Charles Hanson Towne (1877–1949)

This small work may have the modest distinction of being the first English- language book devoted to analysis of the literary contributions of W. Somerset Maugham. However, that minor distinction carries little meaning, given this book was edited by Maugham's literary agent (Charles Towne) and printed by Maugham’s publisher, in order to promote the sale of his books. First published in 1925, it (for some reason) was reprinted multiple times in the 1960s and 1970s.

This work includes five complimentary essays, an amusing contribution from Maugham himself, and excerpts of laudatory, previously- published reviews of his books. Its contents are as follows:

John Farrar “Introduction: Maugham and So Forth” (pp. 5-7)
Charles Hanson Towne “Mr. W. Somerset Maugham at Home” (pp. 8-12)
Carl van Doren and Mark van Doren “W. Somerset Maugham” (pp. 13-16)
Dorothea Lawrence Mann “Somerset Maugham in His Mantle of Mystery” (pp. 17-36)
Marcus Aurelius Goodrich “After Ten Years ‘Of Human Bondage’” (pp. 37-44)
W. Somerset Maugham, “To a Young Novelist” (pp. 45-54)
Appreciations of His Work (pp. 55-64)

In his introduction, John Farrar (poet, author, and editor of The Bookman) summarizes the book’s contents; he also recounts the origins of Maugham’s contribution. The Bookman had asked Maugham to create a verbal portrayal of himself, and Maugham sent him the fictional correspondence in response. Towne (a magazine editor, poet, and author, as well as Maugham’s agent) sketches the author’s personality and eminence as a writer. In a previously-published piece, the van Doren brothers (both being writers and literary critics) sketch the themes and significance of Of Human Bondage and The Moon and Sixpence.

Dorothea Lawrence Mann’s 20-page essay is the centerpiece of the book. She recapitulates Maugham’s writing career, commenting intelligently on the plots and qualities of his major novels and a few plays. Goodrich recounts the history of Of Human Bondage, including its cool reception in England, and subsequent rise in popularity. The spoof correspondence of Somerset Maugham’s “To a Young Novelist” is an amusing contribution known to the more devoted of Maugham enthusiasts. It has been reprinted under the title “Novelist or Bond Salesman” in the 1984 collection A Traveller in Romance (edited by John Whitehead). The ”Appreciations” that end this volume are excerpts from admiring reviews of Maugham’s works that were first printed in major magazines and newspapers from the USA.… (mehr)