A Review of short story The Luncheon by W S Maugham

             W S Maugham was young and naive, and was living in Paris, some twenty years from the time of writing this striking short story with a twist of irony. His first literary works were just published. Like any young writer, he craved for admiration. And that's what he got when he received a fan mail from a lady, lavishly praising one of his just published works. He was elated and wrote back thanking her. Then he receives a letter from the same admirer stating that she was passing through Paris and was interested to have a chat with the author. As she had a busy schedule and suggested that author might consider treating her with a little luncheon at Foyot's on the following Thursday when she would be free.
             Fyot's is plush and expensive up scale restaurant in Paris where the French senators eat - meaning it was a place for the elite's and a struggling writer like Maugham can never dream of eating at such place. He had only eighty francs to sustain him through the month and a modest luncheon, he thought, would not cost more than fifteen francs. This deficit of fifteen francs could be adjusted by refraining from taking daily coffee for two weeks.
             Being flattered by the attention being showered on him by the lady and green in judgement about the worldly affairs, he could not decline the request and agreed to see her at Fyot's.
             The author answered his friend, known to him through letter, that he would meet her on Thursday at half past twelve, at Fyot's. He meets his friend at foyots - she was not a young lady as he had imagined rather was an imposing woman of forty. She was having large and white teeth- and an excess of what was required for practical purpose. She was talkative and Maugham only tolerated this trait because she seemed to be talking about him-we see that human being like to be praised is reflected in this statement.
             The bill of fare was brought and Maugham was surprised to find the prices we
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A Review of short story The Luncheon by W S Maugham. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 05:57, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/52207.html