Of Human Bondage (Bantam Classics)

I read this book twice...once in my late teens & again more recently. The plot has been described far more eloquently than I can by other reviewers so I will concentrate instead on the meaning I derived from the book. Cronshaw is a poor poet .who Philip takes in while Cronshaw is dying & gives him a piece of Persian carpeting. He tells Philip when he can decipher what the pattern means, then Philip will know what the meaning of life is. But Philip must come to that solution by himself or otherwise he will not know the meaning.. At at the end, Philip "realizes" that the pattern means nothing...sometimes complicatd & sometimes simple...but like life itself, in the end it is all meaningless.
Is all suffering without meaning? I don't think so. Someitmes yes & sometimes no but some lives do have meaning while others none. My feeling.
Also one of the reviewers thinks that Philip's obssession with worthless Mildred shows that it is better to love than be loved. This is like saying it is better to be the horse than the driver. Sorry, Shakespeare but I feel differently.
I thought the parts describing the intolerable loneliness Philip endures while visiting local museums on Sundays & the torment he feels at being so "alone" was very moving.
While a small part of Philip was like Maugham (Maugham became a doctor although he never practiced medicine) I don't think it was autobiographical.Both had mothers who died at young ages but like many great character depictions, some of the writer's own circumstances are similar to the ficitonal character without making it autobiographical at all. The entire book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I woud love to hear any other reader's opinions on their meanings (if any) they got.

Of Human Bondage truly is the greatest English-language novel of the first decade of the twentieth-century. In its depth, psycho-emotional sensitivity, its continent-ranging scope, and above all in the young Somerset Maugham's understanding of the human species, Of Human Bondage is one of the best novels penned in any language, in any era. I rank this story and the method with which its author tells it among the giants of the art form and on a par with War and Peace, Les Misérables, Gone With The Wind, and The Great Gatsby. It has lost absolutely nothing to age or time and stands as touching now as it no doubt did a hundred years ago or will a hundred years hence. (Check back with me in 2107 and I'll confirm that.) Personally I admit I was shocked and humbled by the breadth of Maugham's talent. For its size Of Human Bondage never once grew boring or slow and was the utmost pleasure to read. The only regrettable thing about this novel was that it eventually did have to come to an end, as we are proverbially reminded that all good things do. A lover of literature should read this book in his or her lifetime. It's that profoundly remarkable.

So I'd never heard of this classic book before someone sent it to me recently while I was hanging out in jail for a short and not so enjoyable visit. Although I will say this, if jail had comfortable chairs and decent food and they allowed me to have my kindle, it would be close to heaven. But I digress.

I really loved this novel, Maugham's insight into human relationships and love and the nature of dependency was really enjoyable to read and also helped me in my personal development and thought process.

At the time of reading this, and I still don't know who sent it to me, I was in the process of becoming an atheist, in other words, giving up my long held beliefs in a Christian world view. This book really helped me; as the main character struggled with healing prayer and hope and faith and every disappointment that goes with hoping in imaginary things I totally identified, I'd done the SAME things. It was cathartic.

As the main character struggled with loving a woman incapable of being loved, I identified, I understood. As he gave up art, I understood. As he realized that life was a horrible struggle and you are on your own, I identified.

Now I don't want to give a spoiler here about the ending, but it gave me hope. Some...

I really recommend this book to anyone that wants to read some historical fiction that gives insight into the turn of the century, especially England, but some Paris and by extension the rest of the "modern" western world at the time. Death was not so uncommon, the poor so common, misery normal.

I see there are already a ton of reviews on this book, so I won't go into what it's all about, no point, but I felt like giving a reason to read it and how it made me feel.

It made me feel understood and I got some understanding out of it. It did provide some hope, but it did so in a way that it's so hopeful, like, life sucks, but there are pleasant moments. Deal with it or commit suicide.

This book provided something for me and I recommend it.

Have you ever been in a situation wherein you knew rationally what was best, what was right, but were just unable to do it? Have you ever felt your rational mind be overpowered by inexplicable and often incoherent emotion? Then perhaps you will be able to identify with Philip Carey. Very rarely does a reader feel that a character exists within the world. You read along as Phillip grows up, as he makes mistakes, and as he learns how to live. So many books purport to give an answer to the human condition, how to deal with 'human bondage' but only this one, of all that I have read, actually succeeds in achieving this purpose. I still think about this book all the time, and I read the last pages over and over since I was unwilling to let the story go. While lengthy, the book flows with simple and unadorned prose, as Maugham incomparably brings characters and emotions to life. I can hardly recommend a book more highly than this one.

Somerset Maugham's sweeping epic unfolds over a term of twenty five or so years corresponding to the end od the Victorian era. Phillip Carey an orphan is raised by his Aunt and Uncle, an Anglican clergeyman. Phillip is ultra sensitive about his deformed foot and his Uncle's indifference. When Phillip turns to adulthood he turns his back on the Church, much to the dismay of his uncle and loving Aunt. He first tries his luck as an accountant and fails miserably. He then takes his inheritance and goes to Paris to study painting. He discovers that he only has marginal talent and returns to England to study medicine.
It is while in medical school that the most compelling part of the novel comes to life. Phillip falls miserbly in love with Milldred, an ill tempered and morally corrupt woman of a much lower class than Phillip. Mildreds descent into the abyss very nearly brings Phillip with her. Phillip finally finds himself when he befreiends a typesetter and his family and Phillip yearns for the simple and happy life that the family enjoys.
The novel is Dickens like in its deaths and depressive environs. The plight of a Paris classmate is the most poingnent of the various sub-plots. Phillip Carey is truly a Dickens like hero who chases forbidden love. The reader agonizes as Phillip is abused over and over again by Mildred. Of Human Bondage is worth the 800 pages.

I first read this book when I was about 20 and a foreign exchange student in Costa Rica. I found it by mistake and finished it in about 2 days - a miracle for a book that is about 800 pages long. I picked up the book again when I was traveling through Spain when I was in my mid-thirties. This time around, the book was even more captivating than I remembered, and I made a point to highlight passages - something I have never done with a novel. For me, Maugham so adeptly captures the intensity of human life: the beauty, the pain, the difficult decisions, feeling trapped by finances, love, vocation, family, society. This is indeed a difficult task to put these feelings onto a page, and to do this so another can also understand them is a gift. I believe Maugham does this in a way that only Russian authors can do such as Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment. Since reading Of Human Bondage, I have also enjoyed The Razor's Edge (excellent), among some other titles such as The Moon and Sixpence and The Painted Veil. But for me, the masterpiece is Of Human Bondage.

If you decide to choose this as your favorite book in this lifetime, beware: When my friends ask what my favorite book is and I tell them Of Human Bondage, they always laugh and think it is about S&M!

Of Human Bondage is W. Somerset Maugham's most famous work and generally considered his masterpiece. It is also probably the greatest bildungsroman ever written and one of the twentieth century's chief novels for its manifold excellences: characterization, style, depth, range, and more. There is hardly a fine literary quality lacking, and they coalesce to form a powerful, moving, and unforgettable masterwork.

Essentially a fictional biography, the novel is the story of Philip Carey from shortly after birth until about middle age. Unlike many bildungsromans, it is told in third-person, but the focus rarely leaves Philip. Like most people, his life has many ups and downs, and they are portrayed so believably and sympathetically that we feel his alternating hope and despair along with him. He experiences nearly every human emotion throughout the book, and they are dramatized with such verisimilitude that we feel they are ours. And indeed they are; Maugham makes sure to include enough atypical events to make the book interesting, but the core of Philip's experience is central to the human condition. The novel is to a large degree based on Maugham's own life, which is important for those interested in his biography, but critics have unfortunately stressed this so much that it overshadows far more important universal elements. As growing up is much the same everywhere, nearly everyone can relate in some way and many quite closely. Maugham depicts emotional profundity and immediacy more strongly and viscerally than perhaps any writer, and we are able to relive much of our lives through Philip. We feel his childhood joys and pained confusion, his adolescent struggles and doubts, his young adult exuberance and uncertainty, and his older ambiguity. There is much pathos but also elation and triumph - indeed pretty much everything but comedy. Much of the power comes from the reality that, again like nearly everyone, Philip is far from perfect; intelligent, sensitive, and ambitious but sometimes vain and selfish, he has many conventionally good and admirable qualities but also clear faults. This makes him far easier to identify with than some lofty hero. Simply put, the novel truly gets to the heart of what it means to be human, portraying it more vividly and realistically than nearly any work, and it hardly seems possible to be human and not be moved by it.

The excellent characterization also goes beyond Philip. All the characters are realistically drawn, and many seem so alive that they practically jump off the page. It would be hard to forget Philip's tender mother, his stern and lifeless uncle, his aloof but well-meaning aunt, and many other characters. The main one after Philip is Mildred, his unwanted obsession. She is one of the least likable characters in all literature but nonetheless in many ways fascinating. It is a testament to Maugham's art that he draws characters so well and precisely that we react just as he wants. When we realize the novel was published in 1915, it is also easy to see that he was truly pushing the proverbial envelope content-wise in regard to sexual and other matters - an important fact for which he rarely gets credit.

The novel is also of great historical value for its detailed and ever-fascinating glimpse into late nineteenth-century European life. We learn much about rural England, childhood education, London, Paris and especially its art schools, the medical and ecclesiastical professions, Germany and language schools, and far more. Much of it is interesting to sociologists and others of their ilk as well as historians, particularly the bleak depictions of poverty and labor. The novel is a wake-up call of sorts to those who exalt one era over others, as it clearly shows that all have pros and cons. Some champion the late Victorian era as an artistic high point, and we indeed get a glimpse of a cultural height far exceeding ours. However, there was also a very substantial dark side, and it is impossible to read this without a sense of just how much the developed world has improved in some ways. Of Human Bondage can thus also be seen as a historical novel in the best sense.

However, the greatest asset for many will be the dramatization of various weighty themes and ideas. Simply showing a fairly representative human life believably and movingly is enough art for most, but some high examples - e.g., David Copperfield - leave a vocal minority cold by not tackling the philosophical, theological, and other heavy issues that have been literature's, and especially long novels', top concerns for over a century. Of Human Bondage does this as much as possible in a novel of its kind - and indeed more than many claiming to do little else. Recurring difficulties cause Philip to question many assumptions, namely religion, and struggle to find meaning. This eventually leads him to abandon religion, a gradual and often painful process that the novel details in a very lifelike, meaningfully moving, and thought-provoking way. Its consequences are similarly shown, and religion opponents will find much to like, as the book advances many of their ends without the heavy-handedness that turns off so many. Palatability comes mainly from being dramatized through a believable and sympathetic character who starts out religious. We see how and why he loses faith rather than just being told, and the descriptions, along with consequent arguments, are very convincing. Much the same can be said of Philip's love and desire struggles; the Mildred case may be somewhat extreme, but almost anyone can identify - and sympathize - with love's ups and downs as he feels them.

The novel also examines fate's existence or non-existence in various ways. Philip seems to vacillate slightly but clearly ends up believing in free will. However, the book itself arguably gives the overall impression of predestination as illustrated in its enduring chessboard metaphor. Less universally, but importantly for a work of art, the book also examines art and artists' social role. This is notable and interesting because the book is set in the late 1800s, the Aesthetic movement's height and the era when the question was most debated in modern times. A lover of reading and would-be painter, Philip begins adulthood with a very aesthetic view, but failures lead him to change. He ends up adopting a very traditional stance while keeping his love for art, and the narrative voice makes a strong case for such practicality as the only way to true happiness. This might seem surprising from an artist like Maugham, and elements such as the ambiguous depiction of the poet Cronshaw suggest that Maugham and the novel, if not Philip, think there is much to be said for the other side. Other Maugham books indeed come to near-opposite conclusions, but this is his most full-fledged and arguably most convincing presentation.

Most fundamental are Philip's varying encounters with humanity's best and worst sides. The novel unflinchingly depicts many things that add grist to misanthropy's mill: seemingly preternaturally cruel children, hypocritical preachers, unrewarded genius, classism, apathy toward supposed loved ones as well as poverty and other sufferings, the lower classes' wretched lives, prostitution's horrors, and more. Maugham is certainly unafraid to show society's dark underbelly, and though depression is not his goal, he portrays this dark side more precisely - and thus appallingly - than many writers who make exposing it their only goal. However, he also shows the opposite side, and Philip's pained search for meaning - with all its doubts, failures, second guesses, sudden shattered hopes, and all the rest of it - ends in what Maugham calls a "surrender to happiness." Philip knows there is no god or traditional meaning and can torture himself forever with philosophical hair-splitting, but hard experience has taught him that happiness is extremely rare and that one must seize it for proverbial dear life if a chance is ever mercifully given. This may be caving to convention in many ways but is the only way to even temporarily secure happiness in an existential world; as the novel memorably concludes, it is "a defeat better than many victories" if indeed a defeat. Like many secular people, he finds solace finally in love's redemptive power, and it is very hard for even the most cynical to begrudge his happiness. Philip is in a large sense a mirror for our lives, and most can only hope that they will some day see such a contented reflection, however hard won.

Finally, it is worth noting that much of the book's power comes from precisely sculpted prose. Maugham is well-known as one of the twentieth century's best and most influential stylists, and this is the apex of his economical prose. Those who want flashy, trope-laden writing may think him plain, and he is certainly unornamented, but he is one of the few writers who truly understands and adheres to Jonathan Swift's famous definition of good style: "proper words in proper places." It sounds absurdly simple, but anyone who has read widely knows how very rarely it is followed. Maugham knows exactly what words are needed to convey what he wants and does not need to use more. This novel is a testament to how much depth and emotion one can get across in a properly done simple style.

