A 'Modern' Classic

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As well as reputedly being a masterpiece, 'Of Human Bondage' is also described as the most autobiographical novel Somerset Maugham ever wrote. Knowing such things for me always lends a certain 'spice' to embarking on a book - all readers have a voyeuristic streak! But the deft way Maugham weaves his real-life experiences into his plot quickly makes the autobiographical element seem irrelevant. Pieces of the author's life are definitely present - the early death of parents, medical training, the love of art - yet 'Of Human Bondage' is very much a page-turning human drama, a tightly-packed work of fiction rather than a 'confessional'.

The story follows the life of Philip Carey, tragically orphaned at an early age, burdened with a club foot and desperate for life and love. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, Philips settles in London to train as a doctor. It is at this point, just when his life should be taking off, that he has the misfortune to fall in love with a waitress called Mildred. The misfortune being that Mildred not only feels nothing for him in return, but is merciless and slow-witted and generally the most unrewarding object of ardour he could have imagined. What Maugham clearly understands and writes about so well however, is LOVE, which - when it is the 'real' thing - is not something over which one can exercise control. It happens TO a person, no matter how ill-advised, unrequited, or doomed. Mildred may not love Philip, but he loves her and is powerless in the face of it.

Another strong and credible thread of the story is the importance of money in Philip's fight to survive and thrive. Orphaned with very limited private means and a penny-pinching guardian-uncle, Philip has to find a profession through which he can support himself financially. This takes many years, driving him in the process almost to the point of annihilation, largely because he continually puts the needs of the destructive and ungrateful Mildred first. Philip's suffering on account of this woman, how close he gets to destroying himself, is at times hard to read. This is central to Maugham's skill; he draws us so deeply into Philip's psyche and his quest for lasting security and fulfilment, that we feel every hurt ourselves.

If all of this sounds a bit 'heavy' then rest assured, it is not. 'Of Human Bondage' is compact and dense, always moving on to the next thing and taking the reader with it. Maugham was such a master of his craft that he knew exactly the effect of his words - how to entertain and how to shock. Indeed, the story at times felt so 'modern' that I had to keep reminding myself that it was written over one hundred years ago.

Somerset Maugham was the bestselling author of his day, selling over one million copies of his books - a remarkable total for the first half of the twentieth century. Apparently, in his dotage he became a bitter man, not easy to be with, as well as cruel and petulant with his lovers. But then he was gay during the dark ages when such proclivities were still forbidden, and he was also a genius; so I think he deserves forgiving.







View all my reviews