MASTERSON, a Short Story by Somerset Maugham 

Oh, I was so wrapped up in Maugham's story, I forgot to offer my sincerest gratitude to the Neuralsurfer for enriching humanity by sharing these extremely well produced narratives of well curated literary classics. Thank you for your Integrity, Authenticity, sense of Responsibility/Leadership, enriching Life and Others. May you be lavishly rewarded for freely enriching others. Blessings🙏💕

You do such a good job with these stories, not just the narration, but the art and music 🎶 are so lovely and perfect. They enhance the stories immensely. Thank you!

Forgot to THANK you most heartily for ALL the Somerset Muaugham uploads (!!!)

As soon as I see you’ve posted another Maugham story, there’s no hesitation to listen. Thank you so much. You do a great job reading. Well, actually, telling the story . Kudos.

What a sad story.

What a wonderful story,rather thought provoking. The music is enchanting,stressing the S.Maugham's style perfectly. Thanks a million ❤

Another well executed Maugham short story with this recurring theme.. An intimate, genuine emotional bond develops, the protagonist decides to allow the otherwise perfect relationship to dematerialize. Always sweet, poignant and rather sad. Delusion of one sort of another is always the proximate cause. Here we see this Masterson fellow, who has chosen reside in Taunggyi, Burma where he ''would sooner live than anywhere in the world' because it ''offered contentment''. He cultivates a devoted, loving relationship with a ravishing young girl whose intelligence and skill in managing the art of living to perfection is flawless. He even starts a family with her and is welcomed by both her family and the locals. Then he refuses to offer her the security that every human requires and a perfect partner is forced to move on. If Masterson had spent 1/10th the time collecting Buddhist paraphernalia studying and practicing the simple basics of Buddhism, he would have completed with his past, freed himself from projected delusions of the future and enabled himself to Celebrate Life in the Eternal Here/Now.. After "The Razor's Edge", I always see Maugham as a Transcendentalist in both heart and Spirit. Maugham is so subtle, one never sees it unless they have experienced it themselves. But this is the real reason his stories touch us in a deeply, inexplicably manner ❤

Yes, lovely intro music

Perhaps when this story was written Mastersons attitude wasn't as appalling as it is to us now, but if ever there were a story of a man cutting off his nose to spite his face, it's this. He won't marry the perfect, intelligent and lovely girl who has had his children because she is Burmese and he is English? Because he virtually bought her from her parents? She's worth ten of him and one is left hoping that perhaps he will come to his senses - that would be better for him than for her but at least it wouldn't be so cruel. Sometimes the past isn't as good as we think it was.

Of course it would never occur to such a man to marry the girl, the mother of his children, and return with them to England to live. Nor, did it seem he had any feeling for or cared about his children and their futures.

Excellent as usual . Thank you .

I suppose there’s no fool like an old fool!

I enjoy these.

I am going to take you to court for encouraging the addiction you implanted in my brain 😂

Sad story,

What is that beautiful string air at the end of the story -- Irish?

I am surfing on my neurones😂

I'm enjoying these stories. What a good idea. But you can tell they're written by a man.

What a selfish cad!

Oh, I was so wrapped up in Maugham's story, I forgot to offer my sincerest gratitude to the Neuralsurfer for enriching humanity by sharing these extremely well produced narratives of well curated literary classics. Thank you for your Integrity, Authenticity, sense of Responsibility/Leadership, enriching Life and Others. May you be lavishly rewarded for freely enriching others. Blessings🙏💕