W. Somerset Maugham - most people seem to prefer The Razor's Edge. I have always prefered Cakes and Ale or Of Human Bondage, and I believe Maugham was the perfect storyteller. His short stories are amazing. All in all, he is my favourite author.
P.S. - Unforgivable! I forgot to put E. M. Forster on my list.
P. P. S - Is there anyone out there who actually likes Proust? One of the "holes" in my reading culture is that I never got to read the whole À la recherche du temps perdu. It bores me beyond description by the middle of the fith volume or so... And since Luchino Visconti died before ever putting it to film I guess I'll never know the story!