Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset Maugham is a delightful and thought-provoking novel that follows the life of Sylvia Bailey, a young and naïve woman who finds herself caught up in a web of lies and deceit. The characters are vividly drawn and the dialogue crackles with wit and intelligence.

Maugham’s prose is elegant and precise, capturing the essence of each character with a keen eye for detail. The plot is gripping and full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from start to finish.

The theme of morality and ethics is woven throughout the narrative, as Sylvia struggles to navigate the complex social mores of Edwardian England. The Bishop's Apron is a symbol of the façade that people wear to mask their true intentions, and Maugham expertly peels back the layers to reveal the truth beneath.

Overall, Bishop's Apron is a captivating and insightful novel that explores the complexities of human nature and the consequences of deception. Maugham's skillful storytelling and keen insight make this a must-read for fans of classic literature.

Book Description:
"Canon Spratte saw himself as he thought others might see him: mediocre, pompous, self-assertive, verbose." Maugham could have added ambitious, hypocritical, and vain. In this engrossing social satire, Theodore Spratte, a cleric, motivated by an obsessive desire to be elevated to bishop, embellishes his family history and intrudes upon his son's and daughter's courtships. A reviewer in 1906 wrote, "The whole book is an admirable blend of cynical gaiety and broadly farcical comedy; it is the smartest and most genuinely humorous novel that the season has yet given us." -- Lee Smalley