Somerset Maugham Quotes

January 25, 1874 – December 16, 1965

William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer; often published as simply W. Somerset Maugham.

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.
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More Somerset Maugham Quotes

There's always one who loves and one who lets himself be loved.

Somerset Maugham
— Of Human Bondage, Ch. 71 (1965)

Tags: love, one, who, loves, himself, loved

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In the country the darkness of night is friendly and familiar, but in a city, with its blaze of lights, it is unnatural, hostile and menacing. It is like a monstrous vulture that hovers, biding its time.

Somerset Maugham
— A Writer's Notebook (1946, pg. 48)

Tags: country, darkness, night, friendly, familiar, city, blaze, lights, unnatural

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Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it.

Somerset Maugham
— Cakes and Ale.

Tags: beauty, ecstasy, simple, hunger, There, nothing

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The Riviera isn't only a sunny place for shady people.

Somerset Maugham
— Strictly Personal, p. 156 (Doubleday, Doran and co., inc., 1941)

Tags: sunny, place, shady, people

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The rain fell alike upon the just and upon the unjust, and for nothing was there a why and a wherefore.

Somerset Maugham
— Of Human Bondage, Ch. 106 (1915)

Tags: rain, fell, alike, unjust, nothing, there

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It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by censure than by praise…

Somerset Maugham
— The Summing Up (1938, pg. 223)

Tags: salutary, train, oneself, more, affected, censure, praise

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Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.

Somerset Maugham
— p. 310 (The Summing Up (1938))

Tags: Art, production, artist, expression, adventure, soul

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Excess on occasion is exhilarating; it keeps moderation from becoming a habit.

Somerset Maugham

Tags: self discipline, Excess, occasion, exhilarating, keeps, moderation, becoming, habit

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If forty million people say a foolish thing it does not become a wise one, but the wise man is foolish to give them the lie.

Somerset Maugham
— "1901", p. 76
— Sometimes misquoted as "If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
— Sometimes misattributed to Bertrand Russell or Anatole France

Tags: forty, million, people, foolish, thing, become, wise, one, man

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And then he felt the misery of his life.

Somerset Maugham
— Of Human Bondage (1915, pg. 42)

Tags: Life, depressing, bondage, human, his, misery, felt, he

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At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.

Somerset Maugham
— A Writer's Notebook (published 1946).

Tags: dinner, party, one, eat, wisely, talk, should, but, not

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How can I be reasonable? To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. It is not very pleasant to realize that to you it was only an episode.

Somerset Maugham
— The Painted Veil (1924)

Tags: love, Breaking Up, veil, painted, episode, only, was, that, realize

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