This is a review of the 1962 German collection edited by Herbert Müller

This collection was published in 1962 in Germany for usage in schools, so apart from the 43 pages of main text it includes thirteen pages of vocabulary that I did not use, though.

It includes six stories:
- Salvatore
- Mabel
- The Happy Man
- The Poet
- The End of the Flight
- The Bum

There is also a foreword by the editor Herbert Müller and a letter of the author to a previous editor (Klaus W. Jonas) in which he explains his way of writing short stories. I found this very helpful as an introduction because I didn't know anything about W. Somerset Maugham before apart from the fact that he wrote stories set in various parts of the world.
The stories were a mixed bag for me: I loved "Salvatore" because of the emotions and the descriptions of idyllic Italian life. "The Poet" was strong because of its descriptions, too, and I think that the surprise ending is very well done. "The Bum" is a story I will think about some more because the characterization of the characters is so interesting. I do not care so much about the other three stories and could not really see their point, but on the other hand that might be my lack of understanding.
Of course there is the colonial background, the occasional racism, even prejudice towards other Europeans (in the stories set in Spain and Italy). These aspects are at least not in the centre of the stories and the plots are rather about the private and inner thoughts and problems of the characters.
I own another collection of short stories by W. Somerset Maugham and am looking forward to reading them soon and discovering what surprises and characters they will show me. ( )