Publication
VINTAGE (RAND) (2000), Edition: New Ed, 196 pages
Original publication date
1930, Heinemann, First Edition
1934, Heinemann, The Collected Edition, new preface
1950, Modern Library, new preface
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Description
Cakes and Ale is a delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. Social climber Alroy Kear is flattered when he is selected by Edward Driffield's wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. But then Kear discovers the great novelist's voluptuous muse (and unlikely first wife), Rosie. The lively, loving heroine once gave Driffield enough material to last a lifetime, but now her memory casts an embarrissing shadow over his career and respectable image. Wise, witty, deeply satisfying, Cakes and Ale is Maugham at his best.
User reviews
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
Anyone who has browsed my LT catalog will know that I am a fan of Somerset Maugham, and that my reviews are likely to be biased in his favour since, generally, my mind is already made up. However, I try hard to be fair and honest; for instance, although I enjoyed 'The Painted Veil', I didn't think
The story, such as Maugham writes it, weaves between past and present, and follows the lives and affairs of several of the literary set. Maugham writes as William Ashendon, his literary alter ego, who has been approached by a writer friend of his for his notes on the recently deceased Edward Driffield, another writer.
Driffield has been likened to Thomas Hardy, though Maugham himself denies the connection in his introduction. Regardless, the similarities are there, and are useful to the novel. The writer Driffield is not as interesting as his first wife, who is really the highlight of the book, and a very modern creation considering Cakes and Ale's vintage.
Once again, Maugham's writing is incessantly quotable - seriously, it's like reading Shakespeare or something. My favourite line is a retort made by Ashenden: 'Is it possible to be a gentleman and a writer?'
Show More
it an enormously successful book. 'Cakes and Ale', though, should fairly be thought of as a classic of English literature.The story, such as Maugham writes it, weaves between past and present, and follows the lives and affairs of several of the literary set. Maugham writes as William Ashendon, his literary alter ego, who has been approached by a writer friend of his for his notes on the recently deceased Edward Driffield, another writer.
Driffield has been likened to Thomas Hardy, though Maugham himself denies the connection in his introduction. Regardless, the similarities are there, and are useful to the novel. The writer Driffield is not as interesting as his first wife, who is really the highlight of the book, and a very modern creation considering Cakes and Ale's vintage.
Once again, Maugham's writing is incessantly quotable - seriously, it's like reading Shakespeare or something. My favourite line is a retort made by Ashenden: 'Is it possible to be a gentleman and a writer?'
Show Less
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
A sweet and nostalgic read, this is one of those transporting novels that leaves you amused and relaxed, lounging and quiet as if you've had a longer than usual conversation with an old friend. Maugham's characters are real enough that you'll think you recognize them from your own life, and his
On the whole, this novel is a lovely escape, full of both sensation and beautiful language. Simply: recommended.
Show More
stories have the same tinge of familiarity that makes them so memorable, even where apparently mundane. On the whole, this novel is a lovely escape, full of both sensation and beautiful language. Simply: recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
What a lovely novel! The reader can curl up in the discursive style as if it were a nice warm quilt, enjoying the leisurely unfolding of the story and the characters in perfect comfort. Moreover, this is a very funny book, about the British class system and the literary world a hundred years ago.
Show More
Plus que ca change --- . It's also clearly a roman a clef, which adds to the fun. Great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member shefukul
Brilliant is a the word for this book. A great satire. A Must read. Be it anything: Maugham's dilemma of writing in first person, the recollections of a teenage mind, the hypocrisies.
The book was released amidst a lot of criticism as many literary people believed that the character potrayed them.
The book was released amidst a lot of criticism as many literary people believed that the character potrayed them.
Show More
You have to read this to know the reason. The preface itself gets you started (There is a comment on Thomas Hardy.) Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
What a wonderful book! Even though it was written over 70 years ago, so many of Maugham's jabs at writers, critics, and the reading public are still right on the mark. In particular, I smiled in appreciation while reading his description of how writers become what we now call trendy - reminded me a
Show More
lot of the "Fifty Shades of Gray" frenzy:) Show Less
LibraryThing member SRumzi
If you like Maugham, you will love this.