All told, the novel is essential for anyone who likes nineteenth- or twentieth-century fiction, bildungsromans, or historical novels as well as those interested in the era and those who are simply receptive to great art. Of Human Bondage reaches the sublime heights of the nineteenth century's best novels, and very few later books can even rival it; we may never see another novel like it - much less as good as it -, making it all the more essential.

This Somerset Maugham classic is a must-read. Of the hundreds of novels I have read in my years, THIS is the best. Period. While Maugham has been placed near the bottom of reading lists in literature classrooms, this enduring masterpiece shows why that is a travesty. How many critics does it take to say, "Maugham may have been the greatest storyteller ever," before people actually begin to READ him again?

"Of Human Bondage" is the story of Philip Carey up until Carey is thirty. You LIVE the life of Philip right along with him. The writing is so riveting that as you conclude, you close the book and ask yourself, "what am I going to do now"? It is easy to experience "Philip withdrawal" after finishing "Of Human Bondage." Don't let it last long though - catch more writing from the master, the great William Somerset Maugham.

***UPDATE***May 1, 2011***

Another decade of living and reading has passed. 'Of Human Bondage' is still my favorite book. No question. I just wish more people were reading Maugham and, especially, this greatest of novels.

The closeness, detail and candor Maugham writes about Philip Carey is certainly reflective of something autobiographical. The book has had profound influence on me, especially in the true understanding of the nature of falling in love and being loved, the two of which rarely harmonize. No one in the novel is depicted as a hero or as a villain, and even though Mildred comes across as vain and shallow it is much of a reaction to Philip's unrequited love. The entire story is a kind of running example of the karma principle, you get what you give. Though I was a bit disappointed with the ending, after some reflection it dawned upon me that it was exactly what Maugham's theme was: unlike the austere path that Larry in "The Razor's Edge" decided to pursue, happiness can be achieved by acknowledging the simple desires of life.

Don't ask me why I read OF HUMAN BONDAGE. I guess it looked lonely on the shelf and I wanted to see what it was all about, and to my surprise this was actually an entertaining, yet semi-tough book to endure till around page 350.
Early on W.S.M sets up Philip's life: where he started, and the underlying motivations and convictions that caused him to make the tragic decisions he ultimately does. In a nutshell, Philip is this orphan who is raised by his uncle and aunt a Vicar 60 miles from London. Philip is very unhappy, yet very impressionable at the same time. As Philips grows older we see how he will react to Religion, Management, Friends, the arts and his loves. It is not till Philip meets Mildred and begins to date her, that Maugham gives Philip free reign of the novel. It is from this point that Maugham makes Philip a pathetic predicable fool for love. I personally know many people, both male and female who went through exactly what Philip endured during the beginning of his relationship. Maugham�s dialogue was so raw that I was cringing when they argued.
It is in my opinion that many people who wrote prior reviews, had a hard time with this book because either they were on the receiving or giving end of this very neurotic love affair themselves and it instilled in them the same feelings of anguish.
But ultimately what I got from this novel, was that life is not perfect. There are alot of directions we could take life, and sometimes we have to do what we want to do, even if our piers are dead set against it. Yet we must throw caution into the wind and see if our decisions are the right choice. We must learn from our mistakes, we must get lost before we can find ourselves.

I read this book when I was sort of infatuated with a waitress. Just like the main character of the novel. I think his name is Philip Cary. I do not want to imply that she was in any way mean or nasty or low class. It was just a pure coincidence. However, the sections dealing with Mildred, the female character, read like as they were written by me. I think a novel is great when the reader thinks the events are happening to him or her or it is he or she who is writing these sentences. I think that is the crux of being convincing. "Of Human Bondage" was such a novel for me. I am sure many female readers would not care for it because it is written from a man's point of view. It is also considered a "coming of age" novel and some sections of it might be boring for an older person. I am 49 now and did not find it boring a few years ago. It is considered the best work of Maugham. Although he himself likes "Cakes and Ales" as does Mr. Gore Vidal whose views I greatly respect. I think this is the only instance I disagree with Mr. Vidal's opinion on a book. He does not think much of it. I think he is a bit unfair to this novel. Although he likes Maugham's Narrow Corner. If you are considering reading a lengthy novel such as this one, maybe you should read Vidal's essay on Maugham in his collection of essays United States. After all he is a great novelist and critic and I am just a person who really enjoyed the book. I should add that I have read almost all of Maugham's novels, most of his short stories and essays and all of his plays. In my opinion this is his best work in fiction.

This is a novel about codependence. It is a novel about a man who grew up struggling for self-esteem, and, upon maturity, had not achieved the level of self-esteem commensurate to a healthy romantic, intimate relationship. It details his struggles with finding a mate, and how he ends up sacrificing his own self-worth for an unstable, highly emotionally abusive and extremely unhappy Mildred Pierce.

But I hope I don't make it sound too depressing. Maughnam is writing here for people who constantly seek approval in others. The entire book stands as a beautiful, not-so-subtle warning: focus on yourself and on your own work and contribution. Do not allow others to, and do not, control others. Good advice, no?

Author of Aztec Dawn: A tale of sacrifical murder, from Manhattan to Mexico

Many reviews of this excellent book give Mildred, the first woman Carey falls in love with, a very hard time. Yes, she is a thoughtless, self-centred person who is quite unkind to him, but she is honest, brutally so. That is more than can be said for Carey himself when he had his first affair with Miss Wilkinson earlier in the novel. In that relationship, he conducted himself shamefully. He blatantly lied to her, telling her that he was madly in love with her when he wasn't at all; he was in love with the idea of being in love. This exploration of new emotions is one of the themes of the novel but those readers who are unsparing in their criticism of Mildred seem to have forgotten his treatment of Miss Wilkinson. When the short-lived affair was over, Phillip stopped communicating with her, finding her continued attentions embarrassing and unwanted. This was a cowardly and selfish way to treat a person whom he used to experience his first passion. He actually acknowledges this when he is on the receiving end of Mildred's indifference, saying that he wondered if Miss Wilkinson suffered the same torment as he now did, and admitting to a pang of remorse. This is how we learn to become considerate of other people and to see Mildred as a complete villain and Phillip as her victim is to miss, I think, a very important part of Phillip's development.

Maugham is a superb writer. His description, for example, of his thoughts and feelings as he conducted his first affair with the said Miss Wilkinson, is brilliant. Likewise with his experience of boarding school life and the profound effect it has on him. He is, however, dry and dispassionate, but he does describe emotions very well within that style. His gently cynical observations of his characters' behaviour are quite funny. Overall, he keeps you interested and you look forward to getting back to those characters' stories as you progress through the novel.
Author of Aztec Dawn: A tale of sacrifical murder, from Manhattan to Mexico
Afinidad: A novel of a serial killer

If my house were on fire and I could only salvage one book of fiction, this would be my choice. If someone were to tell me that they read this book and didn't like it, I would know instantly that we have nothing in common.

There are parts to this story that cause tears to spring to my eyes, other parts where I laugh out loud. A little boy becomes a man and the events of his life are riveting. There comes a point where he is broke - not a penny to his name. This is, to me, one the most heartwrenching things I've ever read. His description of what is means to have no money, to be standing with your nose pressed against the window of life where you cannot participate, is scorching, poignant, and so true that you stare wide-eyed at the page. I felt like I knew this person. There is a special place in my heart for Somerset Maugham.

While I do agree with many critics that Maugham may not have had a very distinct literary voice, in some ways that can help him. His books are not big tasks to be undertaken, but are enjoyable, easy reads (and perfect for the subways.) This isn't to say his reads are light; Maugham deals with the darker aspects of human nature and hypocrisy. Of Human Bondage is a great work. Those who think they know the story from watching the movie may be surprised that it is about a bit more than just the story of therelationship with the slatternly waitress. This is a story of a young man with a club foot facing down troubles as they come, but also having to deal with his fragile self and his blindness to do so much for others who don't care for him. This is definitely one of the best books I've read in the past year and will always remain a true classic.

I bought this book based on reviews made by previous reviewers. I really do have them to thank for those recommendations. In the beginning I did have my doubt as to being able to like it. The first 50 pages or so transported me back to my childhood reading of boarding schools and their occupants. I agree with one of the reviewers that the beginning part is a bit slow and deliberate. However, right up till page 129, two things happened - First was that I simply could not put the book down and the second was that I tend to stop reading after two pages or read very slowly for fear that I'll finish the book so fast there'll be no other GREAT book to read (although I know it's not true). At the end, the book had far surpassed all my expectation of what pleasure reading should be. It truly is a beautifully written book. Buy it and expect countless hours of enjoyment.

There are many ways of reading, and analyzing, this book. Let this review be for the majority of us who don't know the difference between a "bildungsroman" and a blitzkrieg.

The novel is well worth the time to read because it captures so well the formation of character. (Yes, I know that's the essence of "bildungsroman" but I'm not an English major. I just read, and infer, from other reviews what the word means.) What shapes us, what is knowable, what is unknowable, what will our life blueprints be and how do we acquire them, who will be our role models, and why. For those of us who have already acquired our life blueprints, I suspect a great many of us will chuckle as we read of Philip's adventures and his evolving understanding of human nature and himself. We have gone through life events that no doubt have been similar. Similarly, I don't think it inauthentic for Maugham to end the book with Philip deciding to take bourgeois bliss over more foreign escapades. I think it's just as authentic as Raskolnikov's decision to turn himself in at the end of "Crime and Punishment." Character and conscience lead to certain conclusions, and if a book has done a good job explaining these moral elements, then the ending dovetails with the rest of the book.

The sole reservation I have is the introduction by Jane Smiley. Post- election 2004 she wrote a vituperative essay on Republicans, easily the nastiest and most bigoted piece I read in the post-campaign season. Her ability to rationally or logically discuss Maugham is suspect because she demonstrated her inability to write rationally and logically in other contexts. So I recommend purchasing a different edition instead.

I found this book eminently believable. So much of it seemed to lack order, structure, and purpose that it reeked of life. Philip's seemingly unpredictable ups and downs mimicked the human experience better than anything I've read in a long while.

I also found myself identifying strongly with the protagonist. His failures made me depressed, and his success excited me. All of his characteristics made him endearing: his sensitivity to ridicule, his fertile imagination, his frank dislike of his relatives, his acute sense of the oddness of courtship, the joy he found in solitude, his foolish and blind pursuit of some bestial wench, his loving nature which made him too generous, etc. He was a man one wanted to meet. It made it all the more intriguing that he was based on the author himself.

Those who criticize the ending are foolish. The seemingly random good things that happen to Philip at the end of the book are exactly as random as the bad things that happen at the beginning: his birth with a club foot, the death of his parents, the mediocre school he is sent to, the women he loves and hates, etc. That he should come into some luck in the end is not odd in the least. If anything, it reminds one that if one can outlast the bad things (sometimes a big if), one may be happy after all.

This has been the best novel that I have read in a long time. I haven't the skill to praise it properly.

Of Human Bondage is an autobiographical novel by Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) one of the best known and loved novelists of the twentieth century. The book is a "Bildungsroman" in which the hero grows from immaturity to maturity. Other books in this genre would include "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens" "The Way of All Flesh" by Samuel Butler and "Buddenbrooks" by Thomas Mann. There are countless others!
The hero Phillip Carey is the orphaned son of a doctor. He is raised by his dull egocentric uncle clergyman uncle whose name is William. William's longsuffering wife Louisa is kind to Phillip. She is childless and pours all of her maternal affections on young Phillip. While Maugham had a stutter, Phillip is afflicted with a clubfoot. Like Maugham the hero undergoes kidding and ridicule at the English boarding school where he is a student. Phillip is a good student who is sensitive and lonely.
At age 18 Phillip uses the money from his father's estate to study in Heidelberg, Germany. In this setting we see Phillip developing an interest in philosophy as he extends his circle of friends. Carey becomes an agnostic forsaking the narrow Victorian piety he has endured while coming to maturity in his uncle's village of Blackstable (the town is suffering an intellectual blackout as the people live narrow lives of work and poverty).
Phillip takes a variety of jobs but hates all of them. He is the object of affections of older woman Emily Wilkinson. Emily is the daughter of a minister. Like other characters in the work she is emotionally immature and needy. He forsakes her to become an apprentice accountant in London. He hates this job.
Phillip decides to study art in Paris. Here he meets the poor artist Fanny Price who hangs herself; the windbag writer Cronshaw and others in the artistic set. Maugham was born in the British Embassy in Paris. His scenes of Paris are well drawn as are the characters in this section of the sprawling novel.
Phillip begins a long period of medical studies in London. He meets the tawdry harlot Mildred Rogers. She is already wed to Miller but enjoys torturing Phillip by going out with him to musical theatre, dinner and allowing him to buy her clothes and jewelry. She was well played by Bette Davis in the famous film. Mildred has no redeeming qualities and is one of the most odious women in all of fiction. She dumps Phillip for his friend Griffiths. Later she gives birth but the baby dies. She always returns to Phillip when she is down on her luck.
Phillip courts a widow named Norah. Norah marries when Phillip resumes his affair with Mildred. Norah is one of the nicest persons in the novel.
Phillip speculates in the market losing his money. He has to take a job in a store. While in the hospital for a foot operation he becomes acquainted with Thorpe Athelny an eccentric father of nine. Phillip will latere marry Athelny's kind but unschooled daughter Sally. Sally becomes pregnant by Phillip. Phillip marries Sally accepting a job as a country doctor. He has freed himself from his emotional and sexual bondage to Mildred and learned the realities of life.
The title is taken from "Ethics" a philosophical work by Spinoza. Spinoza believes that we are in bondage if we serve anyhing which is fleeting and not essential to a good life.Freedom comes only when humanity is able to be freed of the shackles imposed by the flesh and weak willed living. Phillip finds essential goodness in the love of a fine woman and work that is worthwhile. He has been freed from human bondage as the long work concludes.Like Voltaire in "Candide", Maugham believes life is best when there is work to do and someone to love.
This is a classic novel which is over 600 densely printed pages.It does drag in sections especially in the final 100 pages. It is, however, well worth reading. Maugham gives hope that a person can change and mature as life is lived.

