Of Human Bondage

by W. Somerset Maugham

I enjoyed this coming-of-age tale, very Dickens-esque. The whole thing is terribly introspective, akward and painful. There are a lot of long speeches about art and the meaning of life, and in the middle that gets a bit tiring, but mostly its just like a night at Nick's (or your local bar filled with socialists, elitists, french-speakers and smokers.)

Contrary to the implications of the title, this was not a book about kinky sex. Basically its the life story of a club-footed Englishman called Philip, a quiet, intellectual boy who tries about every profession available to him. He also falls in love with an unpleasant girl called Mildred. I didn't like that bit so much.

What was really outstanding is that I liked the ending. Mostly I hate the ending of every book I've ever read, but Maugham does a brilliant job of wrapping it all up for me. Philip spent so much time mulling over his future, and all the characters are so well-developed that I didn't feel like I was missing anything by the book ending before Philip died. (I do like for the characters to die in a brilliant fashion at the end of a lot of stories.)

So 4 stars for this one. I've already plowed through 20% of Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. Predict I'll finish by Sunday.

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