LibraryThing member nickhoonaloon
Cakes and Ale are two of my favourite things. Sadly, this book is not destined to become a personal favourite.
This story of authors talking about authors is, disappointingly, one big empty space.
The narrator is plainly aware that his associates are a fatuous bunch, but if he gives any indication
Maugham hints in his introduction that he intended the book as a satire on the literary world he inhabited. I have to say, that as satire, it falls flat on it`s face. I don`t doubt it depicts the world that Maugham knew. It may well depict Maugham - he denied this, but then again he initially denied that one of the characters was based on Thomas Hardy, only to later concede the point. Sadly, it lack the warmth and humour needed for an affectionate parody, or the sharp teeth needed for biting satire.
Maugham is certainly a stylish writer. There are passages of excellent prose, particularly near the beginning, but all that style, all that love of language is put to little use.
I understand that he came out of retirement to produce this volume, and I can only assume the motive was financial, as there is no hint here of a writer putting pen to paper because he has something to say.
I persevered with this one because I was convinced Maugham`s intentions would become clear in the end. Wrong again !
This story of authors talking about authors is, disappointingly, one big empty space.
The narrator is plainly aware that his associates are a fatuous bunch, but if he gives any indication
Show More
of discontent with this state of affairs, it was not apparent to me.Maugham hints in his introduction that he intended the book as a satire on the literary world he inhabited. I have to say, that as satire, it falls flat on it`s face. I don`t doubt it depicts the world that Maugham knew. It may well depict Maugham - he denied this, but then again he initially denied that one of the characters was based on Thomas Hardy, only to later concede the point. Sadly, it lack the warmth and humour needed for an affectionate parody, or the sharp teeth needed for biting satire.
Maugham is certainly a stylish writer. There are passages of excellent prose, particularly near the beginning, but all that style, all that love of language is put to little use.
I understand that he came out of retirement to produce this volume, and I can only assume the motive was financial, as there is no hint here of a writer putting pen to paper because he has something to say.
I persevered with this one because I was convinced Maugham`s intentions would become clear in the end. Wrong again !
Show Less
LibraryThing member poplin
In reading up on Cakes and Ale, I discovered that it is generally presumed to be a roman á clef. I can see why; certain characters seem to be clearly constructed satires. However, in my admitted ignorance—which is, in my defense, brought about by the long distance of time between the book’s
Maugham did create a captivating and memorable character in Rosie, a strong, passionate woman in an otherwise staid turn-of-the-century setting. Rosie is enough to make Cakes and Ale an enjoyable read, but at least for me, it offered little more than that.
Show More
publication and now—I am rather unclear on who or what is being satirized. For me, then, that element of the book failed to engage me.Maugham did create a captivating and memorable character in Rosie, a strong, passionate woman in an otherwise staid turn-of-the-century setting. Rosie is enough to make Cakes and Ale an enjoyable read, but at least for me, it offered little more than that.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
I was delighted by this novel, nominally a remembrance of an acquaintance who is asked to contribute to the biography of a legendary writer. The twist in the final chapter made me laugh out loud--it was the perfect ending for the story of "true love."
LibraryThing member RMMee
The first Somerset Maugham book I have read. I would read him again.
Well, the idea of the author writing in the first person in the persona of an author talking about authors is perhaps a little incestuous. And it has a very literary bent. But in amongst all that there is a plot, and the plot was
What I liked most of all though, reading this in the second decade of the twenty-first century, was the amazing light it throws on the British class system at the end of the nineteenth century. Fascinating.
If you haven't tried it, do so - I have no idea whether it is typically Maugham.
Well, the idea of the author writing in the first person in the persona of an author talking about authors is perhaps a little incestuous. And it has a very literary bent. But in amongst all that there is a plot, and the plot was
Show More
good, along with a final chapter with an interesting denoument..What I liked most of all though, reading this in the second decade of the twenty-first century, was the amazing light it throws on the British class system at the end of the nineteenth century. Fascinating.
If you haven't tried it, do so - I have no idea whether it is typically Maugham.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Not as good as Maugham's more famous The Razor's Edge, Cakes and Ale is nonetheless a well-written piece by a masterful author. Worth reading for the language and style, even if it does not necessarily have the most compelling plot.
