Of Human Bondage

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Summary: A delightful, well-written, introspective book of life!
Review: 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.

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Summary: A true masterpiece that rivals Dickens' David Copperfield
Review: Before I started reading this book, I was wondering if this book will live up to its ponderous title. I was more than impressed - this has to be one of the greatest books written on the experience of growing up. Maugham is a genius, with an awesome command of the English language, and is able to describe characters vividly with few elegant words. There seems to be some questions from other readers as to whether Philip is a hero, but to me Phil is all the more a credible hero for his weaknesses, which the author describes with the kind of clarity that almost hurts. The ending was utterly satisfying yet strangely haunting and sad. You will be thinking about this book for a long time after finishing it. It is a remarkable literary achievement - don't miss it!

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Summary: This is the book that made Maugham my favorite author!
Review: I have never read a book more voraciously, nor identified with a protagonist so much as in this phenomenal masterpiece. How was Maugham able to reveal so much human suffering, love, obsession, despair, and heartbreak in such simple, yet elegant, language? Books like this are how we discover our connection to all of life and humanity. The questioning of beliefs, the longing for love, and the heartbreak of betrayal and loneliness are an inevitable part of life for each of us. Maugham's exhilaratingly honest writing is an absolute catharsis. Don't let your life pass without reading it!

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Summary: A Masterpiece! An all Time Classic!
Review: Of Human Bondage, the first of W Somerset Maugham's masterpieces is also considered to be his best. In this novel, through the character of Philip Carey, he comes closest he ever has to writing an autobiographical account. This book is an inextricable mix of both fact and fiction and highly reflective of life for the simple reason that its characters are drawn from real life and from those who are close to the author. The title of the book is reflective of the continuous underlying essence of the book. It talks about life where freedom is interspersed with bonding and inspite of every spirit craving to be free , there is always another part in everyone of us that binds us down to those very things that we want to be free of. The story of human bondage is but a reflection of how hapless a person can be when faced with the forces of nature much less human nature. Like in all of Maugham's novels, the main character of this novel is not a hero. He is just a normal human being, with all his faults, going through life with all the things that in fiction always appear mundane but hardly ever are so for the person who lives through them. All through the book, the beauty of the authors writing is apparent in how these very commonplace incidents are portrayed and in the power of the intrinsic interpretation of the fundamental values of life and their contradictory nature. As Philip Carey passes through the various stages of his life, the author leads us through the mass of hazy thought that defines the difference between freedom and bondage in real life and leaves us wondering whether a difference really exists. Philip is but a small child when his mother passes away and he, eager for life and love moves out of his home to begin his adventurous journey through life. Religion and God were impressed upon him in the beginning itself when he stayed with his relatives, as something to be feared and respected and not questioned. He first faces the real world of real people when he is sent to the hostel for his studies and he finds himself unable to adapt to different kinds of people. This phase both disillusions and disappoints him and his heart craves to be free of the shackles around him. He leaves for the romance of Paris, obsessed with art and beauty and with searching for the freedom of spirit. When he falls in love with a waitress who doesn't particularly care about men except for the emotional and physical support they can provide her, he plunges into a tortured and masochistic affair which very nearly ruins him. As he moves through the stages of attraction, obsession and finally indifference, he realises and matures as a person to understand more of life and of himself. The book ends rather ironically as he finds in himself feelings of affections towards the daughter of a friend. Though he realises that he is not in love with her, he also finds that after having craved for freedom all through his life, he doesn't really want to 'travel the world' anymore. Human Bondage is perhaps not all bad after all. As we pass through life, very often we find ourselves so immersed in the mundane problems of life that fail to look at the broader picture. Thoughts and problems that are the most private to us are often the most common in life. What we are going through is but a process of learning and nothing is ever going to be completely right or wrong. Perhaps every reality of life comes with its own pinch of salt. In depicting this, the author has created a true all-time masterpiece.

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Summary: Beautifully written, excellent story- a masterpiece
Review: Maugham's semi-autobiography. Incredibly well written. Holds your interest from beginning to end. You will think about it for a long time afterword.

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Summary: A Complete Novel in all Respects!
Review: 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.

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Summary: A phenomenal work!
Review: The meaning of life? Nothing comes closer at beginning to answer this perennial ?

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Summary: Timeless classic.
Review: I can't believe that a novel written in 1915 can still be relevant now. I highly recommend this book.

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Summary: A Classic of Modern English Literature
Review: There are few authors who have achieved Maugham's depth in probing the human spirit and all its motivations. For anyone who wants an honest take on the nature of love, artistic vanity, religion or simply ... the meaning of life, "Of Human Bondage" is a book to read in your youth and again in later years. It will always speak to the heart and the gut.

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Summary: A literary and spiritual triumph.
Review: 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.