This final, classic collection of stories reveals Maughams unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships. Included are: "The Lotus Eater", "The Outstation" and "The Back of Beyond". This final classic collection of stories reveals Somerset Maughams unique talent for exposing and exploring the bitter realities of human relationships. Brilliant tales of love, infidelity, passion and prejudice, the stories range from The Lotus Eater in which a man has a vision of a life of bliss in the Mediterranean, to the astringent tales of The Outstation and The Back of Beyond in Malaya and South East Asia. Largely set in favourite Maugham country, this colourful collection brilliantly evokes the numbered days of the British Empire.