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Ep. 1015, The Letter, by W. Somerset Maugham
03/07/2025
Ep. 1015, The Letter, by W. Somerset Maugham
A shot rings out, waking the household. A man stumbles out the front door followed by a dowdy woman with a revolver who shoots him again and again. W. Somerset Maugham, today on The Classic Tales Podcast. Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. If you’d like to ensure the future of The Classic Tales, please visit the website, , and either make a donation, buy an audiobook, or pick up one of our many support options. And if you can’t support us monetarily, leave us a review or share an episode with a friend. It all helps. Today’s story was originally written in 1922, appearing in a collection of stories that came from Maugham’s travels in the Malay provinces. The racism in the story can be hard on the modern ear, but reflects the views of the time. Maugham uses racism as a literary device to fuel the tension in the story, to show the prejudices of the British toward the people they are exploiting. It also demonstrates how the native people in the region resent the British. So, if you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable, it’s by design. This is one of Maugham’s most famous short stories, and the 1940 Bette Davis film is an excellent adaptation. And now, The Letter, by W. Somerset Maugham.
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