Author of Aztec Dawn: A tale of sacrifical murder, from Manhattan to Mexico

Many reviews of this excellent book give Mildred, the first woman Carey falls in love with, a very hard time. Yes, she is a thoughtless, self-centred person who is quite unkind to him, but she is honest, brutally so. That is more than can be said for Carey himself when he had his first affair with Miss Wilkinson earlier in the novel. In that relationship, he conducted himself shamefully. He blatantly lied to her, telling her that he was madly in love with her when he wasn't at all; he was in love with the idea of being in love. This exploration of new emotions is one of the themes of the novel but those readers who are unsparing in their criticism of Mildred seem to have forgotten his treatment of Miss Wilkinson. When the short-lived affair was over, Phillip stopped communicating with her, finding her continued attentions embarrassing and unwanted. This was a cowardly and selfish way to treat a person whom he used to experience his first passion. He actually acknowledges this when he is on the receiving end of Mildred's indifference, saying that he wondered if Miss Wilkinson suffered the same torment as he now did, and admitting to a pang of remorse. This is how we learn to become considerate of other people and to see Mildred as a complete villain and Phillip as her victim is to miss, I think, a very important part of Phillip's development.

Maugham is a superb writer. His description, for example, of his thoughts and feelings as he conducted his first affair with the said Miss Wilkinson, is brilliant. Likewise with his experience of boarding school life and the profound effect it has on him. He is, however, dry and dispassionate, but he does describe emotions very well within that style. His gently cynical observations of his characters' behaviour are quite funny. Overall, he keeps you interested and you look forward to getting back to those characters' stories as you progress through the novel.
Author of Aztec Dawn: A tale of sacrifical murder, from Manhattan to Mexico
Afinidad: A novel of a serial killer

If my house were on fire and I could only salvage one book of fiction, this would be my choice. If someone were to tell me that they read this book and didn't like it, I would know instantly that we have nothing in common.

There are parts to this story that cause tears to spring to my eyes, other parts where I laugh out loud. A little boy becomes a man and the events of his life are riveting. There comes a point where he is broke - not a penny to his name. This is, to me, one the most heartwrenching things I've ever read. His description of what is means to have no money, to be standing with your nose pressed against the window of life where you cannot participate, is scorching, poignant, and so true that you stare wide-eyed at the page. I felt like I knew this person. There is a special place in my heart for Somerset Maugham.

While I do agree with many critics that Maugham may not have had a very distinct literary voice, in some ways that can help him. His books are not big tasks to be undertaken, but are enjoyable, easy reads (and perfect for the subways.) This isn't to say his reads are light; Maugham deals with the darker aspects of human nature and hypocrisy. Of Human Bondage is a great work. Those who think they know the story from watching the movie may be surprised that it is about a bit more than just the story of therelationship with the slatternly waitress. This is a story of a young man with a club foot facing down troubles as they come, but also having to deal with his fragile self and his blindness to do so much for others who don't care for him. This is definitely one of the best books I've read in the past year and will always remain a true classic.

I bought this book based on reviews made by previous reviewers. I really do have them to thank for those recommendations. In the beginning I did have my doubt as to being able to like it. The first 50 pages or so transported me back to my childhood reading of boarding schools and their occupants. I agree with one of the reviewers that the beginning part is a bit slow and deliberate. However, right up till page 129, two things happened - First was that I simply could not put the book down and the second was that I tend to stop reading after two pages or read very slowly for fear that I'll finish the book so fast there'll be no other GREAT book to read (although I know it's not true). At the end, the book had far surpassed all my expectation of what pleasure reading should be. It truly is a beautifully written book. Buy it and expect countless hours of enjoyment.

There are many ways of reading, and analyzing, this book. Let this review be for the majority of us who don't know the difference between a "bildungsroman" and a blitzkrieg.

The novel is well worth the time to read because it captures so well the formation of character. (Yes, I know that's the essence of "bildungsroman" but I'm not an English major. I just read, and infer, from other reviews what the word means.) What shapes us, what is knowable, what is unknowable, what will our life blueprints be and how do we acquire them, who will be our role models, and why. For those of us who have already acquired our life blueprints, I suspect a great many of us will chuckle as we read of Philip's adventures and his evolving understanding of human nature and himself. We have gone through life events that no doubt have been similar. Similarly, I don't think it inauthentic for Maugham to end the book with Philip deciding to take bourgeois bliss over more foreign escapades. I think it's just as authentic as Raskolnikov's decision to turn himself in at the end of "Crime and Punishment." Character and conscience lead to certain conclusions, and if a book has done a good job explaining these moral elements, then the ending dovetails with the rest of the book.

The sole reservation I have is the introduction by Jane Smiley. Post- election 2004 she wrote a vituperative essay on Republicans, easily the nastiest and most bigoted piece I read in the post-campaign season. Her ability to rationally or logically discuss Maugham is suspect because she demonstrated her inability to write rationally and logically in other contexts. So I recommend purchasing a different edition instead.

I found this book eminently believable. So much of it seemed to lack order, structure, and purpose that it reeked of life. Philip's seemingly unpredictable ups and downs mimicked the human experience better than anything I've read in a long while.

I also found myself identifying strongly with the protagonist. His failures made me depressed, and his success excited me. All of his characteristics made him endearing: his sensitivity to ridicule, his fertile imagination, his frank dislike of his relatives, his acute sense of the oddness of courtship, the joy he found in solitude, his foolish and blind pursuit of some bestial wench, his loving nature which made him too generous, etc. He was a man one wanted to meet. It made it all the more intriguing that he was based on the author himself.

Those who criticize the ending are foolish. The seemingly random good things that happen to Philip at the end of the book are exactly as random as the bad things that happen at the beginning: his birth with a club foot, the death of his parents, the mediocre school he is sent to, the women he loves and hates, etc. That he should come into some luck in the end is not odd in the least. If anything, it reminds one that if one can outlast the bad things (sometimes a big if), one may be happy after all.

This has been the best novel that I have read in a long time. I haven't the skill to praise it properly.

Of Human Bondage is an autobiographical novel by Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) one of the best known and loved novelists of the twentieth century. The book is a "Bildungsroman" in which the hero grows from immaturity to maturity. Other books in this genre would include "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens" "The Way of All Flesh" by Samuel Butler and "Buddenbrooks" by Thomas Mann. There are countless others!
The hero Phillip Carey is the orphaned son of a doctor. He is raised by his dull egocentric uncle clergyman uncle whose name is William. William's longsuffering wife Louisa is kind to Phillip. She is childless and pours all of her maternal affections on young Phillip. While Maugham had a stutter, Phillip is afflicted with a clubfoot. Like Maugham the hero undergoes kidding and ridicule at the English boarding school where he is a student. Phillip is a good student who is sensitive and lonely.
At age 18 Phillip uses the money from his father's estate to study in Heidelberg, Germany. In this setting we see Phillip developing an interest in philosophy as he extends his circle of friends. Carey becomes an agnostic forsaking the narrow Victorian piety he has endured while coming to maturity in his uncle's village of Blackstable (the town is suffering an intellectual blackout as the people live narrow lives of work and poverty).
Phillip takes a variety of jobs but hates all of them. He is the object of affections of older woman Emily Wilkinson. Emily is the daughter of a minister. Like other characters in the work she is emotionally immature and needy. He forsakes her to become an apprentice accountant in London. He hates this job.
Phillip decides to study art in Paris. Here he meets the poor artist Fanny Price who hangs herself; the windbag writer Cronshaw and others in the artistic set. Maugham was born in the British Embassy in Paris. His scenes of Paris are well drawn as are the characters in this section of the sprawling novel.
Phillip begins a long period of medical studies in London. He meets the tawdry harlot Mildred Rogers. She is already wed to Miller but enjoys torturing Phillip by going out with him to musical theatre, dinner and allowing him to buy her clothes and jewelry. She was well played by Bette Davis in the famous film. Mildred has no redeeming qualities and is one of the most odious women in all of fiction. She dumps Phillip for his friend Griffiths. Later she gives birth but the baby dies. She always returns to Phillip when she is down on her luck.
Phillip courts a widow named Norah. Norah marries when Phillip resumes his affair with Mildred. Norah is one of the nicest persons in the novel.
Phillip speculates in the market losing his money. He has to take a job in a store. While in the hospital for a foot operation he becomes acquainted with Thorpe Athelny an eccentric father of nine. Phillip will latere marry Athelny's kind but unschooled daughter Sally. Sally becomes pregnant by Phillip. Phillip marries Sally accepting a job as a country doctor. He has freed himself from his emotional and sexual bondage to Mildred and learned the realities of life.
The title is taken from "Ethics" a philosophical work by Spinoza. Spinoza believes that we are in bondage if we serve anyhing which is fleeting and not essential to a good life.Freedom comes only when humanity is able to be freed of the shackles imposed by the flesh and weak willed living. Phillip finds essential goodness in the love of a fine woman and work that is worthwhile. He has been freed from human bondage as the long work concludes.Like Voltaire in "Candide", Maugham believes life is best when there is work to do and someone to love.
This is a classic novel which is over 600 densely printed pages.It does drag in sections especially in the final 100 pages. It is, however, well worth reading. Maugham gives hope that a person can change and mature as life is lived.

I read this book when I was a young man, and I discussed it with my mother, also an avid reader, after my first failed marriage, to a woman similar to the bitch Phillip fell in love with, and found the book to be so true to life it has stayed with me until now, in my 60's, I feel compelled to write a review to let people know what a great book it is. No young man should consider his library complete without a copy, nor his education complete without having read his copy! It truly is a 20th century classic. ps...I don't mean to be sexist, but I think this book is more of a young man's book just as I feel Huckleberry Finn to be for boys, and Nancy Drew to be more for girls.

Usually I don't read huge novels such as this, feeling like every page was worth reading to the end. Of Human Bondage is an excellent novel full of heart, warmth, humor, romance, and depth, with characters that are so refreshing, real, and believable. Maugham eloquently made the style of the third-person omniscient narrator so modern that it was hard for me to believe that this book was published in 1915. I have to admit though that the only thing that kept me reading was the unique relationship between Philip and Mildred. At times the story was slow, and some chapters seemed more like filler, but still, this book was worth reading and I was impressed at the end. Definitely a classic.

If W. Somerset Maugham's intent in writing "Of Human Bondage" was to instill the desire in his reader to see Philip Carey (the book's protagonist) bludgeoned with a blunt object, he succeeded beautifully.
"Bondage" tells the long, long, long story of Carey from childhood through early middle age and the many relationships, despairs, epiphanies, longings, setbacks, sicknesses, friends, and beliefs he goes through along the way. And did I mention that this book is long?
Maugham's prinicpal concern seems to be the incongruous desires that can chain us to people or habits that we know are self-destructive but indulge in anyway. The book is epic in its scope, covering a vast number of storylines, but the central focus lies on the relationship between Philip and Mildred, a poor Cockney waitress with whom he strikes up a torrid relationship. Mildred has to be the most unpleasant character ever committed to fiction, and the book's greatest weakness lies in the utter inability of me to understand what in the world Mildred can offer that so obsesses Philip. Other reviewers have said that it's just plain old human lust, something that sometimes defies logic, but that's not good enough for me. Maugham doesn't inhabit Mildred with one positive quality---he doesn't even describe her as being attractive (she's the only principle love interest I've ever read about whose skin is described as being green!). I suppose part of Philip's infatuation could be explained away by his insecurity from being lame and the ever-present difficulty he has in interacting with others, but this still isn't enough justification for me. Mildred is horrid, and I groaned every time she appeared.
I think the book is at its best, ironically, when it's not focusing on the Mildred/Philip relationship. Philip's flirtations with art and medicine truly are fascinating (especially the accounts of working in a doctor's office), and Maugham manages moments of real truth in this novel that seem quite modern for the time in which it was written. There's a very practical side of Philip that I could relate to, and I thought it very genuine and believable when Philip realizes the limitations the artistic life (usually so romanticized as ideal) can place on someone.
I suspect that is the allure of this book and the reason for its popularity: it encompasses so many ideas and stages in psychological and emotional growth that almost everyone can find something to which he or she can relate. "Of Human Bondage" is an exhausting book, and I can't say I was sorry when it was over, but I did appreciate its candid honesty.

If you are asking me if you should read this book, the answer is an unequivocal yes. It is fine writing because it is life, told simply and powerfully. It is true what others say. Maugham so intertwines the reader with the main character that the reader actually becomes angry and sorrowful and happy with that character. When a writer can engage the reader to that extent, he is at the top of his form. I don't like everything that Maugham wrote, but that doesn't really matter. Here he proves his greatness and I can only tell you to read it to see what I mean.

I view this book as James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man with less complex language and therefore more pages. The text follows the life of the principle character from childhood to marriage, recording his various epiphanies, views on politics and morality, love affairs, and the pervasive problem of his disability: a club foot. It is not a challenging read, remains interesting throughout, but appears to lack the depth of some other works.

The put it bluntly, the text itself is put bluntly. It is told from a third person omniscient narrator concentrating almost exclusively on Phillip, the book's protagonist. The language is straight forward, and there are no hidden or surprise turns in plot or characterization that would force the reader to pay careful attention to the text itself. To some extent, the ease of reading makes this an enjoyable book: it is by no means boring, is well written, and never once becomes frustrating. It's a good book to pick up in brief moments between other things (the chapters are short), and forgetting minor details between reading sessions won't impair understanding of the text.

