Cakes and Ale
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- Author：W. Somerset Maugham
- ISBN：0099282771
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Summary
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。
Reviews
Richard Thompson
，
This book is about a lot of things， but for me the overriding principle of the book is the essential nobility of simplicity。 On one side are the false characters - Roy Kear， the second Mrs。 Driffeld， Ashenden's uncle and the entirety of the English upper classes。 They are tightly wound， unable to have true emotions， pretentious and snobbish。 They express themselves in perfect English， but without content。 And they look down on the simple poor people as being tasteless， stupid and immoral。 In eve This book is about a lot of things， but for me the overriding principle of the book is the essential nobility of simplicity。 On one side are the false characters - Roy Kear， the second Mrs。 Driffeld， Ashenden's uncle and the entirety of the English upper classes。 They are tightly wound， unable to have true emotions， pretentious and snobbish。 They express themselves in perfect English， but without content。 And they look down on the simple poor people as being tasteless， stupid and immoral。 In every way that counts they are outshone by the people they despise。 The epitome of simple perfection is of course Rosie， a natural beauty who is always fun to be with， never lacking for conversation and willing to bestow physical love on everyone around her as the natural expression of her exuberant personality。 She's great。 I fell for her， as did most of the men in the book。 Her male counterpart is Lord George -- blustery， crass， a failed businessman， but still essentially a good guy， Rosie's soul mate， who she can see in the end as a perfect gentleman。 And then there are the characters in the middle， our narrator， Ashenden， who sees the falseness of his family and class but is trapped within it， and Driffeld a simple man who is dragged against his better inclinations into the cold false world of the upper classes。 His true persona is the young bicycle rider with tasteless clothes and a buxom young wife who is able to see past the stuffiness of young Ashenden and befriend him。 He retains a bit of this as the older man who sneaks out of his mansion to go down to the pub and knock back a pint or two while trading tales with the sailors and working men。 It makes perfect sense that Rosie would be his muse and that his writing would be his way of dealing with the personal pain that comes from his inability to have Rosie completely to himself。 。。。more
Marlett Balmer
，
I fell in love with W。 Somerset Maugham when I was in high school， convinced I was a Duchess trapped in the wrong time， body and circumstances。 I still love his writing although I found Cakes and Ale a trifle tedious。 One can only read descriptions of alabaster skin for so long。 He remains， however a master and I still admire his writing， command of language and off course the time he so skillfully evokes。 The Duke loves him too。。。。
Jeanne
，
Another delightful book by the inimitable WSM。 Somewhat lighter in tone than his other works， but still an interesting offering from his "neat mind。" A regret is that I never had a chance to play bridge with Maugham， as I understand he was a skilled card player。 What fun that would have been！ Another delightful book by the inimitable WSM。 Somewhat lighter in tone than his other works， but still an interesting offering from his "neat mind。" A regret is that I never had a chance to play bridge with Maugham， as I understand he was a skilled card player。 What fun that would have been！ 。。。more
Philip Lee
，
Discounting the secret agent Reilly （who was no more British than Joseph Conrad was a Dutchman）， readers of Willie Maugham’s short stories will know that Ashenden - the author-narrator of “Cakes and Ale” - was the original， urbane James Bond。 Not that Willie's dispatch to Russia by the UK Government in the early days of the Kerensky Revolution would have any bearing on the novel he would subtitle， “The Skeleton in the Cupboard”。 With “Cakes and Ale” all intrigue is centred on domestic arrangemen Discounting the secret agent Reilly （who was no more British than Joseph Conrad was a Dutchman）， readers of Willie Maugham’s short stories will know that Ashenden - the author-narrator of “Cakes and Ale” - was the original， urbane James Bond。 Not that Willie's dispatch to Russia by the UK Government in the early days of the Kerensky Revolution would have any bearing on the novel he would subtitle， “The Skeleton in the Cupboard”。 With “Cakes and Ale” all intrigue is centred on domestic arrangements， so that every “Secret” with the designation “Top” would have a moral rather than a political significance。 On its surface， the story has as much to do with class and status snobbery as anything else; Ashenden keeping his wartime exploits to himself while， little by little， revealing the details of historic， illicit love。 The way the truth comes to light， and whom is taken into his confidence （the reader）， lies the substance of the plot。 This gives the book a whodunit quality， though the only crimes committed between its sheets are petty， outmoded， and terribly British。Three of the central characters， including Ashenden himself， are successful fiction hounds。 Edward Driffield， the oldest， has not long died when Alroy Kear decides to take a professional interest in his legacy。 But it's Ashenden， who spent periods of his youth in the old man’s company， that has the beans。 How should he spill them when he knows the truth may neither be understood or accepted？ Throughout the book， a sense of what is appropriate dominates everyone’s behaviour; apart from Rosie Driffield， who at one point is described as a white “nigger”。 Shocked and surprised， it later struck me how the literal meaning of the N word could explain her otherness from everyone else; especially since not much else is offered。 Her colouring is frequently described as silver and gold; and even if her nose is somewhat broad， she is presented as a great， if slightly unconventional， Victorian beauty。 Most of the action takes place around the period the book was published – 1930 – though the relevant chapters are set in the final years of the nineteenth century: the so-called “gay nineties”， when Ashenden was a youngster out （as John Cleese might have put it） to break his duck， and when Ted Driffield was struggling through the early， unrecognised phase of his writing career。