What a story! The reader really knew how to emphasize the literal meaning of each word. A master piece.

I think you're all overthinking ! Sorry ! Maugham was a genius at observing people, the times etc. He sees, hears or involves himself, a snapshot of time, and writes about it to get the reader to think about his words. He was a critic of his time and would often make fun of the actors. How else could he be so prolific ?

Sounds like Somerset Maugham was writing about his own insecurities as writer, wondering if it was an ego-trip, not really being good enough, and contemplating the possible life of failure. There can be a lot of insecurity hiding behind success. "This feeling of faking it, I still haven't shaken it. I'll play the game, and pretend, but all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity. " (Paul Simon)

@thomasdwan82

11 күн бұрын

We should thank those who beg.They provide us with golden opportunities to practise generosity.

I am loving all these stories. Maugham is my hero and so are you for posting them all. Thank you ❤😊

This sad story is read with great sensitivity. Maugham is a master of story-telling. Thank you for uploading.

Who is the Bum? Maugham recounts a man of sufficient practical means who is annoyed by the idleness thrust upon him by a delay in his travel plans. He reflects on his situation. He sees that in the past he had conjured up an image of what situation was necessary for him to indulge his "true self" - time stretching, unstructured, before him as far as he could imagine. He imagined he would revel in those moments, but he finds that Instead of drinking the beaker of wine with the pearl dissolved in it, he is spending his time reading last month's advertisements. Then he notices the beggar, who, in contrast to the other beggars who detail their desperate situations, stands silent before him - a monk/pilgrim passively embodying his need for alms. The man recollects having known this beggar years before in Rome as a young artist of arrogance and, perhaps, even genius. He finds the beggar/monk/pilgrim/artist sitting on the church steps in front of a pack of squabbling vulchures. The man reaches into his pocket and retrieves a bit of money, which he gives to the beggar/artist/monk/pilgrim. The beggar/artist/monk/pilgrim, in a silent grand gesture, flicks the money into the gaping yaw of a vulchure who carries it off. The beggar/artist/monk/pilgrim disappears. To me this piece is Maugham's mulling over youth's quest to manifest their "true self", and presents to me the concept of living life as an art form One of the things I'm liking about Maugham is that he puts a well composed little vignette before the reader's eyes, and, by doing that, he essentially says, "Look at this. What do you think about it?" By the comments here, I see a broad range of answers, as varied as the images in our mirrors. How interesting!

@RkristinaTay

14 күн бұрын

Don't bother to summarise short stories. The story is short enough and beautiful unto itself. Don't spoil it for others by unnecessary brevity.

@jenniferabel2811

3 күн бұрын

​@@RkristinaTayThis was not a summary. It was an interpretation. And, it was a different interpretation than my own. For my part, it was for the interpretations of others that I am down here in the comments at all.

Somerset, a truly gifted writer ✍️

How is it that the man on the bench appears to be wearing 3 shoes?

@HughesMath1

22 күн бұрын

Artificial intelligence drawing

@jeridoney7604

22 күн бұрын

Oops. AI broke the illustration!

@FuckYouWhosNext

21 күн бұрын

Its his coat hanging down you goof

@davo4174

21 күн бұрын

The magic of AI

@FuckYouWhosNext

21 күн бұрын

has nothing to do with AI goofballs.

Yellow-backed note? Money? Great story. Possibly an angel testing the man's generosity? He didn't give until he thought he may know him. Is it more difficult to bless a stranger than one whom you may have known?

Heartbreakingly sad. And even more not being able to help...😢

Thank you!!

Thank you 🙏

Thanks so much for sharing 💙💙💙

The bum is the writer's true nature, keeping his dignity and not doing anything for money, unlike Maugham who becomes popular and rich. Maugham wonders how much more genius his art would have become if he did not prostitute his art for money.

@oldishandwoke-ish1181

20 күн бұрын

Or Maugham is imagining what might have been his own fate if he had not succeeded as a writer - he started out qualifying as a medical doctor...

@dontaylor7315

18 күн бұрын

​​@@oldishandwoke-ish1181 Maugham explored that question in Of Human Bondage, whose protagonist does become a doctor. I imagine you know that already but I replied because others might not

@kauffrau6764

12 күн бұрын

Did he prostitute his work for money?