However, the easy writing style means that the reader is not required to pay close attention and runs the risk of coming away from the text without many thoughts or ideas worth hanging on to. It's not hard to completely miss the "points" of the book. When searched for they are there, but the simple style doesn't necessitate that searching, which is a pity.

If the reader does chose to search the text, however, there are a number of rather quotable phrases about religion, politics, morality, and even art/sexuality/other side topics hidden within the book. I found that the book did a wonderful job of reflecting many of my own views and explaining them quite clearly. It made my own views more comprehensible to me. I can't guarantee that this will happen for all readers, but it will at least explain a certain viewpoint and explain it quite well. The text lacks the grand, inspiring epiphanies of Joyce, but it does have subtle, plain epiphanies that make it worth reading.

Boy did I end up really enjoying this novel! Half the time I was stressed out about how Phillip was being treated by the people he chose to have around him. His fascination with Mildred was as close to talk show trash as anything could get in the early 1900's! What I enjoyed the most was how relevant this story seemed to me even as a woman. I see Phillip Carey as Everyman. Basicly a good and decent guy but riddled with self doubt and loathing over his deformity and sensitive nature. Certainly human in his more wicked thoughts and desires. It was slow going for the first half of this long novel but I fairly sailed through the last 200 pages! I would definitely recommend this book to serious literature fans.

I really enjoy Maugham's writing - it is a pleasure to read. Although written close to 90 years ago, the characters and settings are so alive and present that it comes across as a book that could have been released within the last decade. His characters grow and change during the novel, and in this one in particular Philip undergoes tremendous changes in philosphy and lifestyle.

There are times that the reader wants to shake Philip for not making the 'right' choices, but that is a testament to how thoroughly Maugham brings the reader into the story.

The title is perhaps best summed up when Philip realizes that he prefers to love someone who does not love him - someone who he knows he doesn't really like - than be loved by someone he does not share that feeling for.

A few of the events are a bit predictable (the stock market and even the final relationship, for example, not wanting to reveal the details to a new reader) and the endgame resolves itself rather rapidly after a 500 page buildup, but overall one of the best books I have read in quite some time.

I have struggled through the first 180 pages. I am baffled by the reviews but I guess the characters will either grab you or they won't. In my case they didn't. The fatal flaw with this book for me is that Maugham tells you about these people. He never shows you them. He doesn't put you there in the room. For example he tells you how one character destroys the pompous arguments of another with logic and insight, Then he describes the other as being annoyed and irritated. We don't ever know what they actually said. We don't witness the argument we hear about it from a third party and that is how the whole story (so far) is related.

By way of demonstration (and contrast) it is interesting to read the first 2 or 3 pages of "The Painted Veil" by the same author. (it is available on the store with the "look inside" feature) The book opens with two people in a bedroom, one of them hears a noise and is suddenly panicked. The scene is vivid and alive in a way that I have yet to find in this book.

The old adage of writing - "Show Don't Tell" is a good one. It is baffling that this 'telling' story is so highly rated. Though it was met with mixed reactions when it was first published - until one prominent critic praised it to the roof and it became a 'classic'. Maybe I am being unfair - this is the first time I have written a review for a book I haven't finished. Maybe the latter half of the book is more vivid and shows us more but 180 pages of tedious exposition is a lot to plow through - I think I'm done with this one.

Some twenty-five years ago I read "Of Human Bondage" and thought it was a stunning read. So when I saw a good copy of it at a secondhand bookstore I thought I would re-live the experience. Well, it didn't quite "blow my skirt up" the second time around. Why?

It can't be because of its overall premise: an often painful story of a young man working through life from his mid-teens until about thirty. He tries to find himself, which he eventually does, but along the way he takes foolish missteps and learns that obsessive love can destroy one's soul (well, almost). At times one gets deeply entrenched with the young man's plight. So the overall story and characterizations are terrific.

But I think the problem lies with the overall scope and length of the novel. In between some very emotional episodes there are seemingly hundreds of pages that seem like literary churn. At the end I felt it was a road well traveled but I had wished the author could have placed us on a short cut.

Bottom line: of course it's a literary classic. But I would suggest first reading Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" or "The Painted Veil" for a taste of his brilliance. You'll get the oomph of "Of Human Bondage" in half the time.

This book has everything - a fascinating main character, interesting minor characters and exploits the theme of human suffering at an emotional and physical level.
Maugham is masterful in the way he carries the reader on Philip Carey's journey so that you are almost pleading with the character not to follow the road he is taking.
Possibly the best description is when he falls to his lowest point as a shop assistant and the indignities he is forced to endure in order to survive. Although there is a tendency sometimes to criticize him for his foolhardiness, as a reader you are ultimately drawn into sympathising with the plight of this relatively inexperienced young man.
I am hard put to think of any modern novel that has it all as this book does. Although I have read his other novels, I believe Maugham really surpassed himself when writing this fantastic book which I re-read every few years and always enjoy. Only Thomas Hardy comes close in terms of examining man's emotional suffering at the hands of a woman - something that he strongly experienced in his married life.

During my reading of this book, I felt as if Maugham was describing everything I'd ever felt when I was growing up and trying to figure out my purpose and the meaning of life. In Philip he creates a character that so many of us can relate to in terms of questioning where our lives are going and why. I found the whole story so intriguing that I was rather disappointed with how it ended and found his resolution a bit trite. After so much profound philosphizing throughout, I expected an equally resounding finale. However, despite that shortcoming, this remains one of the most powerful and moving stories I have ever read.

From the cover, "The greatest novel of our time". I have to agree.

Wow. Reminds me a little of the Power of One. A straightforward, painfully honest account of a boy's life.

Philip was born with a club foot. By the age of 13, his mother and father have both died. The revelations that become apparent to him as he grows older are the revelations we all face - is there a God? Is there a purpose in life? Is it important that we care about our elders? Friends? What about when we face poverty? Who will be there to shore us up? Will we care about the same people once we're through to the other side?

What about love? What exactly is it? What are we feeling? What does that person really mean to us? And us to them? Will they always affect us?

Big questions, and a lovely prose and style throughout.

I first read this book when I was fifteen years old. It was part of my fathers collection. Although at that time it was difficult for me to comprehend what the character "Philip Carey" went through,it certainly was fascinating to see human relationships at work.
And years later when I returned back to that book,after having gone through some bitter experiences myself,I couldn't help admiring the way in which he has portrayed the character. No one can write so accurately without having gone through it himself!.
A must read for anyone who wants to know what "unrequited" feels like!

Frankly, I am amazed at some of the reviews posted for this novel. '[email protected]' gives away the entire story - so why read it at all? (I thought this service of the store discouraged giving away entire plots. Am I missing something??) I found Philip Carey to be a detestable creature, even more so than Mildred. Throughout his youth he is callous towards those who - unlike him - do not have money in the bank; his tutor in Paris is the example that comes to mind. It is not until he himself finds himself destitute that he is able to relate to the misery of others. And even then he does not reflect back on the misery of others, but can think only of himself. The book has a great beginning, and a great ending (as so many books do) but for me the middle 400 pages just dragged on and on and on, replaying the same scenario over and over again between Philip and Mildred. It was so frustrating! (Much like watching Rhett and Scarlett constantly missing the fact that each is really in love with the other, until due to circumstances it is too late to do anything about it.) I cannot comprehend how any high school student, assigned this book when they are not an avid reader to begin with, can possibly muddle their way through this bloated novel. I will say that the last ten pages are wonderful, so here's my advice: read the first few chapters and the last few and you'll do just fine on your book report. Instead of the tedium of the middle, go out and play in the sun or go to the movies. And don't feel guilty about skipping the middle!

Phillip Carey provides a challenge for the reader to support as the protagonist of this novel. There are times this novel is frustrating, depressing, tiresome, uplifting, exhaulting, and hopeful------much like life. Maugman's authoritative command of the English language can be both impressive and exhaustive. Though the novel takes the reader through many themes of life, the irony lies in the simpliest of foundations: seeking a happy life.

This is one of Maugham's first novels, which he wrote in 1915. Partly biographical, this book follows the journey of a sensitive, interesting and smart man named Phillip as he seeks to find his place in the world and discover love and passion. I found this book compelling on many levels; plot, characters and the searching for the answer motif, that is a signature of Maugham's.

Another point I rather enjoyed, was that you can observe from the beginning to the end the growth of the author as a writer, which is parallel to the growth of Phillip. Maugham has a crisp and classic style of writing, but his characters and plot is modern...this rare combination also serves this book well.

Well worth the money given and time spent for a forgotten masterpiece!

It is refreshing to see so many readers moved by this novel of Maugham's. It is indeed a breathing, pulsating work of art. It is apparent, however, that some readers/reviewers on this site question the quality and timeless merit of the book and tempt themselves into asking such questions as, "Where's the story?" or, "Why was this character involved for so long?". I urge them to re-consider the power and skill of Maugham's craft.
The author painstakingly illustrates the on-going thought processes and fluctuating emotions of one individual during the two most key decades of his life. True, there's little to speak of in the way of a plot, and I too was tired of certain characters and patterns of behavior by our central player, Phillip. More than once did I slap the book down and yell, "Dammit, Phil! What the hell are you doing?" Well, take the time to embrace the notion that such frustrations and tiresome patterns as these mirror those that persist in many of our own lives. Most fellow veterans of the human condition can relate to having to grudgingly lie in the bed one makes, having to reap what one has sown. And sometimes, some of us like Phillip, have had to accept the dreary fact that life doesn't really have a "plot." Like most of us readers, Phillip is not an automaton capable of turning valves and knobs to properly regulate the flow of his emotions. His reason and passion wrestle throughout the novel and his imperfect psyche grows in varying degrees with each call for reflection. And, because he is human, Phillip often regresses and exhibits a personality that has major difficulty learning from his own mistakes. Such is life, and such is the persistent path of many a person. This is what makes Maugham's work a bold, artistic success: it vividly reflects the tedium of life as well as that of the painful and the joyous, and it subtly maintains a theme in the sublime (just as The Razor's Edge was so successful at achieving). And what impressed me further was Maugham's ability to write from the POV of 3rd person omniscient and still achieve a natural flow to Phillip's thoughts and feelings as they are conveyed to the reader.
If the often unforgiving fabric of the human condition interests you in the slightest, the time spent reading Of Human Bondage will hardly be wasted.

If you like Maugham's brilliant characterization (especially in The Razor's Edge), you will enjoy this book. He has a keen sense of human nature and is able to make you "feel" for the characters in his stories no matter how fleeting their time on the pages is. However, as another reviewer noted, the protagonist in Of Human Bondage, Phillip Carey, is a miserable rodent.

50 pages into the book, it's hard to like him. You begin to see that he's an overly sensitive, self-obsorbed ingrate. It was close to impossible for me to "feel" anything but contempt for this kid. By the time I got half-way into his relationship with Mildred I was sickened by his pathetic nature. He paid for her to go to Paris with his "best friend"!!! Horrible, just horrible...

While I suppose Maugham meant for Carey to be emotionally retarded, but it's pretty painful to read. However, I think this is a testament to Maugham's brilliance. I can't think of many characters I loathe as much as Phillip. I really hope this isn't as autobiographical as I think!

Of Human Bondage is an excellent look into the pshchology of the male mind. It is the most honest book on love that I have ever read.It is easy to sympathize with the main charecter as he comes across as a real person with true flaws. It shows that the story is loosely based on the life of the author. The main characters actions may make you angry, but you will always beleive them. Although the plot slows toward the middle of the book, the story remains compelling throughout. In addition this book provides the reader with a lifelike recreation of the protagonist's world. I felt like I knew what it would be like to live the life of a young artist in early 20th century paris. I highly recommended read.

Maugham is the quintessential writer-observer. His style may seem detached and rather unemotional, but that actually works to his adavantage. Maugham lets us make our own conclusions and allows us to construct Philip's emotions as we would experience them. That's what makes this book so special: there are so many times that you feel like Philip because for every reader Philip is largely their own creation and not an artificial construct foisted on you by the author. If you like literature to be subtle and yet have the power to transport, this one is for you!

I find Maugham to be the finest of storytellers. I have read all of his short stories and many of his novels and I never cease to be amazed at his prowess at being unabashedly entertaining in all his works.
This novel is life contained between two book covers. As Maugham traces the early childhoood, teenage years, and young adulthoood of an English everyman at the end of the 19th century, we are privy to the entire range of human emotions -- jealousy, anger, greed, unrequited love and longing, fear, self-pity, passion, desire, hope .... the petty emotions as well as those that overwhelm us and, ultimately, make us slaves to the smallness of our own lives (hence the book's title).
As Maugham writes of his protagonist's stint in medical school in turn-of-the-century London, he unwittingly could be describing his own novel: "It was manifold and carious; there were tears and laughter, happiness and woe, it was tedious and interesting and indifferent; it was as you saw it; it was tumultuous and passionate; it was grave; it was sad and comic; it was trivial; it was simple and complex; joy was there and despair; the love of mothers for their children and of men for women...There was neither good nor bad there. There were just facts. It was life."
Indeed.

Excellent ebook reading download. I read the whole 450 pages of the book, it was easy to read, comfortable, interesting,
good illumination, well kept in between readings, I can only say good things about Of Human Bondage; the author very smart, with great understanding, knowledge of psychology, philosophical issues about human life, no time to get bored
during the reading.