The book’s only moderately longer than a novella， and came out at the end of a decade when Maughan wrote mainly short fiction。 He says himself in the forward that it was originally conceived as a short story。 Also， it's distinguished from the other Ashenden pieces by its first person narration。 In this context， several times our host breaks off to discuss， amongst other things， the appreciation of beauty （picking a bone with Keats there）; and the facetious notion that all creative writing should be handed over to members of an otherwise abolished House of Lords！ Another time – just as it’s touch and go if a sex scene is about to light up the page - Maugham shunts the wide-eyed reader off into a discussion of first person narrative in fiction， and whether certain critics are right to deplore it。 Actually this works rather well， even while it reeks of authorial manipulation。 Of his own books， the author is said to have liked “Cakes and Ale” the most。 Perhaps he wrote it in riposte to those very critics as much as anything else。Strong female characters keep the balance of the sexes fair-to-middling， while the upstairs-downstairs to-ing and fro-ing is quite unforced。 Ashenden’s own snobbery runs riot for much of the time， and he hides in plain sight the true extent to which his contact with landladies， domestic servants and the Driffields frees up his coming of age。 Maugham can’t paint a full impression of himself in Ashenden when his own early books were closer to Driffield’s imaginary works。 But， of course， the real skeleton in the closet was Willie’s “three-quarters” homosexuality。 One day， I wonder， will the 007 franchise offer up a gay secret agent who dabbles in fiction and the theatre？ Willie's books were instrumental in forcing the honest portrayal of heterosexual relationships into the mainstream。 But there is also something to be said for the revels of a clandestine world that between-the-wars homoeroticism enjoyed。 Noel Coward， a junior contemporary， also shunned the opportunity to “come out” when the coast was clear。 Literally no one broke ranks and did the dirty on themselves or any of their mates。 Ashenden's revelations here， though they break his word of honour to Alroy Kear， are a pretty poor substitute for that。On the whole， “Cakes and Ale” is a steady - if not staid - tricycle ride through the calmer days of a tumultuous era。 As a read， it's hardly great， but I shouldn't say bad， value。 。。。more
Harooon
，
William Ashenden is a successful novelist。 One day he gets a call from Alroy Kear - a fellow novelist and friend of sorts - who has been asked by Amy Driffield to write the biography of her late husband Edward “Ted” Driffield， a literary titan and old guard from the Victorian era。 Unlike the critics and celebrities that surrounded him in his final days， William knew Ted before he was famous， so Alroy has come seeking notes on Ted’s early life， including about his first wife Rosie。The biography i William Ashenden is a successful novelist。 One day he gets a call from Alroy Kear - a fellow novelist and friend of sorts - who has been asked by Amy Driffield to write the biography of her late husband Edward “Ted” Driffield， a literary titan and old guard from the Victorian era。 Unlike the critics and celebrities that surrounded him in his final days， William knew Ted before he was famous， so Alroy has come seeking notes on Ted’s early life， including about his first wife Rosie。The biography is being written for a lot of selfish reasons。 By associating himself with Ted Driffield， Alroy hopes to elevate his standing in the literary world and cement his legacy。 And Amy Driffield wants to set the record straight about Rosie， whose working-class origins （barmaid） and sexual promiscuity make her the target of sneer and contempt。 No-one is quite sure why Ted married her。 Yet William knows Ted wrote his best works while he was with her。 And Williams knows what kind of woman Rosie Driffield really was。From his earliest days in the sleepy Kentish town of Blackstable - before the Driffields became famous in London - the young William Ashenden is cautioned against hanging around them。 His caretaker bad-mouths Rosie for her lowly background and poor morals。 Yet one night he finds the two inexplicably dining and laughing together。 Once Rosie has left， the caretaker asks William not to tell of their encounter， confiding that “she’s been no worse than plenty others， if the truth was only known。” （90）。After reconnecting with the Driffields in London， William Ashenden begins an affair with Rosie。 Maugham’s descriptions of her alternate between opulent and indulgent; “She had the serenity of a summer evening when the light fades slowly from the unclouded sky。” （183）。 Sometimes though， you’d prefer the narrator not to go on so many digressions; fancy being so wound up about Evelyn Waugh that you have a whinge about him while recalling making love to the woman of your dreams。When he’s not being cock-blocked by Evelyn Waugh， Maugham has a keen eye for those small moments that come to dominate our memory of a time。 Describing his first kiss with Rosie， William tells us how it was not “a hurried peck， nor was it a kiss of passion。 Her lips， those very full lips of hers， rested on mine long enough for me to be conscious of their shape and their warmth and their softness。” （184） This is just enough to convey the volume of the kiss and its tantalising effect without overdoing it。 As they’re leaving the next morning， Ashenden opens the door and the dawn runs to meet them “like a cat leaping up into the steps。” （191）。 Then his focus turns to the city around him， which he perceives in the way you do after lovemaking， your mind both empty and glowing: I could not go back to bed。 I strolled on till I came to the Embankment。 The river had the bright hues of the early morning。 A brown barge came down the stream and passed under Vauxhall Bridge。 In a dingy two men were rowing close to the side。 I was hungry。 （191）。 tEventually he realises that he is not the only one whom Rosie is seeing。 Yet when he brings it up， she doesn’t get angry。 “It’s so silly to be fussy and jealous，” she says。 “Why not be happy with what you can get？ Enjoy yourself while you have the chance， I say; we shall all be dead in a hundred years and what will anything matter then？” It works。 Rosie draws him into an embrace， advising him to “take me as I am。” （201-2）。This memory seems to be the most important in the novel。 