All You Can Books

The Bishop's Apron

W. Somerset Maugham

68 ratings
The Bishop's Apron | W. Somerset Maugham

The Bishop's Apron

Download Here

Download Audiobook

Listen Online

Download eBook

Read eBook Online

Download eBook PDF
Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships.
uo;

He looked at her with those passionate eyes of his, and his whole heart yearned for her.

“You know what I think of you,” he said.

They were approaching the Vicarage and time was very short. Winnie threw off all reserve.

“I want to help you, I want to work with you, I hate the life I lead at home. I’m not a woman, I’m only a foolish doll. Take me away from it.”

The blood rushed to his face and the flame of an ecstatic happiness lit up his eyes. He could scarcely believe that he had heard aright.

“Do you mean that?” he cried, hastily. “Oh, don’t play with me. Don’t you know that I love you? I love you with all the strength I’ve got. When I’m away from you it’s madness; I can think of nothing but you all day, all night.”

Winnie sighed.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that.”

“Do you care for me at all?” he insisted, doubting still.

“Yes, I love you with my whole soul.”

When they reached St. Gregory’s Vicarage, the Canon greeted Railing with effusion.

“My dear Mr. Railing, it’s so kind of you to come. Permit me to introduce you to my sister. Mr. Railing is the author of that admirable and much-discussed book, The Future of Socialism.”

“And what is the future of Socialism?” asked Lady Sophia, politely.

“It took me three hundred pages to answer that question,” he replied, with a smile.

“Then you must allow me to give you some tea at once.”

Winnie went up to her uncle, who had been lunching quietly with his sister, but he put out a deprecating hand.

“You’d better not kiss me after being at a temperance meeti

Simon 03/27/2022
A short and stinging stab at english social climbing in the early twentieth century - as always with Maugham it is beautifully written and right on the mark. A fun read.
David 01/12/2022
This is from a collection of his writings. To some he may be a period writer, however I still enjoy his story telling and droll humor especially regarding the English Classes.
David 10/07/2017
I don't believe that The Bishop's Apron rises to the level of the author's best work, but It may be the novel that best showcases Maugham's great wit. I enjoyed it very much.
John 02/07/2017
I'm not sure how this book is rated by the critics, but I found it witty and clever.
Jon 09/30/2015
Compelling and delightful!

How it works

30-day FREE trial

Get ALL YOU CAN BOOKS absolutely FREE for 30 days. Download our FREE app and enjoy unlimited downloads of our entire library with no restrictions.

UNLIMITED access

Have immediate access and unlimited downloads to over 200,000 books, courses, podcasts, and more with no restrictions.

Forever Downloads

Everything you download during your trial is yours to keep and enjoy for free, even if you cancel during the trial. Cancel Anytime. No risk. No obligations.

Significant Savings

For just $19.99 per month, you can continue to have unlimited access to our entire library. To put that into perspective, most other services charge the same amount for just one book!

Start Your Free Trial Now

Our Story

Welcome to All You Can Books, the ultimate destination for book lovers.

Welcome to All You Can Books, the ultimate destination for book lovers.

As avid readers, we understand the joy of immersing ourselves in a captivating story or getting lost in the pages of a good book. That's why we founded All You Can Books back in 2010, to create a platform where people can access an extensive library of quality content and discover new favorites.

Since our founding days, we’ve continuously added to our vast library and currently have over 200,000 titles, including ebooks, audiobooks, language learning courses, podcasts, bestseller summaries, travel books, and more! Our goal at All You Can Books is to ensure we have something for everyone.

Join our community of book lovers and explore the world of literature and beyond!