I like this novel very much, but am always hard pressed to say why. Philip, the protagonist, isn't very sympathetic. The novel goes on at great length to describe several episodes that seem to be transparently taken from Maugham's own life. And I don't agree with Philip's lack of faith, although I understand it. Perhaps it has something to do with Philip's directionless nature, something most every young man can identify with. I read this first on graduating high school, wrote papers on it in grad school, and reread it again recently at the age of 34. Why? Because Philip is a very believable character. He suffers and endures, rather than swallow his pride when it would definitely be to his advantage. It's very easy to identify with someone who is so imperfect, instead of an idealized individual about whom you couldn't care less. Philip draws you in because he's so very human, flawed but purposeful, cynical yet still in possession of his dreams. Two last points: First, the novel is an _excellent_ look at London at the turn of the century. Reading this will teach you volumes about life as it was lived in this city, from its living conditions and social order to its worlds of medicine and bohemia. Second, the character of Mildred is the most callous, unfeeling individual I've ever met in print, although I've since seen many like her, both male and female, in my own life. Most likely, everyone encounters a Mildred sooner or later: better to meet her here first, where you can study her at your leisure. While I haven't found other works by Maugham nearly as interesting, this one has a special place on my bookshelf.

What a story! What an author! Can't believe I had never read Maughm before, but at 74 years old, have decided to to delve in to the old classics.

The author has the ability to describe feelings, characters, surroundings and color so that you feel you are a part of the story.

It takes you to a time one hundred years ago but the human emotions are the same as now. I hated for it to end!

I discovered Maugham almost ten years ago after buying a few of his novels at a second-hand bookstore. I knew the name, of course, but I had never read any of his novels or short stories since the French editions had been out of print for at least twenty years. It didn't take him long to seduce me, about the first three pages of The Razor's Edge (in French) did it. I was taken in by his precise writing, wihout ever a superfluous word, and his clinical, yet warm and sympathetic, understanding of his characters. They made that novel timeless like the best fiction by Balzac and Zola.

Immediately after finishing The Razor's Edge, I opened Of Human Bondage. I discovered that I enjoyed Maugham's prose even more in the original English (that man really had an original voice of his own) despite or because its simplicity and clarity. It's never florid but always luminous. There's subtle poetry in some of his descriptions and many of the events and characters are unforgettable (for example, I was deeply moved by Philip's meek little aunt's devotion to her selfish, unloving husband). I actually weeped (not a frequent event for me, at least due to fiction) when Philip, as an intern, meets the cheerful young boy who doesn't take himself or his clubfoot seriously. The tragedy in Philip's early life was that he had the opposite attitude, and I could only think: "If only..."

The first time I read the novel, I didn't feel a lot of sympathy for Philip's obsession with Mildred (I thought she was entitled to more pity than he was, the poor thing it wasn't her fault if she felt nothing more than gratitude for him and her destiny is simply horrible) since Maugham's makes it obvious that wounded pride, rather than actual love, is what attracts him to her like a magnet. I didn't think a passion like Philip's for Mildred, a girl he despises and finds unattractive, could be possible. Until I met "my Mildred" last year. I went through the same emotional rollecoaster that Philip did, my highs were so high and my lows so low, it was almost, at the worst of times, as if I were addicted to a crack-like substance. The first time I met that man, I found him unattractive and stupid, and my low opinion of him always remained unchanged. Yet, I needed him, was addicted to him, worshipped him. My passion remained unrequited because I wasn't his kind of woman, even though he liked me well enough as a friend. Like Philip, the wounds to my ego were like oil on my passion's fire.

I found very little sympathy for my suffering among my friends and co-workers. I became the butt of jokes because no one could understand my obsession with such a man. Of Human Bondage was a great help to me during that awful time, and thanks to Maugham, I felt less alone and ridiculous. OHB is the most realistic, harrowing, horrible depiction of unrequited love I ever came across in my 30 years as an avid fiction reader, save perhaps for Hulot's obsession with the avaricious, deceiving courtesan in Balzac's Cousin Bette.

Finally, I want to point out that there are so many fascinating events in this book, besides Philip's sick infatuation with Mildred. And it's that rare piece of modern fiction that concerns itself with a promising young man who learns from his mistakes and misfortunes and slowly grows into a self-sufficient, generally happy human being.

I cannot understand anyone who says that Philip is not a character they like. He is of course not a character you like *continually* - your relationship with the protagonist blossoms and wanes and blossoms again as it would with any non-fictional human. At times his actions seem deeply pathetic, but he would be the first to acknowledge it. When he pays for Griffiths and Mildred to go away together - an act which one reviewer saw as scraping the bottom of the most miserable barrel - I have to say I saw it as an act of power. And an ironic one, since the novel thematically contrasts the ease with which he shrugs away his Christian beliefs and the iron bond between Philip and his Christian ethics. As he pays for Griffiths and Mildred to holiday, isn't he honoring Christ's most difficult command? His enemy (and Mildred IS his enemy) strikes him on one cheek, he offers her the other.

This book is about a young man's struggles through relationships and love. The protagonist starts as emotionally immature and lacks confidence due to being self-conscious about a physical deformity (clubfoot). He stumbles through relationships and careers but eventually finds his place.

This was a bit of a tough read to get through but worth it. Some of the protagonist's decision made me cringe, and there is no real plot to get involved you involved with the book. But by the end I think most readers will have identified with something in this book.

I have given this book a 4 but I can understand how some would give it a 5. I guess it depends on how closely the reader identifies with the protagonist. For me, a 5 is a book that I would recommend to others regardless of whether they read books in this genre and will most likely reread again in the near future. A 4 is one that I enjoyed, would recommend to someone if they like the genre, and may read again. A 3 I liked but wouldn't recommend or reread, a 2 was just ok, and a 1 was a waste of time.

While all of Maughams books are delightful to read, Of Human Bondage is the novel where he really puts it all together. As always, Maugham's characters are impeccable, and every character in this book stands out and is memorable in his or her own way, exposing a different aspect of our nature as only Maugham can express it. Even though it is two or three times longer than his other books, it never loses momentum. By the time I was into it, I was emotionally invested as I can get in a book. Everyone will find a way to identify with Phillip's struggles and lack of confidence, and Mildred truly is one of the most savage and heartless characters I have come across. Maugham can be either the most ruthless or the most sentimental writer depending on the occasion, and Human Bondage finds him gracefully leaping (and sometimes combining) the two. I wouldn't recommend this as a first read of Maugham--The Razor's Edge is more immediately accessable--but for anyone someone who wants a biting critique of society at its most primitive, this book is irresistable.

this book touched on every human emotion possible. it affected me deeply. i will never forget philip. he is in the same class as lily in edith whartons house of mirth and thomas hardings jude in jude the obscure. i miss them terribly when i finish the book.i think that is the greatest compliment you can give a book. thank you mr william somerset maughan.

I think this is the best book I've read. I read it twice, and I have not read another book twice. This book is a joy for two reasons. First, the writer has a command of the English language. I don't mean he uses big words. He communicates well. Better than any I have read. Second, the story has a strong plot but is just as ready a fireside chat about one's philosophy. You can marvel the consummate style and also the brilliant insight. It is an exhibition of mastery of both worlds--that of writing and thinking.

I can't fathom that Joyce's Ulysses has hundreds of ratings at the store, and this book, which is its better, only 8. It seems that we will always imbue mystery with a superior intelligence when we should regard simplicity and clarity as the highest forms of thought.

However, I don't care for the author himself. Any man that disowns his offspring is a failure by my account. His detestation of his fellows goes to far. Life is a strange thing that a man I judge to be repugnant can craft art I consider so beautiful.

This book, written in short, absorbing chapters that span thirty years of Philip Carey's life, is truly like life itself. Characters float in and out of the story, and for most of it the orphaned Philip has only his own thoughts and realizations to guide him. It's a novel about gaining perspective on the human bondage of heartbreak, loneliness, abusive or unrewarding relationships and adversity, of navigating yourself to happiness through the thicket of life even with our own emotional and physical handicaps weighing us down.
Some people may find Philip's adventures somewhat tedious. For someone with a club foot, he truly covers a lot of ground, and I think that Maugham is commenting on human resilience and yearning in chronicling that journey.
There are true gems of wisdom that emerge in Philip's path toward self discovery that may seem cliched, but ring so true when seen as part of any person's personal development and slow realizations about human nature. Maugham never allows you to pity Philip; he only provides a deeper understanding of him. Philip grapples with religious faith, with his true calling, etc, taking his lumps along the way. He looks back and realizes how moments in his life that seemed filled with despair meant very little in the long run as life limps along. He becomes more pragmatic, being sunk into poverty and despair by his own reckless, self-defeating impulses, but surviving and ultimately assuming responsibility for his own happiness.
By far the most affecting relationship in the novel is his masochistic infatuation with Mildred, a waitress who receives his love but gives none of her own until his affection for her dies. It's much like "Gone With the Wind" in that respect. It takes Philip heaps of abuse and near ruin to not give a damn, and you will be stunned at what he endures before he gets to that point. If you've ever given love willfully to someone whose actions make it very clear that they don't love you back, been made a doormat and a fool by a bad relationship, or been driven by infatuation and wishful thinking see good where little or none exists, you will feel for Philip. This is a classic.

This book is amazing. I just re-read it after 15 years. When I read it for the first time, I could not believe somebody can answer so simply to all my questions about meaning of the life. And now, it is even better. Love, passion, search for identity and mission, dreams, skills - everything is there. The style is so beautiful, the characters are so clear and catching.

If you have questions what to do in your life, who you are, what is the purpose of living - this is the book to read.

The beauty of the story is number one, the close analysis of human nature and two, the way things end for different characters. You do not see any hollywood here, where everything is perfect and works out just fine for everybody except the bad guys. No that is not the case. Rather everything comes to a logical end as it would most probably in real life. I read the novel the first time in high school and many times since, and see a lot of maturity and common sense lessons for life in the novel everytime. Enough has been written about Phillip's unrequited love, and Mildred. Let me point to the brutal yet great and honest advice the master painter gave to Phillip and Miss Price, which was that they do not have the natural talent for being artists, and for lack of that they would never be great just because of hard work alone. That whole presentation and setup is super. This part of the novel is a small yet significant building block, and the way Maugham ties all these blocks together is just magnificent. I would recommend this novel to anyone who would want to also think about what is read rather than just read to kill time at the departure gate at an airport.

I was completely shocked to find out that how much Philip Carey, a handicapped and introspective orphan, who longs for true love and the meaning of life was a portrait of myself. Maugham has written a book that is far deeper than any other great authors have ventured to go. One might fancy himself more aware of his existence if he reads a great deal, thinks of the human condition, longs for passion, rejects materialism, seeks pleasure in art and finds daily routine and common desires boring. But Maugham shows how one might just find that the true meaning of life does not come from great authors, philosophers and absolute idealism. In fact, Maugham (through Philip's eyes) sees beauty and a sense of power from meaninglessness of our lives (We are born, we live, and we die.) Maugham lays out peneratrating examination of poets, artists, philosophers, and religious figures blinded by their ideals as well as people we choose to be family, friends and lovers. Despite his violent urges to love and his insensentivity toward women who love him, Philip remains a very sympathetic figure who we try to understand because of his lonely life. Ultimately, he triumphs. By freeing himself from his 'ideas' of love and the meaning of life painted by great artists, writers and philosopher. He finally does something that is good for HIM. If you have to read one book in your entire life, let this be the one.

As a sign of how engrossing this novel is, my wife kept rushing into the room worried because I was actually yelling out loud at Phillip and his stupid decisions. He's a flawed, real character who you'll just want to smack at times, but you'll also want him to succeed. I don't generally like novels from this era, but I couldn't put this one down.

SPOILER ALERT:

I didn't find the ending to be an unrealistic deus ex machina like some other reviewers did. True, if this novel were written today, he probably would have ended up in the gutter alone, but I don't think a happy ending is so bad. We knew his uncle would die and he'd get some money, and he was only able to accept the job and get married because of his past hardships.

Big thumbs up.

What Buddhist burst of contemplation led to this great novel written by that "technician," W Somerset Maugham? Of all the great books of the 20th century, which one could compare with its raw nerve and sinew? Here are no word games, no playing with the chronology, no obfuscation. With the limpid prose that had become his trademark, Maugham took us by the most direct route into his own private inferno.
What in his hero Philip Carey was a clubfoot was for Maugham a painful stammer. What was Carey's public school at "Tercanbury" was Maugham's Canterbury. And, what is most interesting, what were Carey's tortured amours with the opposite sex were Maugham's tortured amours with the same sex. Yet with all the "translation" going on, the intensity of the feelings was transferred intact. The pain of Philip's on-again off-again relationship with Mildred has few equals in the literature of self-torture and self-delusion, ranking with Swann's pursuit of Odette de Crecy.
OF HUMAN BONDAGE is a big book. There are hundreds of characters; and many of the lesser characters are memorable. The ineffectual dilettante Hayward, the skeptical poet Cronshaw, the icily bland Mildred, the despairing artist Fanny Price, the treacherous Griffiths -- even the walk-on role of grumpy old Dr. South comes alive in the last few pages of the novel.
The settings are equally diffuse: London, the English countryside, Heidelberg, Paris, a Channel fishing village, and -- an amusing canard -- Toledo in Spain. (Carey is always dreaming of going there, but he never does.)
When one is young, life looks like a triumphant progress through love, fame, and wealth. There appears, however, to be an inherent weakness in the organism; and it tends to go astray more than it does forward. We give ourselves to uncaring people; we constantly meet with reverses; we see our childhood dreams trampled by money-grubbing and the quiet desperation of which Thoreau wrote.
And yet there is a spring that runs through us all. Even when it is dammed up, as Philip Carey's so often is, it can break out and rush forward, carrying everything in its path. When it happens deus-ex-machina style in BONDAGE, we are exhilarated (if not convinced). Maugham lets us down easily. He is too great and generous a writer to leave us in despair.
Maugham's own story turned out well: he died rich, at an advanced age, and full of honors. His books are still in print and read by millions. What is more, Maugham, particularly in OF HUMAN BONDAGE, showed us what lay beneath the unperturbable veneer: We saw the skull beneath the skin.