William Ashenden can’t be jealous that Rosie is sleeping with others when he is sleeping with her behind Ted’s back。 He recognises the same hypocrisy in himself that he saw in Blackstable。 These events taking place just as he is becoming an adult， William is drawn into Rosie’s live-for-the-moment outlook， which shapes his perspectives on life and writing。 Musing on the relationship between art and beauty， he remarks: Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger。 There is really nothing to be said about it… that is why the criticism of art， except in so far as it is unconcerned with beauty and therefore with art， is tiresome。 All the critic can tell you with regard to Titian’s Entombment of Christ， perhaps of all the pictures in the world which has most pure beauty， is to go and look at it。 （123）。 Though literary criticism is more waffle than substance， Ashenden throws in his lot anyway with the fame and recognition it brings。 To him， longevity is the only measure of a writer’s worth。 It is better to be known than unknown， for “posterity makes its choice not from among the unknown writers of a period， but from among the known。” （120）。 Perhaps he feels this way because of his time with Rosie - the most pleasant， easy-going time of his life - but also from seeing first-hand Ted rise from unknown rascal to respectable writer。 Despite being the target of moral outrages， a careful circle of followers （including Amy Driffield） clean up Ted’s public image。 Now he is dead， all anyone henceforth will ever know about him will be from his sanitised biography， and not the real circumstances of his life， as only William Ashenden remembers them。If all that matters is the physical world of sense that one interacts with， then the only thing that matters after death is posterity， which is the impact of the dead upon the living。 This is the only way to survive one’s death。 Since no-one will be able to know the real Ted - except through what others have written about him - that means Alroy Kear is in control of his legacy。 And by supplying the notes for Ted’s early life， so is William Ashenden。 Thus， Ashenden wants to tell the world about Rosie - the real Rosie， as she was， not the scapegoat for a past life everyone has chosen to forget。The title of the book comes from The Twelfth Night: “Dost thou think， because thou art virtuous， there shall be no more cakes and ale？” Despite her infidelity， Ashenden doesn’t think Rosie was a bad person， for she was the kindest and purest and most beautiful woman he ever met。 Yet she contradicted everything about the hypocritical morality of the society around her。 She had a good heart and a free spirit， and Cakes and Ale is written in just this kind of easy-going manner。 It does not take aim at moral sanctimony through spite or anger， but shows - rather than tells - the pure whimsy and wonder of the world as it is， through Ashenden’s delightful musings and reminisces on writing， love， memory， and his friendship with the Driffields。 Maugham’s humour shines through all of this and his unfurling of the details of Ashenden’s life is well-paced。If Ashenden believes in Rosie’s philosophy - that we should enjoy ourselves because nothing will matter once we’re dead - he doesn’t seem to have fully applied it to his own life。 While he may have unlearned some of the snobbery into which he was born， he still strikes you as cranky; a common response to being asked to do something or to go have lunch is that he doesn’t want to。 This attitude to life has also made it difficult for Ashenden to do what he sees as right。 If all that matters is living for the moment - having your cakes and ale - then it is silly to try and appeal to higher beliefs like honour， truth， fidelity， and beauty， which is what Ashenden is doing when he's trying to preserve the authentic memory of Rosie Driffield。 He feels embarrassed though: I have noticed that when I am most serious people are apt to laugh at me， and indeed when after a lapse of time I have read passages that I wrote from the fullness of my heart I have been tempted to laugh at myself。 It must be that there is something naturally absurd in a sincere motion， though why there should be I cannot imagine， unless it is that man， the ephemeral inhabitant of an insignificant planet， with all his pain and all his striving is but a jest in an eternal mind。 （250）。 If you look up anything about Cakes and Ale， the first thing you’ll find out is that the characters are supposedly based on real people。 Alroy Kear is Hugh Walpole， a now largely forgotten author （which is all the more stinging in its irony）。 Ted Driffield is Thomas Hardy。 That probably means William Ashenden is supposed to be W（illiam） Somerset Maugham。 Does that mean we ought to interpret Ashenden’s thoughts as the thoughts of Somerset Maugham？ Should we hold Ashenden’s words against Maugham？I think that would be a mistake。 There is no reason why we have to read the voice of the narrator as the voice of the author himself。 Even if you did take that view， Maugham himself would probably agree that you’re overthinking it。 Don’t be too serious with this book and you’ll find a great deal to be delighted with。 Take it as an instruction manual for how to live your life， and you’ll probably begin to feel like Bishop Walsham How， who burned his copy of Jude the Obscure。 Don’t think too hard about it。 If you find you can’t help it， you might consider what Ashenden has to say about the author， that they need only write down their thoughts in order to forget them。 Unthinking pleasure may have its moral and epistemic limits， but the author is granted an escape from all this through his writing。 “He is the only free man。” （268）。 。。。more
Claire
，
This author tried to convey a sense of high society， but I didn't like it。 Then again， checking around， I didn't like any of the other novels written at this time either， so it's probably a time period issue and not anything to do with the writing itself。 This author tried to convey a sense of high society， but I didn't like it。 Then again， checking around， I didn't like any of the other novels written at this time either， so it's probably a time period issue and not anything to do with the writing itself。 。。。more
