W. Somerset Maugham, Cakes and Ale

Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Ed. by Chris Baldick, Goldsmiths College, University of London
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Newman University), Louise McDonald (Newman University)

Dates

First circulation or publication Sep 1930

Places

England (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel
Satire

Resources

Cakes and Ale: or The Skeleton in the Cupboard (1930) is W. Somerset Maugham’s most amusing novel, and one of the finest satires ever written on the subject of literary celebrity. It is also notable for its ingeniously time-shifting narrative construction and for containing Maugham’s warmest portrayal of a female character. It landed Maugham in some controversy upon its first publication, but soon became a favourite among his books, both for his huge international readership and for the author himself. Its narrative is an exercise in first-person retrospect, the narrator being William Ashenden, a successful Maugham-like writer of novels and plays, previously introduced as the protagonist, although not narrator, of …

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2055 words

Citation: Baldick, Chris. "Cakes and Ale". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 June 2020 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11445, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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