Of Human Bondage - William Somerset Maugham

Of Human Bondage

ByWilliam Somerset Maugham

  • Release Date: 1965-01-01
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 360 Ratings

Description

Of Human Bondage (1915) is a novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It is generally agreed to be his masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although Maugham stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention." [1] Maugham, who had originally planned to call his novel Beauty from Ashes, finally settled on a title taken from a section of Spinoza's Ethics. [2] The Modern Library ranked Of Human Bondage No. 66 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

Reviews

  • Of Human Bondage

    4
    By MathAndScienceTrained
    NOTE: I would not represent myself to be trained in literary criticism, or even to be well-read. However, I would like to respond to this novel, from the standpoint simply of being a fairly intelligent reader who has passed the age of 60 years.

    There is little argument possible that Maugham’s work here is other than well-written. His use of images, vocabulary, selection of details, use of pre-shadowing, etc. show skill in character development and in telling a coherent story. (This, even if the writing is not notably “tight” it seems to me. The story could be shortened in some areas, and a few entire episodes omitted entirely, without loss to the tale.)

    It seems to be a “coming of age” story. By this I mean that it shows the principal character’s (Philip Carey’s) development toward an ultimate understanding and philosophy of life. That development involves a few “universal questions”: What is “beautiful”?; what is “moral”?; and what constitutes happiness in life? But it is a “coming of age” tale in that the author does not seem to put Philip’s answers as his (Maugham’s) recommendations for the reader.

    Personally I did not find the first one-fourth or so if the book very engaging. I did not develop much feeling for Philip during that portion, nor did I find the conflict(s) with which the story had confronting Philip actually very interesting. I continued through and past the approximate one-quarter mark primarily because the work is regarded as being a classic of sorts, and Maugham’s probable masterpiece. However after that point, I did begin to have interest in the story; and I began to regret coming to the end of a chapter because it meant I should consider stopping and laying aside my reading for a while.

    I am likely to re-read it at some point in the future, though I do not now feel compulsion to do so anytime soon.

  • >_<

    5
    By 童年95
    0---------0
    0---------0
    0---------0

More by William Somerset Maugham

About "Of Human Bondage"

Explore Of Human Bondage by William Somerset Maugham on eBooksStore by Arnlweb. Discover book details, reader ratings, reviews, release information, genres, and related digital books available through the iTunes Store.

This book is part of our growing collection of bestselling eBooks, popular digital reading materials, and trending author releases. Readers can explore similar books, discover new authors, and browse related genres including fiction, romance, mystery, fantasy, business, self-help, educational books, and more.

Our platform helps readers discover highly rated digital books optimized for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop devices. Browse fast-loading book pages, reader reviews, and popular recommendations from bestselling authors worldwide.

Why Readers Explore This Book

  • Detailed book information
  • Reader ratings and reviews
  • Popular author collections
  • Related digital books
  • Mobile-friendly reading discovery
  • Fast-loading book pages
  • Trending eBook recommendations

Popular Reading Categories

  • Fiction & Literature
  • Business & Finance
  • Romance & Drama
  • Mystery & Thriller
  • Fantasy & Adventure
  • Educational eBooks
  • Self-Help & Motivation