Sacapsie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is an odd one。 Mostly it is a portrait of Rosie Driffield， but the book somewhat lacks focus and is about two-thirds literary assassination。 The opening quarter or so is a sketch of Roy Kear， a man that Maugham considers to be too "nice" by half to have a chance as a writer。 And nowhere near talented。 Mr。 Driffield remains a bit of an enigma; it's not clear that Maugham cares that much about him， but he definitely wants you to know that Driffield's books are boring and overrated。 Boring is This is an odd one。 Mostly it is a portrait of Rosie Driffield， but the book somewhat lacks focus and is about two-thirds literary assassination。 The opening quarter or so is a sketch of Roy Kear， a man that Maugham considers to be too "nice" by half to have a chance as a writer。 And nowhere near talented。 Mr。 Driffield remains a bit of an enigma; it's not clear that Maugham cares that much about him， but he definitely wants you to know that Driffield's books are boring and overrated。 Boring is not the same things as incompetent and howlingly awful （Theodore Dreiser， I have you in mind） but for Maugham it's enough。There were passages in the book that I found uncharacteristically ill-judged for Maugham。 He has a good， moderate sense of humor， but he is neither particularly funny nor entertaining when he goes off on the House of Lords （which apparently everyone was expecting to be abolished at the time of the book's writing， and which， sadly， is still carrying on somehow， I mean seriously？ Representative democracy shouldn't be a hereditary title thing， should it？ Whatever， I never understood the British political system）。 He tries this riff where all the nobles would be the only ones allowed to write fiction and plays and such， which would make them useful and keep them out of the public's way。 Meh， I get it but stick to portraiture and situational humor。 There were far better jokes in Mrs。 Craddock and The Bishop's Apron。Finally， toward the end of the book I started thinking that Mrs。 Driffield would make a lot more sense played by a young gay man。 I know， I know， women can be promiscuous too。 And they can use sex as an escape from distressing emotions。 It's just not something that seems like an essential aspect of human nature。 Something about that character and the narrator's relationship to her rang false for me。 Seeing that Maugham considered this book his favorite， because it reminded him of the inspiration for Rosie， just cemented my belief that it must have been a guy。 （Maybe M was heteroflexible， as some claim， but call me a skeptic。。。） 。。。more
Subhadipmajumdar
，
Another Marvelous Masterpiece from Maugham！ Hiw simple and beautifully he tells a story！ Never he has failed to amaze me with his story telling power！A Literary novel and love the softness and tender surrender of words！
Liberty
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I read this because I knew the name Somerset Maugham as a famous and respected author， the blurb on the back said that this was the book he was most proud of。 I found it a bit boring。It's a story about a famous and respected author whose books are a bit boring。I expect the satirical stuff about the extreme snobbery was more relevant when it was written， I found it just mind-boggling that anyone might think in that way。 I read this because I knew the name Somerset Maugham as a famous and respected author， the blurb on the back said that this was the book he was most proud of。 I found it a bit boring。It's a story about a famous and respected author whose books are a bit boring。I expect the satirical stuff about the extreme snobbery was more relevant when it was written， I found it just mind-boggling that anyone might think in that way。 。。。more
Kim
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A very interesting way to tell a bildungsroman。
David Mills
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Favorite quote = “It's very hard to be a gentleman and a writer。”From my 1001 Books to Read Before You Die （Edited by Peter Boxall） reading list。 Favorite quote = “It's very hard to be a gentleman and a writer。”From my 1001 Books to Read Before You Die （Edited by Peter Boxall） reading list。 。。。more
Sean Meriwether
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Maugham gives us an under-the-covers look at a writer's life at a certain period in England as the literary landscape was changing。 HIs novel is seasoned with autobiographical details， including his being an orphan raised in the country by his conservative aunt and uncle， his attraction and daliances with "unsavory" people， and his having attended medical school before becoming an author。 Also included are thinly disguised （and not terribly flattering） portraits of two well-known Victorian autho Maugham gives us an under-the-covers look at a writer's life at a certain period in England as the literary landscape was changing。 HIs novel is seasoned with autobiographical details， including his being an orphan raised in the country by his conservative aunt and uncle， his attraction and daliances with "unsavory" people， and his having attended medical school before becoming an author。 Also included are thinly disguised （and not terribly flattering） portraits of two well-known Victorian authors。 This begs the reader to guess at what elements were also nonfictional or fictional elements blended in for spice。 Did Maugham really take Thomas Hardy's first wife as his lover？ Perhaps。。。At its heart the novel is less about the unusual lives of writers but how should you live your life？ Adhering to the arbitrary rules set by society and hewing to the norms of your station， or crossing the line and living richer more interesting lives on the outside， eschewing public opinion？ Using the author Driffield as an example， his fiction was better and more challenging when married to a buxom barmaid who indulged herself in pleasure with other men and acted as his muse， and more staid when later married to his nurse who tightly controls his life。 What I most chuckled over are his repeated references to his being queer， possibly code at the time but delightful in a modern read。 。。。more
Kathleen Connor
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3 stars
Maggie
