William Somerset Maugham Theater
One of the most famous and successful writers of the early twentieth century is undoubtedly the English writer William Somerset Maugham. «Theater"Is his most famous novel. The subject of the work is close to many, because the author touches on the topic of the crisis of middle age.
The main character of the novel is the most famous theatrical actress in England, Julia Lambert. Many envy her, because by the time she was forty-six, she had managed not only to build a successful career, but also to establish an exemplary family. Her husband, Michael, is the owner and director of the theater "Siddons", where Julia plays. And her son Roger - an educated young man whom she can be proud of. Money, glory, fans - what more could you want?
But in fact, the life of Julia is not so perfect,as it may seem from the outside. Michael, even at the dawn of their married life, was restrained and stingy at manifestations of feelings, and in time their love faded. Therefore, the only place where Julia can show her feelings is the scene.
However, fate prepared Julia a surprise: the actress gets acquainted with Thomas Fennel, a young accountant. He is younger than Julia for 25 years, but this does not prevent her from plunging into a stormy romance. New love deprives Julia of caution: at times she behaves too recklessly, forgetting about proprieties.
Over time, romance with Tom begins to bringmore frustration than joy: about the relationship of a venerable actress with a young accountant begin to creep rumors. Julia begins to suspect that Tom just used it to get a "pass" to the world of aristocracy and bohemia, and then opens and his betrayal with the young actress.
What to do to Julia? Put your hands down, surrender and let Tom go on all four sides? Or destroy the opponent and show Tom how wrong he was?
The novel "Theater" was twice filmed. For the first time - in 1978 by Soviet and Latvian filmmaker Janis Streic, the role of Julia in this film was performed Vija Artmane. In the second - in 2004, directed by Istvan Szabo (in the original the film is called "Being Julia"). In 2005 the actress Annette Bening, who played the role of Julia, was nominated for her "Oscar" as the best actress.
Despite the huge number of wonderful books that William Somerset Maugham wrote, "The Theater" remains one of the most famous and beloved works of the writer.
Quotations from the book
"Roger claims that we do not exist. On the contrary, only we exist. They are shadows, we put in them bodily content. We are the symbols of all this disorderly, aimless struggle, which is called life, but only a symbol is real. They say: the game is pretense. This pretense is the only reality "
"The whole world is a theater, in it are women, men are allactors. " But what I see through this arch is just an illusion, only we, the artists, are real in this world. That's the answer to Roger. All people are our raw materials. We make sense in their existence. We take their stupid petty feelings and transform them into works of art, we create from them beauty, their life purpose - to be the audience that we need for self-expression. They are the instruments on which we play, but why do we need a tool if there is no one to play on it? "
"- I would love you if I could find. But where are you? If you strip off your exhibitionism, take away the skill, take off, how to peel off a bulb from a bulb, layer by layer pretending, insincerity, beaten quotes from old roles and scraps of fake feelings, will you finally reach your soul? "
