For me Maugham was a master of the short story with an extrordinary ability to adapt the form to fit the subject. He was fascinated by unusal twists in people's lives so needed to devise unexpected forms to make his point. Unfortunately in terms of narration AI stands for Absolute Incompetence.
I'm sorry but l don't understand his popularity. All his characters are instantly forgettable and his flawless direct robotic writing style is momently boring.
I am just glad that I can have the chance to revisit Maugham’s extraordinary craftsmanship . I read him when I lived in the Far East and was very fortunate to sleep in his suite in the Raffles Hotel, Singapore. I mixed myself several Singapore Sling sitting in his unbelievable double king size bed, all around adorned with delicate Chinese’s silk, while reading his short stories. I collected all his work and took it with me around the globe. Since then many years have passed and my eyesight is a lot worse. For me, although, I agree with your criticism, it’s an unexpected delight. Would be nice to hear his Arab servant speak broken French while shuffling to his room. Maybe I will never get to know the miracles AI will be able to perform in the next few years. ❤
AI is ruining a lot of lovely literature not to mention mispronounced words. It's all so disrespectful and putting a lot of good narrators out of business.
I can’t agree with your “well-narrated” comment. This computerized voice is absolutely soulless and is liberally sprinkled with mispronunciations and inappropriate emphases not to mention random squawks and bleats. Such a disservice to hard-working human narrators who read literature the way it should be read.
I can never figure out the point of Maugham's stories. They're always engaging but then they seem to skew obliquely off somehow and I feel derailed. Or stupid. Or lacking in discernment or in subtlety. Oh well. There's no test, is there? Perhaps my expectations are too high for short stories, along with nearly everything else in life, so far. 😒
My thought about Maugham's short stories, is that there isn't a point. It's up to you what you make of it . I believe that Maugham got a lot of his inspiration from his partner Gerald Haxton, who was far more sociable, and who gossiped with their fellow travellers during their voyages to exotic places . The stories ( to me) sound just like something told during drinks with a stranger . I can imagine Gerald coming back to their cabin and recounting a bit of juicy gossip , and Maugam taking up his pen and starting to sketch out his newest short story. The stories often lack a point, because few things in life have one. As you've found !
Well some stories feel unfinished to me and I found it odd that in a preface to one of his novels he says a story must have an ending to satisfy readers curiosity.
His stories tend to have an abrupt ending that doesn't do justice to their lengthy, very detailed descriptions of his main characters. Whether that's a matter of discernment or subtlety, I can't say, but I can't think of any other writer whose short stories are like that. By the way, I don't really care for the AI narration either.
IMO, it was a tale about a typical unconscionable criminal that justifies their actions and paints themself as a victim or saint. He doesn’t really show any remorse, accountability, or care for his wife or friend. His narrative is focused on himself, he is incredibly narcissistic. Then the title is clever and the prospect of hearing an unusual tale of being imprisoned for a good deed (motivated by remorse as the character puts it), draws the reader in. That the title is “A Man With A Conscience,” yet turns out to be the opposite-It reminds of how the names of things that include a very positive sounding word, turn out to be the opposite. E.g. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (a.k.a North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, honour killings, and George Orwell’s “Ministry of Love” in his book 1984. As the saying goes, those that claim to have the largest halos [angels/saints], have the largest horns [demons/evil]. (Or those that toot their own horn a lot about how good, charitable, merciful, or hard-done-to they are actually turn out to be the very opposite).
There’s always a nugget of truth in the fancy descriptions or realistic characters. In this story’s framework I enjoy its presentation like a speech to a men’s club about how the writers life finds topics that can bec cultivated to grow in a garden of life’s possibilities, or morals that can please and give advice
The subject is portrayed sympathetically, yet had no justification for murdering his harmless young wife. There's no hint of sympathy for her from the author and none from the protagonist. I can't help thinking that this story gives some insight into Maughan's own character.
*Spoilers** *Analysis.** St. Lauren de Moroni was a penal island for psychopathic murderers. This short story was about whether psychopathy should lead to an insanity defense. At that time, France considered psychopathy to be insanity. An insane person was not held morally responsible for their crimes. England did not consider psychopathy to be insanity. Therefore, the killer could be hung for the murder they were found guilty of. The walk and talk with the Commandant was key to understanding how inmates were evaluated. The Commandant was quite clear, parole hinges on conscience. A conscience that acknowledges that they bear sole and full responsibility for the crime they committed. He states that most do not. This story was told as prose. For some, it seems to leave the reader wondering whether the death of Marie-Louise was murder or accident. Marie-Louise died after being hit in the head with an Indian Club (looks like a bowling ball pin but is weighted for resistance training). There was no denying that the club had been in Jean's hand. Jean maintained that it hit her head by accident when it slipped from his hand as he exercised. His strong defense was that he had no motive to kill her. Prosecution's strong accusation was that the blow was delivered with enough force to crack her skull. So we must examine the death of a young inmate in the dormitory on St. Lauren de Moroni Island to evaluate the claim of accident versus murder. There were hints that Jean did the savage murder of the youth and further hints that Jean had been promiscuous with that youth. The main hint was that Jean was given a coveted single room the day of the youth's death. That might not seem like much of a hint unless you recall the Commandant saying that there are inmates who are trustworthy and honest. Which would mean that there is no reason to think that fifty men in a dormitory represents a savage struggle for survival, rather that they can live in dormitories with others. Single rooms, which are hard to come by, are for those who represent greater risk to the other inmates. It had been promised to the youth to safeguard him from sexual abuse. Another hint was that Jean tells of the youth's request for the single room. Important to that request was the reason why. Obviously, Jean would not have been part of that conversation between the youth and the Commandant, leaving the reader to understand that Jean knew the reason because he was the one being promiscuous with the youth, and being a clever young man he was able to figure things out. By extension, that was part of the reason for the murder - the youth had told on him. By further extension that was why Jean received a single room on the same day the murder was discovered. To evaluate the death of Marie-Louise in the light of the death of the youth, one concludes that Marie-Louise was murdered by her husband who was a psychopathic murderer. Jean says that when he gets off the island he plans to marry again because he wants a wife and a home. Though next time he would marry for money. And that sends chills down one's spine.
@mysticmeadowshomestead6209 Thank you so much for your analysis, I was surprised by so many points in the story that I had failed to notice, because I was overwhelmed by the unmistakable stench of malice that emanated from it throughout. For instance, those hints of homosexuality and predation completely escaped me, but it certainly rings true in the light of what maugham was known for, in his own life, as well as that of his brother, who were both thought to have been born evil and wandered the earth as a successful writer and lawyer, respectively, hated by those who knew them. Both did die bitter and miserable, but it is small comfort for the world that has been left polluted, in their wake.
A man not of conscience, but a cold and calculating one. Too bad the AI narration couldn't settle on the pronunciation of his name = either the French or English way. Also, kept pronouncing the city of Lyons, as "Lions" like the animal.
@mattneillninasmom The character portrayed (or the portrayer of the character) seemed to be a conscious man, aware of himself and what he was all about, rather than one of conscience.
