The Moon and Sixpence, Take Two

This past weekend, I just finished reading The Moon and Sixpence by William Somerset Maugham. It was the first time reading it in over 11 years. Again, I loved it.

One critique, however, is that the reader either needs to know the paintings of Paul Gauguin or take the word of the narrator that the works that Charles Strickland creates are brilliant. For some reason, even with a good writer like Maugham, the words cannot fully capture the greatness of the paintings. It is tough to write about something that must be visually absorbed.

The same thing could be said for a great sexual experience, an espresso, a cigar. Each of those appeals to senses and cannot thoroughly be captured in words.

So, The Moon and Sixpence is a great book, especially in its contrast between the greatness of the artist and the coldness of the man...even if lacking in sufficient descriptions of the paintings.