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Narrator frenzy. Submit. You can see he's come a long way.
LibraryThing member LadyoftheLodge
Read this for the 2014 Category Challenge. It took me awhile to get into the writing style of the author. The flashbacks also threw me off until I figured it out. This is the story of a writer who is asked to write a biography of a famed author. Secrets of the past come out when he starts to dig
Show More
into the past, and the author's wife seeks to obliterate evidence of what she considers a sordid part of his life, not as proper as she would like. The book also explores the personality of a larger-than-life amorous woman and her exploits. Several parallel lives are explored in this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member hellbent
This is a lovely short novel which exposes the hypocrisy of 19th C. English rural life. Maugham has a gift for story telling.
LibraryThing member heroineinabook
tl;dr Cakes and Ale is proof in the pudding dead white dudes could write whatever the fuck they want and have it hailed as literary masterpiece, even when it is utterly beyond crap.
Review
I picked this book up a couple of months ago and it has been the bane of my existence as the more I read, the
The book is littered with jumps like this. There was 30 pages leveled on the discourse of beauty, what it meant, how it was applicable to life, who got it, and who didn't. Another 10 pages on the virtues of a secondary minor character who doesn't show up until near the end of the book. Roughly 20 pages was spent discussing the attributes of a another character who never actually shows up later in the story.
Maugham name checks of the day famous literary talent, real and imaginary. He draws comparison between his protagonist, William Ashenden, and these literary giants and whom you realise is really a stand in for him. He fangirls over so many famous people, it gets kind of embarrassing.
The crux of the story is William Ashenden, the narrator, is asked by Alroy Kear, another London literary snob, to help him with his research on writing a biography of recently deceased late-Victorian author, Edward Driffield. Driffield's wife, the second Mrs. Driffield, wants any mention of the first Mrs. Driffield, our supposed heroine Rosie, to be erased from Edward's history for she was an amoral character to the ninth degree and whose influence over poor dear Edward nearly killed him.
With this set up, one would think the whole of the story would be the bringing to life, discussion, and telling of Rosie Driffield's relationship with Edward. Rosie is mentioned in the beginning of the book briefly and then it's not until another 200 pages later she's brought into focus again and then carried out. It was as if someone had said to Maugham, "Yo. You are far off plot here buddy, rein it in!" And he did.
The whole of the book is to examine the snobbery and the often absurd social mores of the late Victorians and later, the Edwardians, and how these attitudes were affected and perceived. I get that, I do. But in that vein, the book is so poorly executed I spent a lot of time wondering what the fuck I was reading. I checked the synopsis on the back of the book so often to verify that what it said was actually what I was reading and not something else entirely.
It is well documented Maugham had issues with women, as he often saw them as his sexual and affection competitors, so his women are often described and treated as if they scum on shoes because of their sex. It is also well established Maugham, despite impressive number of novels under his belt, is at his best as a short story writer. With that in mind, I would recommend you stay the hell away from Cakes and Ale. I cannot in good conscious even conceive how this book gets so much love because of how flawed it is from start to finish. It is not even coherent, and yet! Yet, the mere existence proves that a dead white dude could write anything and have it called a literary masterpiece.
Review
I picked this book up a couple of months ago and it has been the bane of my existence as the more I read, the
Show More
more I hated it. It is poorly written and badly edited, with random thoughts dropped into the middle of scenes that do not make any sense to the story or plot. For example, near the end of the book while discussing the character, Rosie Driffield, in question, the narrator suddenly decides this would be a good time to go on a two page bender on the withal of telling a story in first person narrative. Then as suddenly as he leapt into that thought, he leaps back into his discourse of Rosie's admirable/questionable qualities.The book is littered with jumps like this. There was 30 pages leveled on the discourse of beauty, what it meant, how it was applicable to life, who got it, and who didn't. Another 10 pages on the virtues of a secondary minor character who doesn't show up until near the end of the book. Roughly 20 pages was spent discussing the attributes of a another character who never actually shows up later in the story.
Maugham name checks of the day famous literary talent, real and imaginary. He draws comparison between his protagonist, William Ashenden, and these literary giants and whom you realise is really a stand in for him. He fangirls over so many famous people, it gets kind of embarrassing.
