The most important events in the life of William Somerset Maugham were those over which he had no control. Like one of the characters in his fiction or drama, Maugham was dealt an imperfect hand. Certain facts shaped the course of his life as a child and as an adult--the death of his mother when he was barely eight years old; the death of his father two years later; his adoption by a childless uncle and aunt; his stammer, which made ordinary communication difficult; and his homosexuality. The first he could never overcome; the last he could never forget. All decisively influenced the direction of his life.

Perhaps most important of all was the fact that he was born in Paris on 25 January 1874, the fourth son of an English lawyer who handled the affairs of the British embassy. France was to become the place where he spent most...