A Portion from The Moon and the Six Pence

“I suppose that everyone's conception of the passion is formed on his own idiosyncrasies, and it is different with every different person.”

“The experience of life shows that people are constantly doing things which must lead to disaster, and yet by some chance manage to evade the result of their folly.”

“There is no cruelty greater than a woman's to a man who loves her and whom she does not love; she has no kindness then, no tolerance even, she has only an insane irritation”

I am reading Maugham’s yet another masterpiece and if I say I am thoroughly enjoying it, it still does not go out to express my feelings entirely. The depiction of every character besides being extremely mortal is also plainly grey. There is no perfection and in this imperfection is the perfect synchrony.

I have just completed the portion where Strickland has moved into his friend’s house and has put his life to a stop. The expressions used to characterise the woman involved is not only an indication of his understanding of women, it also goes out to say that in so many years, a woman still remains one with the same characteristics.

The one sentence just summarises a woman’s expression towards love and when she loses interest in it. Strangely, men seem to be far more varied compared to the women described in his books both in character and assimilation. From a soft hearted to a faint hearted, a morbid person to a strong one there is a variety that cannot be encapsulated so easily.

I do ascribe to most of his expressions however I still feel that he is a bit harsh towards a woman. A reminder Of Human Bondage and the way the book describes the love of a man for a woman who is anything but sophisticated in her ways. Women mostly come across as the faint hearted, flighty and with very minimal integrity and while I am too inexperienced to say otherwise, I would hope that they are not as lowly as they are depicted. Did I just sound judgemental or seems like I am yet to move from sentimentality to reality. This would help me be more open and less questioning of right from wrong.

Thanks Maugham for an absolutely delightful a tale!