Of Human Bondage (Forgotten Books)

Of Human Bondage (1915) is a novel by William Somerset Maugham. It is generally agreed to be his masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although Maugham stated in a signed inscription: "This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention."The novel is considered a classic, and is mentioned by Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. In Philip K. Dick's science fiction novel Dr. Bloodmoney, the character Walt Dangerfield reads 'Of Human Bondage' to humanity from his spaceship orbiting the Earth.

The book begins with the death of the mother of the nine-year old Philip Carey, the protagonist. Philip's father had already died a few months before, and the orphan Philip is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle is vicar of Blackstable, a small village in East Anglia. Philip inherits a small fortune but the money is held in custody by his uncle until he is twenty-one, giving his uncle a large amount of power over him until he reaches his majority. (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

William Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965)
William Somerset Maugham, CH (January 25, 1874 - December 16, 1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s.

Maugham's father was an English lawyer handling the legal affairs of the British embassy in Paris. Since French law declared that all children born on French soil could be conscripted for military service, Robert Ormond Maugham arranged for William to be born at the embassy, technically on British soil, saving him from conscription into any future French wars. His grandfather, another Robert, had also been a