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I have noticed that when someone asks for you on the telephone and， finding you out， leaves a message begging you to call him up the moment you come in， and it's important， the matter is more often important to him than to you。 With that opening line， we are launched into the story of Willie Ashenden， who is approached by Alroy Kear， the popular but （in Ashenden's opinion） mediocre writer seeking information about Edward Driffield's younger days。 Driffield was an illustrious writer who recently p I have noticed that when someone asks for you on the telephone and， finding you out， leaves a message begging you to call him up the moment you come in， and it's important， the matter is more often important to him than to you。 With that opening line， we are launched into the story of Willie Ashenden， who is approached by Alroy Kear， the popular but （in Ashenden's opinion） mediocre writer seeking information about Edward Driffield's younger days。 Driffield was an illustrious writer who recently passed away at 84。 Ashenden brings us into two long flashbacks。 The first is of when he first met Driffield and his wife vivacious wife Rosie。 Ashenden's uncle， the vicar of a village， looked down on Driffield and his ex-barmaid wife， but Edward and particularly Rosie were charming and befriended Ashenden。 The second flashback is of Ashenden as a medical student who meets the Driffields in London。 Driffield is a more established writer and Rosie is has affairs with multiple men， including Ashenden， while maintaining a happy marriage with Edward。 But one day， Rosie elopes with George Kemp。 Back in the present day， Driffield's second wife Amy has， in his later years， created a public image of Driffield as a distinguished grand old man of letters。 Amy and Alroy try to persuade Ashenden to reveal Driffield's past so that Alroy can write a biography about Driffield， but Ashenden understandably reveals little， and what he does reveal shows only the commonplace side of Driffield， which Amy and Alroy are not interested in。 Privately， Ashenden has evidence that Driffield always liked mingling with common men till his last days。 The book ends with a flashback to a recent meeting between Ashenden and Rosie in New York， where Rosie revealed that she and Driffield had a six-year-old child who died of meningitis and started her promiscuous life， which Driffield knew about but nevertheless accepted as a part of Rosie。I read this because it is on the Guardian 1000 book list， in the comedy section。 It is a comedy， but it is also much more。 Maugham masterfully combines bitingly funny satire about British literary circles and parodies of certain individuals or types of people， embarrassingly frank statements about all sorts of things from what made Driffield a great writer （longevity） to the conversation of Americans， poignant and profound reflections on life and love， and a coming of age story where a boy realises that his ingrained notions of class are prejudiced and comes to disdain those who adhere to these thoughtless norms。So we have a mixture of dry humour like this:"Did you read the articles that were written about him at his death？""Some of them。""The consensus of opinion was absolutely amazing。 I read every one。""If they all said the same thing， wasn't that rather unnecessary？" Together with observations like this:I do not know if others are like myself， but I am conscious that I cannot contemplate beauty long。 For me no poet made a falser statement than Keats when he wrote the first line of Endymion。 When the thing of beauty has given me the magic of its sensation my mind quickly wanders; I listen with incredulity to the persons who tell me that they can look with rapture for hours at a view or at a picture。 Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger。 There is really nothing to be said about it。 It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all: that is why the criticism of art， except in so far as it is unconcerned with beauty and therefore with art， is tiresome。 All the critic can tell you with regard to Titian's Entombment of Christ， perhaps of all the pictures in the world that which has most pure beauty， is to go and look at it。 What else he has to say is history， or biography， or what not。 But people add other qualities to beauty—sublimity， human interest， tenderness， love—because beauty does not long content them。 Beauty is perfect， and perfection （such is human nature） holds our attention but for a little while。 We see Ashenden at three stages of his life， and in each stage Maugham powerfully adapts his tone and perspectives to show his changing beliefs。 Ashenden as a boy is class-conscious， believing himself superior to the Driffields， and shocked by their seemingly unconscious refusal to play the part of inferiors， yet finding himself strangely attracted by their unwavering friendliness。 As a young adult， Ashenden recognises Rosie's beauty and infidelity， and from her behaviour slowly learns that an unfaithful wife need not be an unloving one， as society believes， and that a woman may give off pure untainted love to many as the sun gives light。 As a middle to older aged man， Ashenden has developed fixed ideas about the hypocrisy of man， and makes independent， though unpopular， judgments upon others。Driffield was supposedly based on Thomas Hardy and Alroy Kear on Hugh Walpole。 In the case of Hugh Walpole， there are similarities。 Hugh Walpole was a prolific writer of best-selling novels but he fell out of popularity after his death。 Though Maugham wrote near the height of Walpole's popularity， he predicts that Alroy's lack of talent will eventually result in him falling out of popularity in his later days。 I'm not so sure about the link between Thomas Hardy and Edward Driffield。 There are some superficial similarities。 Both died as distinguished writers in their older age。 Both as young men wore knickerbockers and rode bicycles （there's a picture of Thomas Hardy doing that in thisGuardian article）。 Both had two wives， but it's probably unfair to compare Hardy's wives to Rosie and Amy。 There are vivid portraits of the minor characters as well。 Mrs Barton Trafford， a patron whose efforts propelled Driffield to renown， and her husband， have been compared to Mr and Mrs Sidney Colvins。 Allgood Newton， a pompous， longwinded critic is postulated to be based on Sir Edmund Gosse。 Jasper Gibbons， a poet whom Mrs Barton Trafford first helped to promote then later dropped， is supposedly similar to Stephen Philips。Many of the minor characters are hypocritical and transparent。 In contrast， Edward Driffield is comparatively mysterious。 We know a lot about him – we know he was playful and charming， married an ex-barmaid， divorced， then married his nurse who created a public figure out of him – but we don't really know him or what he is thinking。 All we know is only what we speculate through Ashenden's eyes， and his eyes， first those of a boy's then those of a lover of Driffield's first wife， are not particularly reliable。 