Cakes and Ale

Name: Cakes and Ale
Brand: Findaway Voices
Availability: InStock
Author: W. Somerset Maugham
ISBN: 9798260871539

Author: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrator: Graham Dunlop

Unabridged: 6 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Adultbrain Publishing

Published: 01/07/2026

Categories: Fiction, Classic

Synopsis

Listen to Cakes and Ale, one of W. Somerset Maugham’s most beloved and subtly provocative novels. First published in 1930, this classic explores love, marriage, art, hypocrisy, and the cost of respectability in English society.Told with Maugham’s trademark wit and clarity, the novel reflects on memory, morality, and the tension between social conformity and personal freedom. Inspired in part by real literary figures, Cakes and Ale is both a sharp social satire and a deeply human story.This complete audiobook is ideal for: • Classic literature enthusiasts • Fans of British novels • Students and lifelong learners • Listeners who enjoy character-driven storiesAbout the book: The story follows writer William Ashenden as he reflects on the life and marriages of Edward Driffield, a celebrated author, and the unforgettable Rosie—whose vitality and independence challenge the rigid morals of her time.

About W. Somerset Maugham

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. His semiautobiographical Of Human Bondage is considered to be his masterpiece. Other notable works by Maugham include The Moon and Sixpence, The Razor's Edge, Cakes and Ale, and The Gentleman in the Parlour.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on September 07, 2019

Somerset Maugham's Cakes and Ale (“Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?”--Twelfth Night) takes for its theme the doubleness of human character, ranging from the calculated hypocrisy of the “virtuous” (exemplified by literary opportunist and would-be biograp......more

Goodreads review by Paul on March 22, 2025

Our narrator at age 15 falls off his bike. Commenting on the guy who’s teaching him to ride he says : It was very hard under such circumstances to preserve the standoffishness befitting the vicar’s nephew with the son of Miss Wolfe’s bailiff He is an appalling entitled supercilious snob who says stuff......more

Goodreads review by Nigeyb on October 16, 2023

Cakes and Ale (1930) is a multi-layered novel that was apparently Maugham's favourite, and understandably so as it's a delight from start to finish. A satire about the then contemporary literary trends but also, in a counter narrative, a study of personal freedom. Both narratives converge upon a rec......more

Goodreads review by Trevor on June 21, 2009

This book was a pure delight. Maugham is such an interesting writer and although he did not think himself a great writer, I believe he does have his moments of greatness. I loved Of Human Bondage and this one again uses material from his own life yet again – particularly stuff to do with his childh......more