... This is a book. The characters are alive in a way somehow Maugham seems to accomplish effortlessly. Reading this book is easier than watching a film: the prose glides from the page into your mind, flawlessly, effortlessly and unforgettably. Why you might be reading this I cannot imagine--but if you want to read a superlative book, from the days when the color of your suit of the gender of your sex partners was unimportant, get this.

"Of Human Bondage" by the amazing W. Somerset Maugham is The greatest book that I have read since "Watership Down". The complexity of this tale and the averageness of the protagonist's, Phillip's, life and mind seem to draw one in, and then it just won't let you go.

The way Maugham takes you through the physical and psychological changes in Phillip and his current surroundings was astounding, and the way every detail made you want to know more about the character's lives apart from Phillip, I just couldn't stop reading.

Also the way in which this book folds out is not like the books we see today, this book is unique when compared to most books. with its lack of a plot and a very imperfect protagonist, you could almost swear it was based on a real person. This is a book realistic enough to believe, but just perfect enough for it not to be real.

This is book an extraordinary in almost every way, and if you were to ask me to find one flaw with it, I could not find one, but that it isnt longer.

Burdened by a physical deformity and an untammable passion, orphaned Phil Carey embarks on a monumental journey of life, looking for meaning and purpose guided by ebb and flow of fate, endeavor, and desire. While book meanders through the vulgar recess of human spirit, it concluded on a gentle peak of contentment. Deeply affecting and satisfying.

After reading the preview on the back of the book "Of Human Bondage", I was hooked. It spoke of a young man who would answer to the beck and call of his woman even after she used, tormented, and abused him. I wondered what type of man he was. Was he sympathetic and caring or weak with no self-control? The book kept me on my toes. As each new woman was introduced, I asked, "Is she the heartless one?" Throughout the novel, the main character, Philip, is searching for his position in life. I think people are able to relate to Philip because most readeres have struggled with difficult choices at one time or another. At times, I did not agree with the choices he made, but in the end, it all worked out for te best. Because the reader can see into Philip's thoughts, it clears up some questions about why he thinks the way he does. Overall, I believe W. Somerset Maugham wrote an excellent novel. It portrays a real human being who feels and acts in the same manner that most of us do.

"Of Human Bondage", By William Somerset Maugham is a great book about miserable people doing all sorts of miserable things. The novel tells the story of Philip Carey, born with a deformity and orphaned at a young age, and his struggles to be an individual in a structured society. Unloved as a child and longing for love as an adult Philip struggles with self-loathing, which deepens when he falls in love with Mildred, a horrible women in every sense of the word.
Poor life decisions plague Philip throughout the story. He constantly adopts the dreams and ideals of others as his own. His inability to choose a steady path or a desired destination, coupled with a one way love affair with Mildred, brings many undue hardships. In the end he abandons his romantic notions about life and love to live the settled existence he always tried to avoid.
The protagonist, Philip Carey, is born with a deformed club foot. Philip's mother passes away when he is very young and having lost his father 6 months prior, he is sent to live with his highly religious aunt and uncle. He absolutely abhors his religious upbringing and finds solace in the multitudes of unread books in his uncle's study. The books strike an adventurous spirit in Philip who longs to escape his situation. With encouragement from his only childhood friend; he travels to London and then to Paris to become an artist. Over time he realizes he is destined to be second rate at best so he abandons his romantic notions and returns to London to study medicine.
Upon Returning home to London, at the prodding of a new friend, he gets involved in an mentally taxing relationship with Mildred Rogers. Mildred does not love, or even care for Philip; she only uses him for her benefit then then leaves him for a married man. She returns with a child when he is still entangled in the fog of heart break. He takes her back but refuses to be intimate with her so she destroys his apartment, ruins his meager savings, and leaves him for the last time.
Philip has no choice but to quit medical school and take work at a local department store. Here he befriends a man who helps him immensely while he is down on his luck. The timely death of his uncle provides him with the funds to finish school. He takes an internship with an old curmudgeon of a country doctor who takes a liking to him and offers to give him a share of his practice. Initially Philip refuses because he still longs for adventure and travel, but after learning a romantic encounter may make him a father he decides to marry and accept the country doctor's offer.
The striking thing about this book is that up until the end Philip never quite gets it. While never having had a silver spoon in his mouth, he was always in the great position of having the choice of what his life would be. He relied on the romantic images of novels, and most often the drunken, unrealized dreams of his horrible friends to determine what his life was going to be. His all-encompassing love of Mildred blinded him to her selfishness and nearly destroyed him as a man. Of Human Bondage, tells a great story of romantic dreams being tempered by the harsh realities of everyday.

Maugham, W. S. 1. (1915). Of human bondage: . Garden City, NY: Garden City Pub. Co..

There is nothing really prurient by today's standards in Maugham's masterpiece; for the Victorian era, perhaps it was a bit risque. Anyway, it's a great book, long but not overlong, a true bildungsroman, if I can be permitted some pretension. Fun to read, magnificently written, populated with memorable characters, a great story-arc...y'all bibliophiles can't ask for much more.

I am an English Education Major at CSU, Chico and in high school I never got around to this book. Finally, this year, I picked it up and the only thing I regret is that I didn't read it sooner. The characters are multidimensional and supported with good background. I know that when I get into the classroom of my own, I will push this book as a must for all of my students!!!

Somerset Maughm's masterpiece provides wonderful insights into the angst of finding the meaning of one's life. Maughm covers the first thirty years of a young man's life. From the death of his mother in childhood, through the painful school years, to his exploration of possible careers and loves. The loves being devestating, unrequited, and finally, mature and accepting.

The thing I found amazing about this novel was the emotional openness for the time it was written. It is no secret now (nor was it a secret when it was written) that this novel is autobiographical. Maugham writes vividly about the torture he faced as a child and young man, but what is more extraordinary is his recognition of his own contribution to his pain. Rare now, but rarer then.

Highly recommended!

This rambling classic period piece tells a great deal about interwar England. The characterization is powerful and the reader is enwrapped in the often hopelessly destructive emotional attachments of the protagonist.

Im not about to completely bash one of the twentieth century's most celebrated novels. In fact, I did learn a good deal from this massive bildungsroman. However, before I get to the perks of the work, I have to admit that I absolutely waded and ploughed through the second half of the book, and I still couldnt finish it. I tried to exercise some self-discipline and force myself to read a few more chapters everyday, but at some point I felt I was battling against all odds, and I gave up. It is not the size of the work which irked me at all, but rather the repetitive tedium of the story and the unneccessary details. For example, the section covering Phillip's life in Paris...honestly, this was not autobiography by any means, it was just a long, endless dissertation on the art-world of the 19th century...every artist, every nuance of color and design, every stroke of the paintbrush, was spoken about ad nauseum....Cezanne versus El Greco, Manet versus Vermeer van Delft, this artist versus the other, I was losing my mind !!

And the petty details of the characters that surround Phillip...I learnt what Cronshaw ate every single day of his sordid life, how many times Griffiths visited the bathroom, how many bottles of beer Flanagan sipped, what their shoes looked like, their coats, their breath....all those details were such a distraction from the essence of the novel.

And Mildred !! Could there exist a more despicable person on the face of the earth?? She is so selfish and artificial and cheap to the point of being two-dimensional. Yes, it is true that humans can become infatuated with the people who mistreat them....such is our sorry nature. Those who are indifferent to us attract our attention, and this is often the basis of obsessive love, as was the case with Phillip. But Mildred is just too much. Every human vice is embedded in this "green"-skinned anorexic heroine. She is the epitomy of hypocrisy, materialism, shallowness, vindictiveness, stupidity, ignorance, etc, etc, etc.

Now to the essence of the story......the perks I mentioned earlier......as a novel of self-discovery there's much to commend in "Of human bondage". I learnt so so much, chiefly that over the course of the centuries, human curiosity has not altered much. What Phillip went through in his growing years is not much different than what we go through now in our own growing years. The doubts about authority and God, established rules and established religion, the discovery of love, the search for the meaning of our lives, well it has been the same cycle since the dawn of time !! It amazed me how much I could relate to a character like Phillip, a product of the 19th century, while I am now alive more than a 100 years later.

I was also amazed at how much connection there is between all fine literature across the realm of time. I saw a lot of resemblance between the character of Phillip in "bondage" and that of Dino in Alberto Moravia's "boredom." Both are obsessed by women whom they can not completely possess. They are driven to self-humiliation by the women who refuse to love them. I also found a similarity between Phillip's philosophy of life in this novel and the philosophy that Coelho was trying to put forward in "Veronika decides to Die." Phillip's philosophy is "follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman around the corner." In Veronika, Coelho also concedes that we should live our lives as we please, and satisfy our erratic needs, but with regard to the law and the harmony of society. Do what you want without harming others or yourself, in other words.

I think the bulk of the book is useful to read, I highlighted many quotes, and was fascinated with the way in which Maugham presents Phillip's foibles and weaknesses. Phillip is so human, so real, and therefore alive. I learnt a lot from him, most important of which is that though sometimes we err badly, there is no use in regret. Unless our mistakes are fixable, it is useless to brood over them....just forget, what happened happened and the past is unreturnable.

Another memorable quote in my head: "procrastination is the thief of time"......makes me want to get off my behind and start doing the things Ive been procrastinating my entire life, because time is always slipping from our hands!!

I also learnt one particular new word from this book, I could swear it was used at least 1000 times throughout the novel..."taciturn." X was taciturn, Y was taciturn, z was taciturn, everyone was pretty taciturn in this novel :)

PS: The ideas of the book are fabulous but Im just so angry with all the tedious descriptions and repetitions, because I really wanted to finish the novel till the end and just couldnt do it !! Thats why I only gave it three stars. I tried to read the last small segment, I swear I really REALLY tried !! But in utter vain. Already by page 400 I was at my wit's end. I think that the only way I could have finished the book is if someone had strapped me to my bed and held me at gunpoint. At the end of the day, intelligent literary ramblings teach us a lot, but, Mr. Maugham, entertainment value is important too !!!!

Some pick up this book on their own, and some have it thrust upon them. In the tradition of the Victorians, there is cradle to grave detail (gee thanks) in "Bondage", including cold surrogate parents, the trauma and teasing of boarding school, and the heartbreak of a lame kid at team sports. When Phil reaches early adulthood the reader thinks that things will pick up a bit, as the "innocent abroad" goes to study in Germany and Paris and meets literati, artists, and academic folk. It should read like Boswell, but instead it's full of tired philosophical discourse and Phil's musings that maybe there is an acceptable religious tradition outside of the Church of England
On to Mildred, the book's villainess, who is so intimately wound up with discussion of this novel though she occupies a very small part of it. The reflective reader will eventually come to the conclusion that Mildred is an unconvincing addition to the story, and is at the end summarily dismissed from the narrative. She leaves no footprint, what was she doing there in the first place?
From belle epoque Paris we soon move to nuts and bolts London, where we learn exact prices for goods and services (in 1912 currency, nondecimalized of course), in particular what it costs for two adults and an infant to stay by the seaside.
Phil's concluding epiphanies are phenomenally dated. When he ponders that the poor shall forever be "in their place", and the British social order shall endure indefinitely, he leaves himself wide open to the historical ironies of socialist upheaval that took place just few years later.
Which is not to say you can't extract any wisdom or solace from this gigantic work...you can. However, "Bondage" is not on its way to timelessness, rather, it is travelling in the opposite direction, towards "snapshot in time" status.

Maugham has a talent for bringing you into his world and making you experience every single emotion which coursed throughout his body. This novel is no exception. As he develops through life, you grow along with him. Every stumble he takes, you fall with him. It's an outstanding novel in that every emotion is so personal yet universal. You feel his pain along with your own. Philip Carey, representing not only Maugham but the everyday person, makes you feel as if there's never a moment to give in to the dark corners of the room, that there is always hope in the unexpected.

I saw the movie and heard about the book so I decided to download it to my Kindle. Once I started, I was hooked. Following Philip Carey through his life was heart rending at times and frustrating at times. I wanted to slap him and tell him to wise up but then I thought of dumb mistakes I made in my early years of life. This book makes you look at life and the purpose of life. At times it was so depressing I wanted to quit but I held out hope that Philip would come to his senses. I will not say whether he did or not because I don't want to spoil the ending.
Some words were quite obsolete so the lookup feature of the Kindle came in very handy. There were also a few parts that seemed to drag a bit with too much detail but I think that's because the book is written about a time that has long past. It's still worth reading. It certainly makes me appreciate the time I'm born in and the country I was born in. Reading about the poor in the book and them pretty much being stuck in their situation in life was saddening but like I mentioned, it makes me relieved that I was not born then and in that situation.

This story certainly shows some of the folly of love and it's lack of sense sometimes. How often have we, as readers, done some of the same type of dumb things for love? This books certainly makes the reader consider their lives.

All in all, long but worth sticking with.

The beggining to the middle of this book is actually quite dull, but the middle to the end is excellent reading. Shocking secrets, situations, make it well worth it. Despite what others have commented, I found it quite easy to read, and usually couldn't put it down. The time when Phillip (protagonist) is in dire poverty is probably the best part of the book.

W Somerset Maugham shows great insight into the makeup of humankind. As a prolific reader, i've related to hundreds of characters in novels, seldom have i found a character like the protagonist here, Philip Carey, who reminded me of myself. I have never read a fictional book and discovered more about myself in the process, except for Of Human Bondage.

