120 W. Somerset Maugham: A 'Spy' Who 'Secretly Observed' History and High Society
W. Somerset Maugham, the author of bestselling novels such as The Moon and Sixpence and The Razor's Edge, was a very famous 'second-rate novelist' who, as a spy, actively entered the treacherous international struggles behind World War I and World War II. The spy novels born from this experience were even highly regarded by masters of the genre such as Ian Fleming, the creator of '007', and John le Carré. He seems to be a collection of contradictions: he wrote only fictional novels, yet after publication, he was often complained about by the relatives and friends of celebrities; he was homosexual, yet excelled at depicting heterosexual love; he described himself as a 'second-rate author', yet maintained close relationships with high-ranking figures such as Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt... This episode attempts to peek behind the secrets of Maugham, who loved to 'spy' on others.
Original Chinese title & description
120 毛姆：一个“暗中观察”历史和上流人物的“间谍”
毛姆，《月亮与六便士》《刀锋》等畅销小说的作者，非常著名的“二流小说家”，却身为间谍主动进入了一战、二战背后风云诡谲的国际斗争中，因此诞生的间谍小说，甚至受到“007”作者弗莱明、勒卡雷等间谍小说大家的推崇。他似乎是个矛盾的集合体：写的都是虚构小说，发表后却经常被名人亲友投诉；身为同性恋，却擅长描摹异性情爱；自诩“二流作者”，却和丘吉尔、罗斯福夫人等高层关系密切……本期节目试图窥视，这个爱“窥视”他人的毛姆背后的秘辛。
Participation credit “本期参与者”：沙青青（微信公众号：13号埋立地、小红书：Sha-13号埋立地）。
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