MAUGHAM, WILLIAM SOMERSET. Typed letter signed ("Willie") to "My dear Charlie," Havana, 25 November 1924. One page, 4to, single- spaced, on letterhead of the Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore, with a two-word holograph correction by Maugham, slight marginal fading and a few very slight edge tears. Concerning Maugham's inadvertent use of a living person's name in his novel The Painted Veil, as serialized in Nash's Magazine (it was first published in book form by George H. Doran in New York on 20 March 1925): "...Of course it is a pure, damnable, and unfortunate coincidence that this man Lane should have the same surname as my hero and have lived in the same part of Hong Kong, but since he is not dead but alive (like the founder of the Christian religion) I do not quite see how he can say that I meant him. Of course no one but a perfect damn fool would knowingly choose the name of an existent person. This is the kind of accident which I suppose happens now and then to all writers and in England the consequences have sometimes been extremely troublesome. Will you tell Ray Long how sorry I am. Of course he may put any sort of exculpatory notice that he chooses...If he thinks it better to change the name to Fane which is after all the change of one letter I do not see why he should not do that. I have suggested something of this sort to Doran for the London edition of the novel when it comes out in book form..." Stott, p. 49: "...during the serialisation...in Nash's Magazine... some people having the same names as the hero and heroine Lane brought an action for libel, which was settled for #250. The author says that, as a result of this action, he changed the name to Fane. Actually, during the run of the English sereialisation, he changed it to Forr and it was only in the final published form the name became Fane."

Details

MAUGHAM, WILLIAM SOMERSET. Typed letter signed ("Willie") to "My dear Charlie," Havana, 25 November 1924. One page, 4to, single- spaced, on letterhead of the Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore, with a two-word holograph correction by Maugham, slight marginal fading and a few very slight edge tears. Concerning Maugham's inadvertent use of a living person's name in his novel The Painted Veil, as serialized in Nash's Magazine (it was first published in book form by George H. Doran in New York on 20 March 1925): "...Of course it is a pure, damnable, and unfortunate coincidence that this man Lane should have the same surname as my hero and have lived in the same part of Hong Kong, but since he is not dead but alive (like the founder of the Christian religion) I do not quite see how he can say that I meant him. Of course no one but a perfect damn fool would knowingly choose the name of an existent person. This is the kind of accident which I suppose happens now and then to all writers and in England the consequences have sometimes been extremely troublesome. Will you tell Ray Long how sorry I am. Of course he may put any sort of exculpatory notice that he chooses...If he thinks it better to change the name to Fane which is after all the change of one letter I do not see why he should not do that. I have suggested something of this sort to Doran for the London edition of the novel when it comes out in book form..." Stott, p. 49: "...during the serialisation...in Nash's Magazine... some people having the same names as the hero and heroine Lane brought an action for libel, which was settled for #250. The author says that, as a result of this action, he changed the name to Fane. Actually, during the run of the English sereialisation, he changed it to Forr and it was only in the final published form the name became Fane."