@dontaylor7315

12 күн бұрын

@@kauffrau6764 Loaded question. if you mean did he make a good living at it the answer is yes.

@darrylakiotsutsui7846

11 күн бұрын

@@kauffrau6764 I miswrote and should have said the writer instead of Maugham, not leaving the fiction sphere.

All that lead up then nothing. It's like listening to the crescendo of a musical piece to just stop before it should and the listener is left wondering why. Incomplete.

Good story❤

Whats with the 3 shoes? 👞👞👞

@dazgreen63

20 күн бұрын

What’s with the three legs more to the point.😁 Well spotted though.I never noticed till you said👍😆

@patsysmothermon7861

18 күн бұрын

NO, that's the edge of His long coat !!😊

@user-ck5ho3di2o

14 күн бұрын

Think because he has three legs,da

@CasperLCat

9 күн бұрын

A glitch in the AI rendering software, I bet. I’ve seen similar weirdness in the other illustrations with these stories.

@CasperLCat

9 күн бұрын

@@patsysmothermon7861no, it’s a 3rd shoe, expand the scene and look closer.

Ai at its finest. If you want to see something creepy zoom in on the eyes

Hey aqualung 🎉

anybody know who's doing the piano music bookending this reading? Too bad the poster doesn't say - it's great.

@maryearll3359

13 күн бұрын

Google it ?

@leimaniax

5 күн бұрын

It’s probably AI generated. Same as the cover photo. Same as the voice that reads the story.

Thanks, I’ll never read Somerset Maugham We live in a time when we have much more direct contact with suffering Perhaps people who read this author lived in a previous time when there wasn’t so much news.

That handsome guy turn into thin beggar? 😮😮😮 😢

It's a pigeon. Relax

His left leg is crossed over his second left leg 🙂

I was brought up respecting and helping the elderly, and thought it quite normal, but at the age of 8 , my grandfather said these true word's, " boy!,there are two kind of people in this world, those who would help everyone, "selflessly"!, and those who take it for granted, and normal that you do this for them ! But if you don't have a problem with this !, you should definitely get married and have a lot of children! , or work for a boss ! " I have a lot of bums in family, but they don't live on the streets.

3 feet?

@normabuccianti2681

22 күн бұрын

Artificial intelligence drawing? Nevertheless, it looks quite interesting.

@samsum3738

21 күн бұрын

A yard

@gretamurphy3704

6 күн бұрын

AI screw-up

@gretamurphy3704

6 күн бұрын

​@samsum373😂8

Don't understand. There's no point to this story Just as you get into it it ends. I don't get it!!??

@edreynolds2819

12 күн бұрын

Yeah, I’ve read lots of these kind of stories. The author thinks he’s being cool. In my opinion, unless it was a true auto biographical story, it’s just melodrama.

@MollyCasey369

11 күн бұрын

@@edreynolds2819 I think he may have adhd and got distracted before he thought of a point to this story 😂I can relate ! but still I was invested and then... nada !!

@mattneillninasmom

4 сағат бұрын

The "Bum" like the narrator, remembers back to the days in Rome, when he was young and full of promise, considering himself superior. Now, his former contemporary is successful and he is a penniless beggar = but, he still considers himself superior and in contempt, flings the money offered, to the buzzards.

True to his noxious personality.

@oldishandwoke-ish1181

20 күн бұрын

Whose?

All the feet look odd.

Has he 3 legs/feet?

@FuckYouWhosNext

21 күн бұрын

He has two legs crossed and his coat is hanging down on the right side. Just open your eyes and look.

IS THIS BOING TO BE ANOTHER AI READ? IT SOUNDS INHUMAN. SAD

@helenamaria710

14 күн бұрын

EXACTLY....ALWAYS THE SAME upper crust Brit voice. And the 3 footed AI image! 🤮

Author was homosexual so apt title.

@lyndaproper1313

21 күн бұрын

It would be nice if some people could look through binoculars rather than the spyglass they carry. Better yet, how about using a kaleidoscope?

@oldishandwoke-ish1181

20 күн бұрын

Seriously????

A lovely Story, but the narrator needs to move on! 🤚 no understanding of the story or of life.

@leimaniax

5 күн бұрын

It’s AI generated. That’s why. All the stories on this channel are AI. Same as the cover photo.