THE BACK OF BEYOND, A Story by Somerset Maugham
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- "The Back of Beyond" follows George Moon, a colonial administrator in the Federated Malay States, as he reflects on his career and impending retirement. He lingers in his office, dreading a farewell dinner where he will be presented with a silver tea-service he doesn't want. George is respected for his strictness and efficiency but realizes he has not inspired affection among his colleagues. His thoughts are interrupted by Tom Saffary, a planter who holds a grudge against him but has come to explain his absence from the dinner due to grief over a friend's death. The story delves into George's internal conflict, his loneliness, and the disconnection ........
- Zábava
There is nothing quite like Somerset Maugham, not even O'Henry or Oscar Wild. I'm not so fond of most audio presentation of books, short stories etc. with the exception of this series in particular. The pleasures of English Literature is well endorced by this reading. Wonderful.
I 💯 agree!! Have been a fan of Maugham for decades, but I've always found it frustrating to put together a real, complete collection of my favorite stories. Now, I don't have to. This channel has all my old favorites, the novels, and some stories I didn't know. What a wonderful find!! 😊
😅
It’s AI. This channel owner describes it as a human voice augmented in a lab. Many mispronunciations, misplaced emphases, lurches, and even readings such as, “Asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk.” The narration is soulless, like someone reading a song. Maugham deserves better.
@fiddlersthree8463 I agree. The narration isn't very good, but I listen anyway. That shows just how wonderful the stories are.
@@fiddlersthree8463 Yes, he does. I have decided to stop listening to this and look for something better or just read the stories myself.
Those words on the foolishness of expecting gratitude from you partner or best friends are some of the truest words on intimate relationships I have ever heard voiced.
I have to agree
I always used to say that to my husband
Thanks again. Like a refreshing movie……walk outside the cooler evening….Los Angeles nights are just beginning..let’s go eat….😅😊
I’m thrilled I found your channel.
Thank you for these amazing writers with wonderful narratives.
Another great example of Maugham's writing ! Thank you !
Thank you 🙏
Thank you for this very enjoyable reading 📚
A wonderful story, thank you
"The right thing...is the kind thing..." Well, that was worth the trip.
This was such a good story! 👌💚🙏
The reader is very good !!
It's not an actual person 😊 ...it's AI
@@rheinhartsilvento2576 Amazing how natural it sounds, just like a human
@@nancyallen628 Can't agree with that. There is no life in this AI voice in my view. The stories are great but would be better to listen to a really good speaker that could give all the natural nuances of the human interpretation of the work.
Yes, I notice the strange pronunciation of certain words. But Somerset Maugham's writing makes up for it!
I think it's amazingly good and will only get better.
I wish there were more Somerset Maugham 's to discover
Ty ❤
*Spoilers*
This is written in a 'Letter to My Younger Self,' style. The one thing youth needs most in life is perspective - but that only comes with age.
George Moon was a fifty-five-year-old man who was about to retire. He had achieved the success he set out to achieve in business. Young Tom Saffary was a man who George had levied a fine on about a year prior to the story's beginning. Now Tom is in charge of the retirement shindig. I'm used to American storytellers and was expecting some revenge, so when Tom shows up to tell George Moon that he won't be at the retirement bash, I cynically thought, 'I guess he wouldn't want to be there.' However, I was wrong. Tom is the decent sort who believes in being there for others and not letting down those who count on him. He tells George that he won't be at the retirement bash, because his best friend Harold 'Nobby' Clarke had died. He received news of his best friend's death while playing a competitive game in which others laid bets on him to win. Tom continued to play the game in order to not let his supporters down. He narrowly managed to win for them.
Tom went home to tell his wife of their mutual loss. When she takes the news of Nobby's death very badly indeed, Tom realizes that his best friend and his wife were lovers. He tells George that that is the reason for him being unable to attend the retirement party. George tells Tom of his divorce from his wife. It was told as a parallel story to Tom. Like Tom, George had come to a foreign land to make a living, like Tom his wife was unfaithful. Here is where the 'letter to my younger self' comes in. After the divorce, George realized that he couldn't take proper care of the child although he had won full custody. George, therefore, gave the child to his ex-wife. On a trip home prior to putting in for retirement, George met his ex-wife at a theater. It was more than a decade later. She had put on weight. Quite a bit of weight. She laughingly tells him about her weakness for rich foods and was light-hearted about it. He invited her to lunch. She catches him up on all the news about their now grown so, who has no particular use for his stern father, and the daughter that his former wife had after their divorce who might have been his if he had had the sense to hold on to what he had so pridefully thrown away in divorce. His ex was witty, charming, and happily looking forward to becoming a grandmother by that same daughter. George returned to his work in foreign parts again. He lets Tom know that the life-trajectory that Tom was on now, was similar to one he found himself on at approximately the same age as Tom was now, thirty-eight. That he realizes that in the space of about seventeen short years, not only had George missed out on all the treasured memories of his son's life, but all the treasured future memories of becoming a grandparent as well. George tells Tom that he wished he'd remained married through the hard times of infidelity in order to have a life full of those who loved him and complete family life. Tom asks George what that would do to his pride; George says that pride was the pitfall. He advises Tom to focus only on his future happiness. Because although George had various other women, none of them compared favorably to that one unique woman he had married. She, and she alone, had the personality traits that could make him happy. Her weight gain was nothing compared to her jovial, sagaciousness. Maugham points out the need to balance work/life success by having George's ex-wife tell him at their luncheon, that business success was probably the only happiness that he was capable of attaining.
George ends by giving real words of wisdom to Tom after Tom assured George that he only wants to do the right thing. George says the right thing is the kind thing. Hinting that that was why he had fined Tom a year ago. Tom was unkind to one of his workers; Tom had been 'right' but not kind. The fine levied was in order to nudge Tom into showing more kindness to those people who were part of his life. The story ends with George watching slithery creatures in a muddy pond. George thinks that for all that mankind thinks of itself - noble, heroic, etc. - that the truth was that we humans are much like those creatures. We expend all our life-energy charging around this nasty little pond-of-a-world. George says, "Mostly human nature is both absurd and pitiful." None of us are really any better than all the other slimy creatures in this muddy pond-of-a-world we live in. This was a very mature view of infidelity and divorce. It presents divorce as a choice, not as a necessity, after the revelation of infidelity. Because if "... life has taught you tolerance you find in it more to smile at than to weep." The gordian knot of what to do was resolved by focusing on your own future happiness rather than on a current hurt ego. Once business life is over and people are no longer paid to respect you; only the love and respect of family remains - if you haven't lost them to divorce.
Another request to discover if anyone knows anything about the beautiful song/ singer at the very end?
Misogyny abounds in this story but still a good study of human nature back in the day
A few slaps are less bad than divorce.
Brilliantly told stories, warts and all
Misogyny abounds!? Who cares? It’s a story. Censor yourself.
@@roberthuff3122Take your own advice
For a devout and avid homosexual, Mnaugham has a wonderful gift of insight into the feminine psyche. Well worth reading are Rain and Winter Cruise.
What is the name of the lovely song in the end? 🩰
there is none so adept at defining English arrogance and domination of their conquered Canadians were there providence too Until the 60s we were British citizens Did they help or hinder nation
I suppose Violet finds herself unable to live independently, therefore has no choice but to remain with her husband. Not a very pleasant position to be in.
I agree.
Until she finds love again!!!
Successful in every way but in taking care of the people that need their love and attention. Pretty depressing observation.