He does seem to be a pitiable victim of women， as Rosie first elopes with another man， then Mrs Barton Trafford imposes herself on him， and when， to escape Mrs Barton Trafford， he marries Amy， she ruthlessly manipulates him into a position of greatness that he does not want。 Yet， when we find out that Driffield， against Amy's approval， frequented the local pub the Bear and Key and mingled with the locals， you get the feeling that perhaps he one-upped Amy in his own quiet way。 I wonder if this is something Maugham saw happening， that famous writers were turned into legends when they were just ordinary men， and was making a statement about the downsides to success and fame。 It's interesting that though Ashenden is perhaps the only man who knows that the distinguished， benevolent image that Amy has created is false and believes that Driffield's writing is mediocre， and though the man that he knows Driffield to be has a personality that the literary world would disapprove of， Ashenden still views Driffield with some degree of respect and affection for who he is。The title comes from a line in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: "Dost thou think， because thou art virtuous， there shall be no more cakes and ale？" Rosie represents cakes and ale， but this is also a book that questions what virtuosity is。I believe this is one of those books you understand more of the more times you read it。 It's fantastic。 。。。more
Mela
，
I have noticed that when someone asks for you on the telephone and， finding you out， leaves a message begging you to call him up the moment you come in， as it's important， the matter is more often important to him than to you。 From the first sentence I knew W。 Somerset Maugham was the writer I will probably like。 [It was my first one written by him。] One of the difficulties that a man has to cope with as he goes through life is what to do about the persons with whom he has once been intim I have noticed that when someone asks for you on the telephone and， finding you out， leaves a message begging you to call him up the moment you come in， as it's important， the matter is more often important to him than to you。 From the first sentence I knew W。 Somerset Maugham was the writer I will probably like。 [It was my first one written by him。] One of the difficulties that a man has to cope with as he goes through life is what to do about the persons with whom he has once been intimate and whose interest for him has in due course subsided。 If both parties remain in a modest station the break comes about naturally， and no ill feeling subsists， but if one of them achieves eminence the position is awkward。 I love Somerset Maugham's style， and especially his observant eye。 He sang the melody of my heart。 The story of humans: Edward and Rosie， and how the society， we live in， can influence our behaviour and decisions - was splendid。 Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit。 It cannot， like adultery or gluttony， be practised at spare moments; it is a whole-time job。 But， I lost most of the analogies between fiction characters and real writers。 I am not much a fan of books about books and authors， and I am really seldom interested in such meta-level。 Perhaps， if I had known who was who， I would have enjoyed this level too。 Nonetheless， obviously， even I have found many priceless observations about the writers' world。 But he has one compensation。 Whenever he has anything on his mind， whether it be a harassing reflection， grief at the death of a friend， unrequited love， wounded pride， anger at the treachery of someone to whom he has shown kindness， in short any emotion or any perplexing thought， he has only to put it down in black and white， using it as a theme of a story or the decoration of an essay， to forget all about it。 He is the only free man。 。。。more
Paula
，
Destino de um Homem， Círculo de Leitores“A hipocrisia é o mais difícil e extenuante dos vícios， pois exige uma vigilância contínua， um raro desprendimento， não podendo ser praticado espaçadamente como o adultério ou a gula: é uma ocupação de todos os momentos。 Não dispensa também certo humor cínico。"Em forma de sátira， W。 Somerset Maugham， levanta questões muito interessantes sobre a tarefa delicada e hipócrita que é escrever a biografia de alguém a pedido de um parente， neste caso， de um escrit Destino de um Homem， Círculo de Leitores“A hipocrisia é o mais difícil e extenuante dos vícios， pois exige uma vigilância contínua， um raro desprendimento， não podendo ser praticado espaçadamente como o adultério ou a gula: é uma ocupação de todos os momentos。 Não dispensa também certo humor cínico。"Em forma de sátira， W。 Somerset Maugham， levanta questões muito interessantes sobre a tarefa delicada e hipócrita que é escrever a biografia de alguém a pedido de um parente， neste caso， de um escritor consagrado e respeitado cujo passado é um pouco mais nebuloso do que convém a um homem com o seu estatuto。 O título “Cakes and Ale or the Squeleton in the Cupboard” revela succintamente o conteúdo deste livro: há um esqueleto no armário， um passado que deve agora ser abafado， devido sobretudo a uma questão de classe， um conflito sempre tão prevalente na sociedade e literatura britânica， e ainda mais no século passado。 Com um olhar implacável sobre os meandros do mundo literário， abrilhantado por uma personagem feminina controversa e um estilo de escrita preciso em que cada frase é deliberada， Maugham continua a cativar-me。“Aproveitei para reflectir sobre a vida do escritor。 （。。。） Como princípio， deve começar por sofrer a pobreza e a indiferença do mundo e， depois， tendo conquistado uma parcela e sucesso， tem de se submeter sem protestos aos seus riscos。 Depende de um público inconstante e está à mercê （。。。） de mulheres que o querem para marido e de mulheres que querem divorciar-se dele， （。。。） de senhoras sentimentais que lhe solicitam a opinião sobre assuntos matrimoniais， de rapazes sérios que pedem opinião sobre as suas composições， de agentes， editores， empresários， admiradores， críticos e da própria consciência。 Mas existe uma compensação。 Sempre que tiver alguma coisa no espírito， seja uma reflexão torturante， a dor pela morte de um amigo， o amor não correspondido， o orgulho ferido， o ressentimento pela falsidade de alguém que lhe devia ser grato， enfim， qualquer emoção ou qualquer ideia obcecante， basta reduzi-la a preto e branco， usando-a como assunto de uma história ou adorno de um ensaio， para se esquecer de tudo。 O escritor é o único homem livre。 。。。more
