Moon and sixpence (Vintage Publishing)

Charles Strickland, a conventional stockbroker, abandons his wife and children for Paris and Tahiti, to live his life as a painter. Whilst his betrayal of family, duty and honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness, his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications. Inspired żeby the life of Paul Gauguin, "The Moon and Sixpence" is at once a satiric caricature of Edwardian conventions and a vivid portrayal of the mentality of a genius.