I do enjoy these readings. I put them on at night and - due to the gentle narration - am peacefully asleep within 20 minutes. Which means I get to listen to the continuation the next night. Best few weeks sleep I have had in years, and a small delight for an elderly woman with sleep issues. Thank you!
WOW!! THANK YOU!! These stories are a magnifcent gift to those who enjoy listening to wonderful words strung impeccably together - like so many pearls!
Thank you. Somerset Maugham is such a great story teller. I didn't see the end coming and had to go and get myself a cup of tea. Narration was good and I love your artwork. 🙂
I'm not 100% sure but I think the reading was done by an AI. If not the reader would have been acknowledged in the description. And it was all a fairly monotone voice.
Wow, what a story! Thank you so much for it! What a cruel and heartless man the missionary was... Hope that Miss Thompson did not have to go back to San Francisco!
Wow. What a story. Nothing about it feels contrived, in the way that other complicated short stories wrap up. This story is just as real as real. Marvelous. Thank you---
This is not about colonialism at all. It's just unbridled, unchecked evangelism, of the kind a lot of these fervoured men of religion have been besotted with, spanning time and across all religious beliefs. Religion has been a haven for all emotionally disturbed people across the globe, since time immemorial. It allows them a sickening kind of deliverance which no rational philosophy would ever permit them to.
Agreed. Christianity tends to be paternalistic, and by nature judgmental and hypercritical. We should perhaps all be taught since childhood that there are billions of people in the with different beliefs and cultures. Self righteousness is unhealthy.
Religion cannot save us from our sins. Religion cannot give us eternal life. Religion cannot wash away the filth of our sins before a holy God. Sin is only forgiven and covered because of the blood of Jesus Christ God’s only son who shed his blood on Calvary’s Cross to pay our sin debt in full. Repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ and you will be saved
English writers of yesteryear have a singular intimacy with life spent throughout their various tropical outposts. They bring to almost palpable immediacy for the reader the fetid and steaming, -tacitly menacing, -world of their imperial projects, all steeped in a bitter tea of subliminal guilt and fear, sweetened with the usual smarmy English charm. Oh the joy of listening to an artform free from the claws of our reigning Philistine pygmies, without concern for their current revisionist repression and intolerant sensitivities. I am still glowing from "propinquity" and am dying for a chance to use it.
With such good reason this is regarded by some as S. Maugham's best short story, now that thanks to this medium I've heard several: extremely powerful on so many levels: pro female liberation when that was hardly the thing, a comprehension of what colonialism was, the sin the church bore against indigenous populations...viewed through the eyes of a doctor. Truly a great short story. I look forward to more!
So many thoughts… The hypocrisy of colonialism… self righteousness of religion…. Marvelous depiction of the monsoon season wearing on the nerves…. And then the ending. Thank you! ❤
@@lizlambert No. Jesus protected the woman from the church elders who wanted to stone her. The preacher commits suicide after he rapes the woman who trusted him and believed in him.
Further confirming the insanity that takes over the minds of Christians. The hypocrisy in making a repentant woman face the consequences of what she did before her transformation is failing to understand the true meaning of love and forgiveness. Believing god has forgiven her and she is a babe in christ, a new creature, but not realizing the consequences of what prison will do to her as a babe in christ is the definition of insanity. Not to realize they have put themselves above their god by their choosing to force this upon her. This is why I denounced my claim to call myself a christian after 40 years of bible study and practicing this form of religion.
@dianal.clausen8118 If you're ready to experience the early day, unchanged traditional church try Orthodoxy. In any case, don't cut ties with our Lord because of a few rotten apples. You'll find temptation everywhere, your test is not to allow it to remove you from Christ.
Thank you for another unforgettable new story I had missed out until today. Masterfully writtrn and superbly read. Listening to the narration I felt literally transported to the time and place where the human drama "was enacted"
What? I missed that! In the end she seemed to know but I missed her awareness of his “nature”. I mean, my run-ahead mind saw that. And the beastly Ladies-sit-around-discussing things …… and one feels a sort of Active giving (up? In? over to the charismatic? ). But I didn’t get a sense of resignation. Surely Ms. Thompson viewed her as an enabler. But I missed the fact of her her (the wife’s) cognizance.
An excellent story that exhibits a great deal of the attitudes of colonialism and xenophobia of its time. It also paints a (deservedly, to my mind) bleak picture of missionaries that remains a valid critique of that nightmarish enterprise.
Everything SM wrote is worth knowing but this story has always been at the top of my list of anyone's writings, it's such a true portrayal of the times, the attitudes and the reason religion needs to be curtailed and separate from law in society.
Absolutely 💯 ...I knew straight away what was happening by this 'Man of God' I am a huge fan of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, having their books ...these people thankfully can be found out quicker than in the past thanks to religion being questioned more...so much more needs done though. I personally want to stop the killing if innocent animals in its name and the cheek to ask for money for doing it! An excellent story .
