Character guide · 6 books · 1915 to 1944

W. Somerset Maugham

Thriller and suspense Literary and generalSpy and espionage Literary fiction Classics

W. Somerset Maugham was one of the most popular writers of the twentieth century. Of Human Bondage follows a young man with a club foot; The Painted Veil follows an unfaithful wife in cholera-stricken China; his Ashenden stories, drawn from his own work as a British agent, helped invent the modern spy story.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Ashenden reappears as the narrator of Cakes and Ale.

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W. Somerset Maugham books in order

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