In the “The Moon and Sixpence”, Somerset Maugham narrates the story of Charles Strickland, a well off London stock broker who abandons his wife and children in midlife to become a painter. Strickland is convinced that he must paint, despite the fact that he has never done so. Inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin, Maugham’s characterization of Strickland reveals that the pursuit of his personal artistic vision is not without considerable sacrifice and the callousness of his character often falls under question. Told in Maugham’s absorbing story telling style, the novel gains depth and complexity in revealing the narrator’s struggle to appreciate Strickland’s genuine artistic expression in view of his often incomprehensible behavior. ©Amazon.com

威廉·萨默塞特·毛姆（William Somerset Maugham,1874 -1965)，英国小说家，剧作家，被誉为“故事圣手”。

生于巴黎，十岁前父母双亡，由叔叔接回英国抚养，因身材矮小，说话结巴，总被同龄人欺凌，性格孤僻敏感。

18岁在伦敦学医，后弃医从文。23岁时发表首部小说《兰贝斯的丽莎》，从此走上文学创作的道路。人生经历奇特，他做过助产，做过间谍，做过演员，做过救护车司机；他做过丈夫，做过情人，拒绝过女人的求婚，他的求婚也被另一个女人拒绝；他自称“四分之三喜欢女人，只有四分之一喜欢男人”。

在文学界，毛姆是一个优雅、老到、冷漠的人性观察者，几乎每一个人都能在他的故事中看到自己，这也让毛姆成为二十世纪炙手可热的作家。

他的后半生住在一座仙境般的别墅里，晚年几乎获得了整个欧洲文学界的一切殊荣。91岁时，逝于法国。

经典代表作：《月亮与六便士》《人性的枷锁》。