This thoughtfully written novel conjured up in my mind various friends I've known with its realistic portrayal of Mildred Rogers. These women try to control and use men with their charms and sex appeal. I have a friend who, like Mildred, goes out to eat with guys she's not interested in for free food (and possibly because she's bored). She also gets free roadside assistance from random dudes when her crap car breaks down. I had a friend who repeatedly cheated on her fiance until he finally dumped her and married someone else. She was shocked because she thought he would always wait for her and even wanted to stop his wedding. In the novel after Mildred continually tramples over his heart, Phillip eventually stops loving her. Yet when Mildred returns, she still expects him to do everything for her as if the past doesn't matter. When I read this, I thought wow there are real people like this and I knew them. There are women who don't want to work hard or do anything for themselves, but take the easy way out by manipulating and controlling men. And like Mildred they end up being a rental or stuck in abusive relationships. Although it's fiction, it's true.

I just finished reading "Of Human Bondage" and I have to say that I find it to be one of the most stunningly well-written and touching novels I've ever laid eyes upon. The tale speaks to me and the struggles I've fought in my life with language that evokes real emotion and empathy. This text becomes part of your soul. Philip's desires and longings seem real--partly because of the text's semi-autobiographical origins and partly because of Maugham's mastry of language. I will reccomend this book to all of my 20-something comrades who have not yet had the pleasure of entering a world that is similar to ours--even though it's a hundred years past. I am glad to have been enticed by Maugham's reputation.

This book is very well-written and absorbing. However, I must admit I didn't like Philip Carey, the lead. He's such a... lowlife. Really, he is so mean all throughout, Mildred was right: he IS quick to take offense. But in spite of that, this book is something everyone should read, and is highly recommended!

"Of Human Bondage" was my very first W. Somerset Maugham book and I was hooked. Perhaps because someone I knew reminded me of Philip Carey (and his obsessive attachment to Mildred). One thing is certain, Maugham's masterful painting of human emotions with words can evoke tears from a cold rock.

This is a great read, and what I particularly like is the author's conclusion that one may free oneself from unnecessary obsessions and oppressive thoughts and find joy in the everyday. It's quite lyrical and positive.

Books like these are why we read-Maugham's best. An in depth examination of one searching for the meaning of his life and life in general. A tender examination of the flawed nature of man, showing the glory of human life is not in success, but in the struggle for meaning, forgiveness, and love.

I really found this to be a wonderful read. Not only is it an interesting story, and you learn alot about people's feelings and behavior, it's also a love story. A sensative man named Phil doesn't give up on Mildred, whom he's in love with, even after she rejects him, and treats him very ill. A must read for anyone.

Phillip is a very genuine character who lives and loves, exults and suffers, learns and grows. He has talents and faults and his life is nothing extraordinary, except that he is so compelling to read about.

I kept thinking this book was going to get better, and I put it down several times. It wasn't until page 300 with the entrance of Mildred that things improved. While I enjoyed Maugham's style at times, this book was just too long and wordy. An interesting plot with the story of Philip, an orphan with a club foot who must live with his uncle when his mother dies. Philip goes on to boarding school where he is mistreated and then tries to "find himself." He makes friends, works at a law firm, attempts to become a painter, and finally settles on medical school. He makes some poor choices along the way with his finances and with his lovers. Overall, this book was a disappointment for me, and I probably won't read Maugham again.

This novel turned William Somerset Maughham into my favorite author. It is heart-wrenching, beautiful, inquisitive, daring, and oh so charming. It is difficult not to fall in love with the protaganist, and even the lowly (yet eerily captivating) woman he bestows affection on wins your sympathy. I highly recommend this piece.

this book demonstrates the enigmatic way which maugham leds his readers to the inner most soul of his creation. i've followed the life journey of the protagonist like i never been able to in any other books. it was rare, exhilarating experience.

Philip Carey, a young lad, lives life to its fullest, for better or for worse through every incredibily well-written passage. Philip accepts his conditions even if they are dreadfully poor, and even manages to see the beauty of a bad situation. On Human Bondage is a timeless classic that sheds light on human suffering and all of us who have disabilities in one way or another. This book is part and parcel of the incredible pattern of the complexity of life and the human condition. I shall remember it and re-read it for years to come.

Somerset Maugham's genius is apparent in this 640-page novel deemed by critics as his masterpiece. Despite the book's or the Kindle's length, 32 realistic characters, including the main two keep you turning the pages. Philip the hapless protagonist is obsessed with bedding the tawdry waitress Mildred who gives herself to everyone but him. Their relationship gives the novel its title and keeps the reader asking why..
Maugham takes a long time to answer. He describes each character feature by feature in precise detail. All stones are overturned in describing London and Paris plus the countrysides where the conflicts and resolutions take place.
Philip's sorrows began at age four and continue through trial and error in his search for the meaning of life. At times you want to call on Dr. Phil to stop him from letting Mildred insult and humiliate him. Mildred's obsession is to rise above poverty and thinks the way to do so is through a rich man's genitals. Philip is not rich.
But she is unable to distinguish between a gentleman and a rogue just as Philip can't tell the difference between a lady and a tramp. Thankfully there are enough caring people in Philip's life who Philip lets come forward when his choice is between false pride and death. Hopefully, we won't wait that long
Maugham has created characters who are as complex as us. His genius lets us identify with their inner urgings, their silent desires, their sacrifices and make us hope we are doing a better job with our own lives.
PAF Chicago

The novel 'Of Human Bondage was one of the few novels (along with Memoir of a Geisha) which ever drew me in so deeply to form a bond with the main character, but this one was even more intimate. I became increasingly frustrated with the main character Phillip and with his arrogance and self pity, cruelty and foolishness of his behavior. I will not give the book away, but it is one of the novels I can most readily recommend to anyone, and it is the only book I have ever read which I was still emotionally attached to the character months afterward, still frustrated with his behavior and still wanting to change him and make him do the right thing, only stopping after continually telling myself it was just a book. I recommend it highly.

This novel turned William Somerset Maughham into my favorite author. It is heart-wrenching, beautiful, inquisitive, daring, and oh so charming. It is difficult not to fall in love with the protaganist, and even the lowly (yet eerily captivating) woman he bestows affection on wins your sympathy. I highly recommend this piece.

this book demonstrates the enigmatic way which maugham leds his readers to the inner most soul of his creation. i've followed the life journey of the protagonist like i never been able to in any other books. it was rare, exhilarating experience.

Philip Carey, a young lad, lives life to its fullest, for better or for worse through every incredibily well-written passage. Philip accepts his conditions even if they are dreadfully poor, and even manages to see the beauty of a bad situation. On Human Bondage is a timeless classic that sheds light on human suffering and all of us who have disabilities in one way or another. This book is part and parcel of the incredible pattern of the complexity of life and the human condition. I shall remember it and re-read it for years to come.

The novel 'Of Human Bondage was one of the few novels (along with Memoir of a Geisha) which ever drew me in so deeply to form a bond with the main character, but this one was even more intimate. I became increasingly frustrated with the main character Phillip and with his arrogance and self pity, cruelty and foolishness of his behavior. I will not give the book away, but it is one of the novels I can most readily recommend to anyone, and it is the only book I have ever read which I was still emotionally attached to the character months afterward, still frustrated with his behavior and still wanting to change him and make him do the right thing, only stopping after continually telling myself it was just a book. I recommend it highly.

Although the novel IS well written, I did not like the characters of Philip and Mildred. The only likable characters in the book are Athelny and his family. I found it generally very odd. The novel's theme seems to be that the universe has no meaning and, once that's learned, because the individual has no obligation to anything or anybody, he can appreciate the beauty of life. I'm afraid I missed something.

Seldom can one say that a great novel is relatively unknown. In the 21st century, this 1915 century masterpiece - and associated 1935 movie - are champions of the past.

Struggling times of the turn-of-the-century urban environments has made great American or British literature: The Jungle;Sister Carrie ;Brideshead Revisited;The Sheltering Sky;American Pastoral(second half of 20th century) and many more. It may be that those novels, and this, fed off one another.

Long stories following the growth of the boy to man makes this wonderful and emphatically great. This 250,000+ word tome does not overwrite. Indeed, the following of decades of a very unique existence is hammered away with economical effort. Only the love scenes of the lad with the wrong and right women make us understand that the main character is more than a sterile black-on-white resume where his accomplishments include best public schooling; study in Germany, painting school in Paris, medical school, accounting career, sales, dress designing and ultimately the practice of medicine - all before he turns 30.

We watch him grow. ". . . Phillip witnessed a series of work in which the vileness of mankind was displayed before him. He had never been to play in his life `till then. . . and the passion of the stage seized him." After numerous late night conversations laden with liquor and nicotine, Phillip surmises, "I don't see why the things we believe absolutely now shouldn't be just as wrong as what they believed in the past." Case in pont: the earth being round, not flat.

He and his comrades did in the 1915's what hipsters today do. But, instead of tobacco and hard liquor being the impetus to the philosophical discussion; bagels, caffeine and legalized or not legalized cannabis may the mind provoking substances. Nevertheless, the ultimate conclusions appear to be uniform.

But, the book is about "Human Bondage." Philosophers and 20th century industrial economists have very specific responses as to what that term may mean. To the author, it had religious, economic, emotional, and other far-reaching concepts. "He still looked upon Christianity as a degrading bondage that must be case away at any cost; it was connected subconsciously in his mind with the dreary services in the cathedral at Tercanbury; and the long hours of boredom in the cold church of Blackstable; and the morality of which Altheny spoke was to him no more than a part of religion which a halting intelligence preserved, when it laid aside the beliefs which alone made it reasonable,"

Then, in a lucid moment of starvation merging with propriety, he concludes, "The answer was obvious. Life had no meaning." "There was no meaning in life, and man by living served no end." But, to continue mankind, he must have understood that the least man could do was procreate. And, to make life better for the successors, mankind needed to afford better life through invention than what existed during the prior generation's care. But, he concludes, "It was immaterial whether he was born or unborn, whether he lived or ceased to live. Life was insignificant and death was without consequence."

Things change and so do those depressing, almost suicidal, passages. This is a great book, and at 500+ pages, it is a great well worth the long read. I wish this had been assigned to me in school. And, I am glad not to have overlooked this novel decades after the schooling.

The first 50% of this book was slow and hard to get into. I have reading rules, however, so I stuck with it and I am really glad I did. I LOVED the second half. There are many kinds of human bondage. Philip experienced life in Europe in the early 1800's with a club foot. He lost both his parents when he was very young. He was tortured by unrequited love. He experienced life in many realms of social class including becoming homeless and destitute. He had a moral conscience although he debated giving in many times he remained true to what is right. Great ending. In all, a very satisfying read.

Good ending, but it took a long time to get there. I think the main character is presented as very weak, so it's not easy to remain an advocate for him and a good outcome for his life. Too much repetition and repeated bad decision-making in his life to make him a sympathetic character.

A classic story of first love and the fiery passion that burns with it. The novel shows the emotions and desires of all humans first hand and allows the reader to connect with any one of the characters in the novel. Provides the reader with an appreciation of beauty, and an appreciation for their own self. Timeless characters and a timeless tale, sure to enrapture the souls of those who read it.

I cannot imagine a more enthralling, perceptive account of human nature. We see Philip Carey through his own eyes; we become angry and frustrated with him; and we weep profusely for him.
We can also see ourselves in his self-doubt and self-destructive behavior.
The ending is wonderful, and I never anticipated how things would go.
Great classic.

This put Maugham right up there in my favorite author list with Garcia Marquez, Hemmingway, and Rushdie. There were points in this novel where I was so angry at the characters that I wanted to tear the book in half and throw it across the room. What a remarkable ability Maugham has to evoke feeling in his readers. A definite re-read.

W. Somerset Maugham's "Of Human Bondage" was simply one of the finest piece's of literature that I have had the privledge to read. Protaganist Phillip Carey made me feel joyful, angry , despondant and hopeful. I clearly identified with Phillip's incessant need for love that was always unrequited. To experience the pain inflicted by Mildred upon Phillip was not easy to read, but also a wake up call. I will never forget this book and the adventures contained with in it.

What can I say? Somerset Maugham is one of my favorite writers and I love all of his novels. I am nobody so what I feel doesn't matter to anyone except me. So let's say I'm writing this review to myself. And when I read it, I understand what I am talking about. I don't have to explain anything because the person reading it already knows why the person writing it is writing what he's writing. Like they say in "Gypsy", "I'll never get away from me." It's a catchy song. "I can climb the highest tree, I'll be there somehow. . . ." Now if I were writing this review for someone else to read, then I would have to bog myself down with examples and quotes and explanations but this way, I can move along like Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse when they dance in the dark in the park, so graceful, so undramatic, so simple and touching. Yes, that's what I want when I write and when I read what I write, that elegant simplicity. So what you have read is an example of elegant simplicity--this is if someone who is not me reads this review.

This book is one of the most insightful that I've read in conveying the emotions and personal introspection that followed each of the trials and tribulations that Philip Carey encountered in living his daily life (as do all of us). The depth and breadth in which Philip searches for the meaning of his life and then the simplistic and somewhat trite answer he finds at the end make this book a true classic.

Consummate Maugham, tender, sensitive all encompassing. One is taken on a torturous journey through overwhelming challenges and frustrations in a young man's search for satisfaction to find that love is the meaning of life.

I have read this book many times over the years and it's different every time. Is amazing how one writer can get all those human emotions and write about them, one can actually feel what the characters feel and get involved into their lives. A book that is worth reading more than once...

