Reader discussion: Of Human Bondage

Public reader discussion about Of Human Bondage in the WeRead Catalog by W. Somerset Maugham.

If you love classics, read Maugham's Of Human Bondage. It has the most well-written and interesting characters I have ever read. And through reading it, it quickly becomes clear why it is recognized as one of the best books ever written.

By field_simple

In *Of Human Bondage*, it feels like each character isn’t just doing their own thing—they kind of help show what the other people are like too. How Phillip and the rest treat each other makes you stop and think, “okay, so what kind of person would I be here?” I kept finding myself wondering if I’d handle their situations differently, and at some point it just felt like I was taking some kind of weird early 1900s personality test on myself. Still, the book is a masterpiece to me because the characters do more than exist on the page—they all line up to make the story work. It also just feels like a real story about life and what it’s supposed to mean. I finally get the title now, and it honestly fits so well. I grabbed the book after finding it in a used bookstore (1942 Modern Library Edition), and the title is kind of cynical but also philosophical at the same time. Like, you’ve only got your human life and whatever luck you end up with, good or bad. So what do you make of it? For Phillip, that meaning shifts a lot during the story, but by the end it clicks for him.

Of Human Bondage - Chapter 122 (whole book) - Discussion

By Superuser

I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to take from the ending, but it felt kind of jarring for me. Like, it just ended and then the sun was shining—didn’t exactly make it feel happier or anything. Still, I thought the chapter overall was interesting, and I found myself listening just to see where it was going.

Post your ten (or however many you like) favorite books here and then see what other people recommend based on your list.

By wiseOwl94

I actually got this idea from the recommendation thing on Goodreads. It’s a really cool feature, but it still feels like it’s missing a few things right now. The thought is: if you’re subscribed here, you probably really like reading and would want to share some of your favorites. This could be a way to recommend books you’ve enjoyed to people who you think will like them, but also to get suggestions you might not have come across otherwise.

Thoughts on W. Somerset Maugham?

By OrchidTable1988

I’m a bit more than halfway through *Of Human Bondage* and I’m actually really liking it. This is my first time reading Maugham, so I’m curious—does anyone else have favorite books by him or thoughts on the ones you’ve read? I’ve gotten the impression he’s not universally loved, which makes me wonder if that’s just because he was so popular at one point. I especially like how smoothly it reads, and some of the writing feels genuinely beautiful to me. I also like the way he handles Philip’s big “what does it all mean” questions—like it’s all pretty straightforward, even when it’s stuff Maugham probably wrestled with too. Anyone want to chat about it?

how is “of human bondage”? recently ordered it but i believe it’s not widely read but extremely praised, no spoilers pls

By early_crown

Sounds like this is meant as a place to chat about classic literature—like plays, poems, stories, essays, novels, all that. I guess you can get into analysis and criticism, but also stuff like the history of the piece or the author, and the social/political context around when it was written. Also looks like there are related subs, like /r/lickerish.

What was a book that you feel like you read at the perfect time in your life?

By WhiteFinch

Was there a book that really landed for you—like it taught you something you were supposed to learn, made you feel emotions you needed right then, or just somehow showed up at the perfect time? If you’re okay sharing, what was it and why?

The Razor’s Edge - W. Somerset Maugham

By bookishdog54

Just finished the book and I can’t really say anything super insightful. Still, I’d recommend it. It’s pretty short, and I probably would’ve read it in a day if I didn’t have work stuff going on, but somehow it also felt like it lasted longer than it should’ve—in a good way. Even with how few pages there are, I feel like I really got to know the characters, and I finished it only a couple hours ago but I already think I’m going to miss them. Elliott’s little one-liners were my favorite part. I’ve known about Maugham for a while, but this is my first time actually reading one of his novels. A few days ago I read “Rain” and it was enough to make me want to keep going. I know *Of Human Bondage* gets the most hype, and I’m kind of tempted to wait a bit anyway, just so I don’t hit the biggest one immediately and end up burning out the best early. I’ve got a collection of his stories too, so I’ll be picking through that while I decide what novel to try next. So—what’s your favorite Maugham, whether it’s a short story or a novel?

What are the top 10 things you've ever read?