An early movie version of Rain (1932) starring Joan Crawford as Miss Thompson had a softer ending. Instead of Miss Thompson spitting on Mrs. Davidson, the movie version has Mrs. Davidson apologizing to Miss Thompson and Miss Thompson in turn tells Mrs. Davidson she isn't blaming her for what happened. Probably the movie censors of the day wouldn't allow such a harsh ending as depicted in the print version. FYI, this story has been made into 2 plays and 4 movies.
Many film studios demanded certain changes to stories in order to meet the moral standards of the times. I’m sure this form of sanitizing annoyed many writers. I, too, recall the movie starring Joan Crawford. It’s rather depressing to me, ‘tho I admit I’ve watched it several times.
The character of the missionary Davidson is such an insufferable and sinister religious zealot, on a par with Elmer Gantry in the matter of storied religious characters. Excellent movie, too, Joan Crawford starring as Sadie Thompson.
In response to the 1st listed comment, I ask why?. I have recently had my 65th birthday. It wasn't until reading this comment that I'd thought of a person's thinking with age. This appears unfathomable to me. Regardless this is remarkable short story written by a talented author. Bravo! Excellent!
Please consider editing your comment as I am now the 1st lifted so your remark makes so sense at all. It will help to copy your comment, delete it, then go to the one you refer to, tap their reply button and paste your words followed by one more edit of deleting the first sentence. When done this way the person receives your statement and it's made clearn to whom you're replying. 😊
What a rigmarole !! The comment was clearly NOT directed at you so why not ignore it !!? People seeking to be offended is the curse ( or one of the curses ) of this age..!!
When I was younger i would have thought that the ending of this short story was quite predictable Today I see the ending as a horrible injustice against everything good in Life, the blight of Life it self.
I thought the Crawford movie adaptation stank!! I forced myself to watch it to the end, thinking there must surely be a redeeming life lesson. Wrong again. Vampy Joan gave a very poor performance. Sound quality was extremely poor (I know that was due to the year it was made, but still. . )
@@sandi9659 l don't agree. I think towards the end of the movie, where the character she portrays is committed to salvation, was very convincing. Her features are radiant and you can see that even the preacher is impressed with her devotion. It made the ending all the more powerful. There was a very real life lesson: Pride cometh before a fall. The preacher was so convinced of his own self-righteousness, that she had to suffer to save her soul, he didn't see the his own failings.
@@DubblyaDottie, sorry! I just saw this! The missionary guy, Mr. Davidson, ended up sleeping with the girl and that’s why he killed himself. It seems as though she was actually slowly seducing him, which is why she was constantly asking for him with this purpose in mind. It’s also possible that he forced himself on her. Whatever happened, they had a sexual encounter that he felt very guilty about.
Good story. I was hoping Miss Thompson would kill him though. A gal had to do what she had to do in a tough male dominated world. From the p.o.v. of an indigenous person I've got to say, "Missionaries, am I right"?
FWIW, Rabbi Tovia Singer would agree about the emotional brutality of missionaries. He has RU-vid clips about it. They hang out at the memorial site of the Nova Music Festival in Israel trying to convert Israelis who go there to mourn their dead. In 2024. I suppose by one gloss the young women who were killed were "sinful" the way Miss Thompson was . . . although it's a stretch to compare beautiful dancing hippie peaceniks of our time to sex workers of the past, & their mourning relatives whom the missionaries harass in order to convert them. What strange creatures we humans are.
As a Christian, I have to remember that Somerset Maugham had a certain bias against Christians in general probably due to the hypocrisy he saw among them. He no doubt met Christians who devout and not hypocrites, but they didn't make for good story telling. His contemporary Graham Greene travelled many of the same locales as Maugham but he was more sympathetic with his depictions of Christians.
I found the ending amusing in an odd way, but having to slog through the whole story? Meh. What Maugham illustrates, however, is a certain kind of personality that feels a need to force a belief system onto others out of fear. I don't see self-righteousness or hypocrisy as inherently a part of Christian evangelism or certain kinds of colonialism, and I somehow doubt that the author does either. One can encounter the same kind of personality whatever the "religion" is: Islam, feminism, transgenderism, environmentalism, socialism, whatever. Get Richard Dawkins going on atheism, for example. Or Greta Thunberg on Saving the World. These religious "missionaries" have their own concepts of mortal sin and paths to redemption, and can be just as oppressive in trying to enforce them. What they don't have - and this was Mr. Davidson's problem - is any sense of peace and joy.
To lump Dawkins and religious zealotry together with the reality of pollution, climate change, and global warming, about which Greta Thunberg is 100% correct, with the facts on her side, is pretty offensive, and more importantly, stupid.
With Maugham character is the story. If having to "slog through" the whole story to get to the point is tiresome then the nuances of personality, fatal flaws are wasted. There is a terrible sense of doom in all Maugham's stories. Perhaps his training in medicine fits him for the almost clinical dissection of human nature. I'm really relishing these stories long though they may be but it is 60 odd years since I first read them. Having had some experience in the tropics and Asia the clash of cultures and ideologies is acute and so often poignant. But these critical comments are excellent. Best downloads in years.
