Somerset Maugham was a British fiction writer, essayist and playwright known for works like Of Human Bondage and The Razor's Edge. Somerset Maugham studied medicine for a time before turning to writing, eventually releasing well-known works like Of Human Bondage, Cakes and Ale and The Razor's Edge. A successful London playwright as well as an essayist and short-story writer, Maugham also faced critiques for his cynicism and harsh portrayals. The Times obituarist called Maugham "the most assured English writer of all time."