It is probably a stroke of genius on the part of Maugham that the main character of this novel is crippled. One tends to naturally have a small amount of sympathy for the handicapped. This is genius because beyond natural sympathy for the character's disability, I had a really hard time feeling any compassion whatsoever for this character. Virtually every bad thing that happens to him over the 680 pages of this novel is brought on by his own stupid errors in judgment. This may seem harsh, but it wasn't until page 620 or so that I began to feel any compassion at all.
Don't get me wrong. The book is well-written. Maugham has a mastery of the language that makes it easy to understand why he is one of Britain's renowned greats. But I can only justify recommending this book to people who don't have a problem with hating the protagonist.

I picked up this book as a few of my friends happen to be Somerset Maugham fans and swear by this one.

I was extremely disappointed when I found that after reading about a hundred pages, I just couldn't bring myself to go on.

I did like the way the book is written. The writing style is descriptive and you almost draw a picture in your mind as the different scenes unfold in the story. But parts of the story just drag on. I remember having to skip pages of what can be called just pure babble, maybe literary babble, but nothing more than that. The obsessive relationship, that forms the pivot of the story, that of the protagonist and the character Mildred, is quite interesting, which is what, in my opinion makes it earn three stars. In fact, this is almost the only part that's interesting, and finding out what happens in the end becomes your sole purpose in going on.

I did not enjoy reading this book much.

Overall, an 'OK' kind of a book. Neither good, nor too bad. But if you are looking for something of a page-turner, this book is not for you.

Describing this book as clearly written is more accurate than declaring it as profound or deeply probing. It's quite an easy read and that is not a mark against it; the lucidity made me not mind reading a book which was honestly not very engaging. I thought Philip petty and he floats through his life as blown by a wind from orthodox Christianity, to Parisian art, to a "respectable" profession, finally settling down with a woman he does not love for a life which is far from the searching adventurousness which he once fancied all with the stoic spirit of, if it gets to hard, I'll just commit suicide. The disengaged lightness of tone in Razor's Edge works much better than an aimless wondering through writing a novel. I did not find this book inspiring (but it wasn't bad either).

While some may not like this book because it seems to wander I found it a very meaningful representation of the strange twist and turns life can give us. A thorough review of the mistakes we all make and how we look back later and wonder "what was I thinking." Very relevant and inspired even in today's society.

This tale is one that will touch anyone who picks up this book. Maugham did an unbelievable job of taking his readers through the life of Philip Carey, the story's lovable protagonist. I have read more than a few novels in my time, but none have been as special to me as this one. I love this book and so will you.

Good story of a person who doesnot thing of consequences . Who does whatoverhe wants to without thinking that it can ruin his whole career. Any way it has a nice ending. Well connected story but I didn't find a literary masterpiece

Do not be afraid of this 560 page book by the master of character driven fiction, Somerset Maugham. This classic is well worth the effort. The characters are so vivid and the story is so compelling, this book will practically read itself to you. If you read at least 10 pages in a sitting, you won’t get bored and you won’t be able to put this book down.

Readers wind through profanity free halls of real and simple human emotions, human flaws and frailties that almost everyone can relate to. There are not enough superlatives to describe this unforgettable masterpiece.

Somerset Maugham's genius is apparent in this 640-page novel deemed by critics as his masterpiece. Despite the book's or the Kindle's length, 32 realistic characters, including the main two keep you turning the pages. Philip the hapless protagonist is obsessed with bedding the tawdry waitress Mildred who gives herself to everyone but him. Their relationship gives the novel its title and keeps the reader asking why..
Maugham takes a long time to answer. He describes each character feature by feature in precise detail. All stones are overturned in describing London and Paris plus the countrysides where the conflicts and resolutions take place.
Philip's sorrows began at age four and continue through trial and error in his search for the meaning of life. At times you want to call on Dr. Phil to stop him from letting Mildred insult and humiliate him. Mildred's obsession is to rise above poverty and thinks the way to do so is through a rich man's genitals. Philip is not rich.
But she is unable to distinguish between a gentleman and a rogue just as Philip can't tell the difference between a lady and a tramp. Thankfully there are enough caring people in Philip's life who Philip lets come forward when his choice is between false pride and death. Hopefully, we won't wait that long
Maugham has created characters who are as complex as us. His genius lets us identify with their inner urgings, their silent desires, their sacrifices and make us hope we are doing a better job with our own lives.
PAF Chicago

I suppose the easiest, and quickest, way to sum up Maugham's OF HUMAN BONDAGE would be to write something along the lines of "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," which is certainly the case for the story's protagonist, Phillip Carey.

If, however, that was all I wrote, then not only I would I be overly brief in this review (which probably is not a bad thing), I would also be overly unoriginal since we all know the above quote belongs to the great Henry David Thoreau.

Unfortunately, because I do not have Thoreau's genius for writing simply (which requires skill and patience that most writers, to include me, do not possess), I will have to deploy many more words than just Thoreau's for my own summing up of Maugham's masterpiece.

But what Thoreau wrote so poetically is undeniably what the essence of Maugham's story is about:

Carey, born with a clubbed foot and who grows up to be shy and insecure because of it, lives a life yearning to be someone he can never be, to love someone whom he can never love, and to be somewhere other than where he happens to be.

His yearnings, we find, go mostly unfulfilled.

What I enjoy most about the story is Maugham's descriptive ability. His writing magically places me deep within the England and the Germany and the France of the early twentieth century. I can hear the cart wheels rolling along the cobble-stoned streets. I can see the crowded, smoke-filled cafe. I can taste the absinthe and feel the immediate allure and rush as it blissfully numbs away the bite of reality.

What I enjoy least about the story is Carey's excessively drawn-out infatuation with Mildred Rogers, the cruel and insensitive simpleton who fancies herself to be of a station in life much higher than the one she is unable to escape, no matter how hard she tries. While she does not have the capacity to improve her lot in life through earnest devices and effort, she does have enough smarts about her to understand early on in her relationship with Carey that she has a power over him from which he is also unable to escape no matter how hard he tries. She uses and abuses Carey with her power so often and for so long that I found myself becoming impatient and bored with, not only Carey's unbelievable weakness, but with the story as a whole. However, by the time, I was already deeply hooked, addicted to the tale and desperate to know whether Carey would find a way to ween himself from his deadly addiction to Rogers, or if he would die unfulfilled and, as in an Oliver Wendell Holmes poem, with his music still in him.

While I find the tortuous, one-sided love affair between Carey and Rogers to be a bit too much, through it I am reminded that any unhealthy dependency, be it our dependency on love, on money, on drugs, or on whatever, often takes us down a long and troubling path that, if we stay on it, will eventually lead us to the point of our destruction. And it usually is not until we nearly reach that point that we are finally able to realize just how destructive our dependency, our yearning, really is. Only then, if we are lucky or blessed or both (for unfortunately, many are unable to stop before reaching the point of their destruction and continue helplessly, fatally on), can we find the strength to separate ourselves from that which is destroying us and begin on a path to recovery.

But I guess that's how life goes, and how it has always gone throughout the desperate ages -- if we do not somehow find a way to come to peace with our satiated yearnings, our unrequited desires, they will most likely be the sad and desperate songs we sing until we finally, and at last, are placed within our cold and lonely graves.

This review originally appeared at bojiki.com

Few novels capture the wretchedness of the human condition as much as Of Human Bondage. Maughm's protagonist experiences hatred and self-loathing like no other. If you're into that sort of thing, or can relate as many humans can, this book is for you.

Maugham is an excellent writer. However, unlike other reviewers, I was totally unable to identify with the protaganist. Phillip's euphoria at having discovered such a thin and shallow meaning for existence at the end of the novel was entirely unbelievable for me. His pain was real. His passion was real. But I cannot accept that his contentment at the end of the book was real. Regret has a purpose. Life has a purpose. Morality has a purpose. Those who would explain away life's challenges by writing them off as quirks of nature . . . I find it very difficult to believe that they achieve any lasting peace. I was upset with the novel, because I think that what was real (Phillip's emotion and experience) was turned into a lie by Maugham's interpretation of that experience in the final pages.

This is an epic tail. The book describes the painful journey of an introverted and shy orphaned boy from childhood into adulthood. His life's journey is made much more painful for him due to his keenly observant intelligence and his exquisitely sensitive nature. Maugham describes the protagonist's feelings and points of view so well that one feels immersed in the character, sensing acutely his miseries, desperation, and joys.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is quite well written. The language is sophisticated, yet clear and easy flowing. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I did not want the book to end.

The odd title of this book masks one of the best gems of English literature. This is one of those books that is so profound you will continue thinking about it long after you've finished.

The plot follows a familiar course of watching the main character as he grows and develops into a man, with frequent side-tracks for philosophy and observations about people, places, and things. It starts out a bit slow, but I found that soon I became so absorbed I could barely put it down.

This is the first book I've ever read that portrayed love the way I've experienced it, which is one of the reasons I rate it so highly. I find that many books present a rose-tinted, idealized version of love. This book, on the other hand, presents the dirty side of love, in all its wonderful misery and despair. At many points in the romantic adventures and misadventures, I even felt like the author put down on paper the thoughts in my own mind. Some points were even painful to read as I saw my own less than admirable thoughts and actions from my past mirrored in the main character.

I highly recommend this book and it currently ranks in the top 5 books I've ever read, though I am likely biased because I formed such a strong personal connection to it.

It takes a long time for Philip to grow up and it is easy to feel frustrated with him! However, the author also creates great sympathy for him early on as a child orphaned with a disability. He had been very attached to his mother who loved him dearly and there is a great desire throughout the book to see him again loved in the same way. Unfortunately, he is attracted to a woman who cannot make him happy, but he learns from his mistakes,and it is great to see him become a man with a hopeful future. Why not 5 stars? Mostly because the book really dragged for me when he went to Paris and there were other "sluggish" parts but overall I found it very worth reading. Another positive note: there are many characters in this book and lots of the "smaller players" were very interesting and added much to the story.

What a picture of the human condition. I wish I had read this when I was 18 instead of now at age 50. The paths we choose are not our own. That which we think we want is not that which the whole soul desires. I will make sure my son reads this when he is older. The character Mildred may be one of the most despicable people in all of English lit, and though my modern sensibilities cause me to be sensitive to the difficulties and cruelties turn of the century women were made to endure, I could not but help compare her to my own personal Mildred of my youth. A cautionary tale for young men with good and kind hearts deceived by romantic illusions.

I didn't like everything about this book, but there was so much in it that was so true and real that I don't think I'll ever forget it. As an older person reading it, I saw many of the things that each young generation has to learn for itself--the mistakes the young so often make before reaching maturity, the search for personhood, the inner struggles with proclivities we're ashamed of. Philip's physical deformity is not nearly as important as are his spiritual deformities, which he allows to keep him in bondage--hence the title. Maugham's masterpiece strikes a perfect chord of realism and believability.

This classic has a very slow start. Losing his mother and father at very young age, Philip not only has to deal with said losses, he lives with affliction of club foot. He stays very alone, rejected over and over by peers. From my point of view, he becomes so accustomed to rejection and loneliness, that he subconsciously seeks abusive relationships with both women and men. Sad and somewhat depressing, Philip continuously meets and overcomes obstacles in his life. I do recommend this book; however, there is no laughter or any relief from the bad decisions, bad relationships and self-loathing.

The novel is a second-level piece, striving to be more impressive than it is. It is difficult for the reader to be sympathetic to the protagonist, who seems sorry enough for himself without needing the reader to join in. The book might have been better if it had been shorter. Maugham shows us a scene, and then tells us what he has shown. I first read this in middle school, and remembered it fondly-but re-reading it as an adult is disillusioning. It's not a bad book, but it is middling. It zshoud still appeal to the adolescent.

Haven't finished this --about 25% read -- and don't know if I can. I'm aghast at Maugham's perception of what a nine year old boy can't do. Can't dress himself or bathe himself and has the mentality of a four year old. No, he's not handicapped. Maugham just made a mistake. For instance, in the first chapter, the nurse picks the boy up and cuddles him and carries him to his mother while he's still sleeping. I swear I thought I was reading about a one year old. Nope, a nine year old. Incredible disconnect.

'Of Human Bondage' follows Philip Carey from birth into adulthood, using him as an allegory for the history of literature. Forgetting this Maugham creates a clear narrative that spans from Philip's religious upbringing in the English countryside to his days as an art student in Paris and onward. Maugham describes Philip's thoughts with masterful attentiveness and gives readers an interesting position on the universal features of human nature. A classic, well worth reading.

This is a classic 'character study' type novel. Interesting ideas discussed, but a little difficult to read at times because of the lengthy trains of thought characteristic of the writing of the period. But it is a classic, so deserves a good read! (I found myself just skimming some sections, though, because of the slow moving nature of this type of novel.)

What does one say when an author produces a work of art? This is Maugham's own story, discreetly told. Maugham has a particular way of writing: characterizations, description, psychological insights are drawn from his own experiences and conveyed to the reader in a unique style. One reads,and listens. Maugham makes one think.

This is a VERY long book, but an excellent read! I'm enjoying the bleep out of it! I'm STILL not finished reading it, and I'll actually miss it when I done with it. It's funny how older authors used to write. Some of the words they use are really out there. I guess that's what makes it so enjoyable and interesting.

Phillip goes through a lot in his life: orphaned, shunned at school, confused in faith, indecisive in career decisions. He makes some terrible mistakes in love and life. I almost gave up on him a few times, but I stuck it out to the end and was pleased and relieved to see that he did learn from his many false starts.

I would recommend this book to anyone who yearns to know a completely different world of the 1800's . This author is one of the best descriptive writers you will ever have the pleasure of reading. Religion...poverty...young love...medicine...all bound up in a fabulous story of unrequited love...loss and self discovery.