SORT OF LIFE I LIVE NOW. THIS WAS A CONVERSATION
BETWEEN W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM,