The crux of the story is William Ashenden, the narrator, is asked by Alroy Kear, another London literary snob, to help him with his research on writing a biography of recently deceased late-Victorian author, Edward Driffield. Driffield's wife, the second Mrs. Driffield, wants any mention of the first Mrs. Driffield, our supposed heroine Rosie, to be erased from Edward's history for she was an amoral character to the ninth degree and whose influence over poor dear Edward nearly killed him.
With this set up, one would think the whole of the story would be the bringing to life, discussion, and telling of Rosie Driffield's relationship with Edward. Rosie is mentioned in the beginning of the book briefly and then it's not until another 200 pages later she's brought into focus again and then carried out. It was as if someone had said to Maugham, "Yo. You are far off plot here buddy, rein it in!" And he did.
The whole of the book is to examine the snobbery and the often absurd social mores of the late Victorians and later, the Edwardians, and how these attitudes were affected and perceived. I get that, I do. But in that vein, the book is so poorly executed I spent a lot of time wondering what the fuck I was reading. I checked the synopsis on the back of the book so often to verify that what it said was actually what I was reading and not something else entirely.
It is well documented Maugham had issues with women, as he often saw them as his sexual and affection competitors, so his women are often described and treated as if they scum on shoes because of their sex. It is also well established Maugham, despite impressive number of novels under his belt, is at his best as a short story writer. With that in mind, I would recommend you stay the hell away from Cakes and Ale. I cannot in good conscious even conceive how this book gets so much love because of how flawed it is from start to finish. It is not even coherent, and yet! Yet, the mere existence proves that a dead white dude could write anything and have it called a literary masterpiece.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ReneePaule
Brilliant!
LibraryThing member amerynth
W. Somerset Maugham's novel "Cakes and Ale" is a fun little read.
It's the story of man who is asked to write a biography of a recently deceased author he was acquainted with in his youth. The author was married twice -- to the pretty, vivacious but unfaithful Rosalie, and later, to a much more
It's a fairly simple story, but flows along smoothly and made for a quick, fun read.
It's the story of man who is asked to write a biography of a recently deceased author he was acquainted with in his youth. The author was married twice -- to the pretty, vivacious but unfaithful Rosalie, and later, to a much more
Show More
business-like woman, Amy, who was careful to preserve her late husband's legacy. It's a fairly simple story, but flows along smoothly and made for a quick, fun read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member yarb
An entertaining tale of priggishness and hypocrisy in the world of letters, memorable for its waspish portrait of mountebank scribbler/social climber Alroy Flear. But the story has a warm heart in the character of Rosie Driffield, writers’ muse and genuine good time girl. Maugham has such a
Show More
talent for balancing bitchiness and benevolence. Show Less
LibraryThing member trishrobertsmiller
I'm reading and rereading a lot of popular British books from between the wars in order to try to understand popular support for appeasement. Maugham is an extraordinary stylist, and I'd read everything of his before, and he typifies a kind of acceptable anti-Semitism specifically and racism
This time I noticed the snobbery. The last line. Dang.
So, I'd say this is a beautifully-written and incredibly snarky book that exemplifies how acceptable various kinds of racism were. The narrator of the book is an incredible snob, who seems to reconsider his snobbery, but the last line makes it clear: not really. Maugham was a snob. And worth reading for that reason.
Show More
generally. This time I noticed the snobbery. The last line. Dang.
So, I'd say this is a beautifully-written and incredibly snarky book that exemplifies how acceptable various kinds of racism were. The narrator of the book is an incredible snob, who seems to reconsider his snobbery, but the last line makes it clear: not really. Maugham was a snob. And worth reading for that reason.
Show Less
LibraryThing member psalva
This “social satire” was an interesting read. I felt it was meandering at times and I sometimes struggled to determine the tone Maugham was going for. Nonetheless, I felt there was some unique commentary on sexual liberation of women as well as class. The internal thoughts of the narrator
Show More
seemed to dip into nonfiction/literary criticism at times. Content warning for casual antisemitism and use of the n-word in dialogue. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0099282771 / 9780099282778
Physical description
196 p.; 5.08 inches
Pages
196