Pamela
，
This brilliant book covers so much ground with the lightest of touches - it is a coming of age story， a quirky romance， a satire on literary snobbery and the types that flock around authors， and a comic take on class and convention。 The narrator， William Ashenden， is invited to contribute his memories of recently deceased literary giant Edward （Ted） Driffield to a biography being planned by Ted’s second wife Amy and Alroy Kear， a literary acquaintance of Ashenden。 Amy is keen to curate Ted’s wor This brilliant book covers so much ground with the lightest of touches - it is a coming of age story， a quirky romance， a satire on literary snobbery and the types that flock around authors， and a comic take on class and convention。 The narrator， William Ashenden， is invited to contribute his memories of recently deceased literary giant Edward （Ted） Driffield to a biography being planned by Ted’s second wife Amy and Alroy Kear， a literary acquaintance of Ashenden。 Amy is keen to curate Ted’s work and image to her conventional view of decency， but Ashenden isn’t sure he wants to play ball。 He has fond memories of the Ted he knew as a child， and of his common but lovable first wife Rosie。Totally engaging， wickedly disrespectful and very charming， this work is one of Maugham’s best。 The characters are totally convincing， and I loved the story， as well as the amusing digressions on Beauty， Art and Literature。 The section where the narrator satirises the fashionable theories on how to write fiction was one of my favourites， and the whole story of Rosie， Ted and their friends was satisfying with its blend of humour， pathos and affectionate malice。 。。。more
Roelof Bos
，
Dit was genieten！ Wat een heerlijk boek。 Gelezen in het oorspronkelijke Engels。 Ik trof in mijn boekenkast deze editie: Penguin Books， Fiction， 1948/1949， 'one shilling and sixpence'。 Geen idee hoe ik aan dit boek ben gekomen。Er waren bladzijden waarin ik wel 5 woorden opzocht voor vertaling， om niets te missen。 Mijn woordenboek op de iPad， Prisma Engels XL， liet mij zo goed als niet in de steek。Prachtige zinnen。 Prachtige humor。 Prachtige opbouw （kunst van het weglaten！）。 En het speelt nog in K Dit was genieten！ Wat een heerlijk boek。 Gelezen in het oorspronkelijke Engels。 Ik trof in mijn boekenkast deze editie: Penguin Books， Fiction， 1948/1949， 'one shilling and sixpence'。 Geen idee hoe ik aan dit boek ben gekomen。Er waren bladzijden waarin ik wel 5 woorden opzocht voor vertaling， om niets te missen。 Mijn woordenboek op de iPad， Prisma Engels XL， liet mij zo goed als niet in de steek。Prachtige zinnen。 Prachtige humor。 Prachtige opbouw （kunst van het weglaten！）。 En het speelt nog in Kent ook。 Canterbury heet hier Tercanbury 。。。more
K
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Wonderful writing， but a lot of long sections describing a "placid" woman and how dewy she is。 At least she seems to be comfortably and matter-of-factly polyamorous。 Wonderful writing， but a lot of long sections describing a "placid" woman and how dewy she is。 At least she seems to be comfortably and matter-of-factly polyamorous。 。。。more
Laura
，
Boy， they don't write novels like this anymore。 Dense with characters and thoughts and humor and poking fun at the literary world in the early 20th century。 Fun！ I was amused by it， and it's prob。 a 4- or 5-star book， but not sure what it all added up to for me。。。 Boy， they don't write novels like this anymore。 Dense with characters and thoughts and humor and poking fun at the literary world in the early 20th century。 Fun！ I was amused by it， and it's prob。 a 4- or 5-star book， but not sure what it all added up to for me。。。 。。。more
Phil
，
Well， I’d always heard of Somerset Maugham but never read anything by him before this。 I couldn’t have described what I was expecting， but I definitely wouldn’t have been this。 An elder statesman of literature， Edward Driffield， has recently died （some feel he’s based on Thomas Hardy） and Ashenden， minor novelist， is dragged down Memory Lane reminiscing about days he knew Driffield before the fame， when Ashenden was in his teens and very early twenties， when his friend Alroy Keare is asked by Dr Well， I’d always heard of Somerset Maugham but never read anything by him before this。 I couldn’t have described what I was expecting， but I definitely wouldn’t have been this。 An elder statesman of literature， Edward Driffield， has recently died （some feel he’s based on Thomas Hardy） and Ashenden， minor novelist， is dragged down Memory Lane reminiscing about days he knew Driffield before the fame， when Ashenden was in his teens and very early twenties， when his friend Alroy Keare is asked by Driffield’s second wife to write his biography。I just adored this novel。 I loved the archness and sarcasm of the narrator， Ashenden， and the opening half that felt like a Wodehouseian or Waugh-like farce。 But I also loved the second half that wandered through a rural past， into Late-Victorian London and its literary soirées。 Most of all though I adored Rosie Driffield who transcends the “tart with a heart” cliche into which many drop her。 She’s a gorgeous ball of energy who made everyone happy， who brightened every room she walked into， and who saw nothing wrong with her polyamorous adventures。I was waiting for the usual comeuppance fate normally reserves for women who love too freely in novels。 Thankfully it never came。 。。。more
Ratnadip Acharya
，
l can write for at least a few hours on this man and his works。 In my early twenties when l decided to plunge into literature and decided to use English as the language for expressing myself， l was advised by a friend of mine to study Maugham's work。 And well， l must say l owe him a great deal for the little l know of complex English grammar， sentence construction， the art of writing long sentences。l read all his four collection of short stories and around 15 novels he wrote， apart from a few no l can write for at least a few hours on this man and his works。 In my early twenties when l decided to plunge into literature and decided to use English as the language for expressing myself， l was advised by a friend of mine to study Maugham's work。 And well， l must say l owe him a great deal for the little l know of complex English grammar， sentence construction， the art of writing long sentences。l read all his four collection of short stories and around 15 novels he wrote， apart from a few non-fictions。 However， probably on instagram l will not be able to write about most of his works for most of his books l have are very old， sort of vintage stuff and don't have cover page。 Yet l treasure them。Among all his novels Of Humane Bondage， The Moon and the Sixpence and Cakes and Ale are the most famous。 Of Humane Bondage is autobiographical， The Moon and the Sixpence is on the life of a famous painter Paul Gaunian and this book Cakes and Ale is， well， said to be based on the life of Thomas Hardy， a famous British author。 In sort the novel revolves around a few characters like Ashenden， Rosie and a few more whose name l have forgotten。 lt is about fragility of human nature and desire for sexual freedom lurking everywhere and dubious human mind。 However， these eternal human emotions are the backbone of all his novels。 Do read William Somerset Maugham if you really love literature。 。。。more
