The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham. Short summary

5 seconds

After Strickland’s death, the artist was universally acclaimed. Some considered him an immoral monster. The author wants to tell the truth about him, as he knew him well during his lifetime.

1 minute

After the death of artist Charles Strickland, he was universally acclaimed. Some considered him an exemplary family man, others made him out to be an immoral monster, omitting no detail to fuel the public’s interest.

The author wants to tell the truth about the artist, as he knew him intimately and followed his life. In the early 20th century, when the narrator was an aspiring writer and achieved his first literary successes, he was invited to breakfast at the Stricklands.

Suddenly Charles leaves his wife and goes to Paris. The woman is convinced that her spouse has run off with a singer. She asks the author to follow her husband and persuade him to return to the family.

When the narrator meets Strickland, he learns that he lives alone in the cheapest room. He admits that he did wrong, but he does not care about the fate of his family, as he has decided to devote the rest of his life to himself. Charles decides to become an artist.