There are a couple of LP's out there of Maugham himself reading some of his short stories - mostly ones that appear in "Cosmopolitans" (1936) - which Columbia Records put out in the 1950's. One LP contains the stories "Gigolo and Gigolette" and "Three Fat Women of Antibes," the other contains the stories "The Happy Couple" and "The Wash-Tub." In looking for these LP's (which I now own) I came across this one of "The Lotus Eater" read by an Englishman named Alan Howard.
"The Lotus Eater" is an interesting story about how beauty can bring a man to ruin, but also a more subtle reason for this man's (quite pleasant) downfall is a part of the man's history Maugham merely mentions in passing about the man's wife and daughter.
It's very pleasantly and engagingly read by Howard. I bought this LP months ago, but finally got around to listening to it today. It was well worth the $10.00 I paid for it.
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