Baloney. Hypocrisy and intolerance are the essence of religion. All religions. Religion is superstitious nonsense, period. All religions, even yours. An invention of human beings created to control others and relieve oneself of the burden of having to take responsibility for one’s own life.
I took the story as an 'export' version of a common theme of Maugham. Specifically: hypocrisy. More generally: People are frequently not what they seem. For worse or for better. For an example that tends the 'better' way, find 'The necklace'.
A tragic and compelling tale. I'm sorry for the uncharitable light missionaries are painted in... Many of whom endured great suffering and gave their lives to bring the story of salvation to the nations. Sadly, where there is great misapplication of the Scriptures there will always be great hypocrisy and abuses of power in it's wake.
Anywhere missionaries went it was followed by cruelty, deceit, corruption, slavery. Sad they were doing the devils work. They incinerated every Mayan codex of untold astronomical insight. The missionaries destroyed culture and will have to answer to God.
@@rambleon3698 certainly a very uninformed observation. Hopefully, you'll look to the astounding heap of evidence for a Creator before you are standing at His throne.
I have lived my life without religion and have had no problem . I have helped many people and never wanted or expected anything . I did it because I wanted to and to make an example to my children I have no problem with religion but that's between you and your God. Not me . I have always thought people that push religion are insecure and can't be satisfied unless others buy in with them . Just like abortion I don't like it but that's between the woman the doctor and if In the end they can explain it to the god if he is real I guess.. just my opinion.
I agree, it's the individual that has to answer to God for their actions. However, I feel that God directs us to individuals that need help or even just a glimmer of hope. Therefore, if you are not connected to Him, how can you guide someone else? What we do in life is our choice, free will. But I'd rather give my free will back to Him and lead a life in Him, however difficult.
Oh please. There is no “god.” No sun god, no moon goddess, no Zeus or Thor or Aphrodite. Claiming to be “directed by god” is just your excuse for not taking charge if your own life.
@rambleon3698 Let me know when it is done, and I will book. Interestingly, (to me at least) I have been given a dress which was made in 1924 for a lady to embark on the Grand Tour. It fits too!
Well, the incessant rain was something I could relate to as I live just southwest of a temperate rain forest. The rest *pause for an intake of breath* seemed like a horror movie--- lots of negative emotions and thoughts with barely a bit of plot. I hope the author was not sharing his lived experience.
Religion does need to be controlled, but true Christianity needs to spread, it has brought such benefits to the world, we could do with much,much more of it.
Benefits to the world? Name one. Mostly a way for sleazy televangelists to prey on the ignorant and get rich and for corrupt priests toweird power and prey on little boys Religion is a creation of the ignorant.
by what definition of Christianity? Who determines what is true and what is speculation? Jesus lived and died as a Jew. Throughout history, Christianity has been used as a power play against anyone who dares to question the prevailing dogma of those in power. Remember that Jesus retaliated against the orthodox leadership as well as Rome.
The missionary had good intentions but was sorely lacking the basic principle of conversion by love and compassion. Jesus is the God of love and will never force Himself on others violating their free will. But I do wonder who actually killed him: the wife or the adulteress? Any thoughts?
But the followers of Jesus will most certainly force themselves and their beliefs on others. I don’t know where people get this view of Jesus based on what is in the Bible. There is not a single word that Jesus wrote. It was all written down decades later. I heard there are churches that won’t allow the sermon on the mount to be preached because it is too woke.
It seems that when this devout man of God discovered that he couldn't control his libido, that dying by his own hand was not the biggest sin after all. Only the final one.
The reading rushes the ending, so that doesn't help. Sadie says that all men are "pigs" who just want one thing from women, and the preacher turned out to be the same. He wasn't trying to save her, he was trying to sleep with her. He was too ashamed to go on living.
@@LulasSong Yes, Sadie Thompson seduced him. He was not able to live with the sin and the possibility of Hell. He realized he was like every man, and no better than the natives he fined and bullied into belief. The hopelessness caused him to commit the additional sin of suicide.
@Faretheewell608 It is pretty clear in the film, at least, she DID NOT seduce him. He had psychologically beaten her down to the extent that she fully believed him, was totally vulnerable. And in that moment of weakness he raped her. I do agree with your conclusions about the reasons for his suicide.
He was of a time and wrote for those who were not much distracted by fast speed. Look to billboards and printed advertisements, originally detailed with artful decoration and information to hold the viewer's attention that just within a few decades contracted to a single, bold picture often without explanation. One of the greatest American authors, William Faulkner, seems little known and seldom read nowadays because his lengthy sentences and grammar tire modern readers.
The character of the missionary Davidson is such an insufferable and sinister religious zealot, on a par with Elmer Gantry in the matter of storied religious characters. Excellent movie, too, Joan Crawford starring as Sadie Thompson.
