W. Somerset Maugham was born on January 25, 1874, in the British Embassy in Paris. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and Heidelberg University. Maugham qualified as a doctor from St Thomas's Hospital, London, but abandoned medicine after the success of his first novels and plays. His writing career spans novels, essays, short stories, and plays. Maugham's works explored human nature, and his storytelling attracted a wide readership. 'Of Human Bondage', considered his masterpiece, is a semi-autobiographical novel critiquing society's attitudes toward love and status. Somerset Maugham traveled extensively, and his experiences often influenced his writing. He passed away in Nice, France, on December 16, 1965.