Bea
，
This short novel is truly a masterpiece。 I took a long time reading it because there was a lot to absorb。 There was not only the story but so many astute observations that it was a learning experience as well。 This is a novel I would read again。 Ostensibly the story of the famous writer Edward Driffield， it encompasses a richness of characters， actions， thoughts， and observations。 Both timeless and of its time， the reading and pace are perfect for this tale。 Take your time with this 272 page nov This short novel is truly a masterpiece。 I took a long time reading it because there was a lot to absorb。 There was not only the story but so many astute observations that it was a learning experience as well。 This is a novel I would read again。 Ostensibly the story of the famous writer Edward Driffield， it encompasses a richness of characters， actions， thoughts， and observations。 Both timeless and of its time， the reading and pace are perfect for this tale。 Take your time with this 272 page novel。 。。。more
Tom Richards
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It’s getting ever rarer to find an old penguin paperback priced in pre-decimal coinage， and at 2’6 （printed 1960） this was a snip。 First published in 1930， this was already an ageing novel， but paints a vivid picture of literary London from about the turn of the century to the inter-war period。 The snobbery of the time is wittily but subtly lampooned， as when the novelist Driffield， before his fame and considered lower-class by the protagonist Ashenden， presses a gift of two half-crowns into the It’s getting ever rarer to find an old penguin paperback priced in pre-decimal coinage， and at 2’6 （printed 1960） this was a snip。 First published in 1930， this was already an ageing novel， but paints a vivid picture of literary London from about the turn of the century to the inter-war period。 The snobbery of the time is wittily but subtly lampooned， as when the novelist Driffield， before his fame and considered lower-class by the protagonist Ashenden， presses a gift of two half-crowns into the boy’s hand as he takes his train back to boarding-school。 Ashenden is mortified by the idea that he should accept a tip from someone beneath him， and considers returning the money， with or without a letter explaining his reasons， before finally deciding just to keep it。 But he “assuaged [his] wounded pride by not writing to thank Driffield for his gift。” It is not lost on the reader that the nobility Ashenden pretends to， seems somewhat lacking。The key character of the novel is not really Driffield， but Driffield’s first wife Rosie， who enjoys the ‘cakes and ale’ available in life。 This involves enjoying male company and attention to the full， including， as it turns out， that of Ashenden。 The sex scene， while one of the most tastefully executed I’ve encountered， was still mildly shocking in the context of the wry irony and sardonically observed polite society of the rest of the book。 This was Maugham’s favourite among his own books， and one wonders on whom Maugham could have based such an intimate portrait。Rosie twice does a bunk from situations she has no further use for， once with Driffield from parochial Blackstable to London， and once from London to America with old flame ‘Lord George’ Kemp from Blackstable。 She holds no regrets， even when Ashenden catches up with her in old age， and is quite happy for her erstwhile London acquaintances to persist in the mistaken belief that she is dead。 There is no real denouement， although the aftermath of the death of the Driffields’ daughter is a memorable vignette。 One ends the book with a sense of unfinished business， musing on the rich social tapestry woven by Maugham， spanning around forty years of Ashenden and the Driffields’ lives。 。。。more
Paula
，
A quick and pleasant read。 I saw it recommended on the Head Butler blog so I thought I would give Maugham a peek。 I was pleasantly surprised。 He does overwrite but many of his observations on writing and literature were great。 The story is about the first wife of a recently deceased eminent author possibly based on Thomas Hardy。 She is vilified as a former barmaid and strumpet。 The narrator knew the famous couple and has his his own views of her behavior。
Frida Jönsson
，
2。5。 。。。。Meh。
Richard Seltzer
，
The telling of the tale is more important than the tale itself。 We're presented with one limited and distorted perspective on top of another， and this shading makes the portrait of the target characters three-dimensional The telling of the tale is more important than the tale itself。 We're presented with one limited and distorted perspective on top of another， and this shading makes the portrait of the target characters three-dimensional 。。。more
Mimi
，
Or 3。5 interesting story about writers in England in early 20th century
Susan
，
Mr。 Maugham is so very clever。
Елвира
，
Лиричен Съмърсет Моъм， както винаги， особено， когато пише за прелюбодеяния。 Броят на думите бе една идея в повече за мен （т。е。 имаше излишни неща） и в началото ми вървеше не особено интересно， но това усещане се промени от средата насетне。 Сюжетът е наистина страхотен！ Просто Моъм е твърде голям джентълмен， че да злоупотреби с него （както аз бих искала）， въпреки че неговият герой твърди， че е трудно за един писател да бъде такъв。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Cakes and Ale
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Cakes and Ale&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Cakes and Ale&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0