Book Review: Of Human Bondage. Writer: William Somerset Maugham.

October 18, 2020

Book Review: Of Human Bondage. Writer: William Somerset Maugham.

Back in the Victorian times, when pretence, pommade and romance was all the rage, W. Somerset Maugham, in 1915 wrote this masterpiece which was far from Victorian, and made a mark with his authenticity. Man does not just have one nature. He has many, and those natures unveil themselves in the course of man's interactions with diverse people in the course of his life. 'Of Human Bondage', a 1915 book written by William Somerset Maugham and published by 'Bantam Classics' is a deep dive into an individual and his many natures.

Philip Carey, a small child with a club foot would have had a life of convenience and fortune had his parents been alive. Their death forces him to live with his paternal uncle, who embodies a different set of virtues from his parents, and he never bites off more than he can chew. His attachment to Philip was negligible, too. Having grown in a devotional and demotional environment, where he saw his uncle deliver sermons to people, teaching them love and embodying none of it towards Philip, along with his maladroitness in everything, except for a deft hand in painting, Philip's life takes a course of its own and makes him evaluate and re-evaluate his decisions at every such step.

The book focuses on Philip for the most part, and leaves the reader astounded as he traverses on the path of life. Be it falling in love with Mildred Rogers, a delusional and slovenly harridan who is the complete opposite of Philip, wanting to marry Mildred or even make career choices, Philip's selection of words, insight, erudition that quite exceeds the expectations of young men his age, and his bovine understanding of and empathy with a few people he comes across is foresighted and original.

The way Philip loves, hates, loathes himself and Mildred is so relevant that readers who have gone through unrequited love and/or toxic relationships even in this era can relate to it. Philip's decision making and the zeal to never be helpless, even when he was and/or had plenty of reasons to be so, and always taking chances is an inspiration to many readers. The goodness of Philip in general, and even in the badness when the badness was justified is nothing short of striking.

William Somerset Maugham suffered from the issue of stuttering as a child, and that was one of the representations of Philip's club foot. Philip's misogyny is one of the representations of William Somerset Maugham's lifelong repressed homosexuality. In many ways, 'Of Human Bondage' is a biographical sketch of the author.

'Of Human Bondage' gives a major insight into perception. How a man perceives himself in contrast to how he is perceived by others. The entire book makes the reader visualize and applaud the clarity of Philip about his choices, the persistence of his good-heartedness even when the odds and/or people are against him. Philip is a fictional representation of the term 'trial and error', to face everything and to go through everything. It takes courage to accept deterioration, and Philip acknowledges it not only at the time of deterioration (in that he is a clairvoyant), and even anticipates its aftermath.

A good part of the book is fast paced and the reader lives in Philip's skin, thinks like him and imbibes his casually serious rationality. As the reader completes reading more than half of the story, the book reaches a slow, justified speed. The writer, William Somerset Maugham portrays that choices have consequences. Be it any form. The writer has illustrated how a man's world changes when his reality changes, one such exemplary work was his short story titled 'Rain'.

In the times where pretense was the most important skill anyone could possess, Philip Carey's tenderness, patience and gentility seems like a breath of fresh air.

Overall 'Of Human Bondage' is a book that every person of every age must read. The storyline is filled with vocabulary enhancing words, bon mots and various food for thoughts. 'Of Human Bondage' serves a dual purpose of being an enlightening read and an asset to the bookshelf. In 1934, a film based on the novel was made having the same title and the legendary Bette Davis played Mildred Rogers in it, along with the great Leslie Howard as Philip Carey.