Somerset Maugham is pretty popular with my family—my dad had a beautiful collection of his short stories when I was growing up—but we always argue over which is Maugham's best novel.
I've read most (not all) of his novels and short stories, and I keep coming back to The Razor's Edge. It's witty and compelling, and the prose is just fantastic. But my siblings/parents always go for Of Human Bondage, which is excellent, but just not as good as Razor's Edge in my opinion. The length makes it a tough sell to re-read for one, and it lacks some of the more abstract/interpretive elements found in his later stuff.
The Moon and Sixpence comes in close second for me, even with some of the more... immature? elements of the writing, but it makes up for it with that wit and great prose.
Has anyone got a different favourite? Are there any of his lesser-known novels that are worth a read?
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