By SlowSwan

I’m kind of curious—what are the 10 best things you’ve ever read? And I don’t mean just books either. Like anything counts: novels, graphic novels, reference stuff, essays, comics, whatever. What do you love about those, and did reading them actually change anything for you? Like make you a better person or influence you in some way?

For the few that have read Maugham's Of Human Bondage, how would you have treated the flawed and compelling Fanny Price?

By NeedleRusty5

Honestly, I’d tell pretty much everyone to read this—*Of Human Bondage* is a total masterpiece. It somehow feels like something Dickens would’ve written if he’d gotten a lot more mature and hit his best stride. I keep getting hung up on Fanny Price, though. She’s such a fascinating, messed-up character, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about her sometimes. The book basically lays out what the main character thinks of her and what their whole deal is, so I’m curious what everyone else thought too. Like, what did you make of Fanny Price, and how would you have acted toward her? I feel like answering that kind of question for a novel that’s 100 years old says way more about you than you’d expect.

Of Human Bondage - W. Somerset Maugham

By late_otter

Love feels like it’s eating him from the inside, draining everything else out of his life. He used to actually enjoy everything—St. James’s Park, sitting and staring at a tree against the sky like one of those neat Japanese pictures, even the Thames with its barges and wharves, and all the changing London sky that used to make his head full of nice little ideas. But now none of that means anything. If he isn’t with Mildred, he’s restless and kind of bored, like he can’t settle. He even tried to distract himself by looking at pictures, like maybe it would help, but walking through the National Gallery just felt like he was there for nothing—no painting really hit him the way it should. And he can’t stop wondering if he’ll ever care about anything he used to love again. He was a big reader before, but now books don’t do anything for him either. Most of his free time is just flipping through periodicals in the hospital club’s smoking-room. This love is just torture, and it honestly makes him angry how trapped it leaves him. He feels like a prisoner and keeps wanting to get free.

The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

By Hill_Page

I keep finding my way back to this book every 5–10 years, and I honestly love it. I first heard about it from Dr. Fox, who was my high school English teacher in Ohio. Back then it really opened my eyes to all kinds of stuff—world travel, Indian philosophy, art history, even meditation. I reread it recently and it still hit the same way for me. Big thanks to Dr. Fox for the push. Anyone else out there who’s a fan of this (or Maugham)?

Does anyone here recall and have fond memories of the young adult book "The Samurai's Tale?"

By AmberBasketBison

I remember getting this book in 6th grade and it instantly became one of my favorites. It’s set in feudal Japan, and it follows this young guy who survives a village raid but then ends up as a slave in Lord Akiyama’s household. He works hard and stays loyal, and somehow that leads him up through the ranks until he’s finally a samurai. Even though it’s supposed to be for young adults, it doesn’t pull punches about war. There’s death and murder in it, but there’s also still this real sense of heart and compassion. I really liked the little quiet moments during his missions too—like when he and his mentor think they run into a fox spirit, or when he trades haikus with a woman he likes. Does anyone else have good memories of reading it?

Of Human Bondage Philip & Mildred's relationship

By Mirror_Late

I’m working my way through *Of Human Bondage* by W. Somerset Maugham (I’m on page 434). I keep getting stuck on Philip’s choices, though—like, why stay with Mildred and put up with all the misery when he could’ve gone with Norah or just walked away from Mildred completely? I get that he seems kind of drawn to suffering, like there’s some twisted satisfaction in taking the pain on himself and seeing how ugly people can be. But I still don’t really get how he ended up so stuck on wanting her, loving her, and being with her when she was awful in a lot of ways—both as a partner and as a person. Curious what other people think about it.

What have you been reading? (29/06)

By hidden_wren

So what have you been reading recently, and do you actually have any thoughts on it? I feel like the second part is way more interesting, so I’m trying not to just drop a list of book names. Also, if there’s something you’re wondering about but you don’t think it’s “thread-worthy,” this feels like a good spot to ask—especially if you’ve read the same stuff as someone else or their take makes you go, “wait, what about that?”

Why were doctors so frowned upon in the 19th century, and when did it change?

By yemenPaperback

I’m really into a lot of 19th-century stuff (mostly Russian, but I’ll read other eras too). Right now I’m working through *War and Peace* (it was written in the 1860s, but it’s set during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s), and I feel like I’ve run into the same kind of idea in *Of Human Bondage* by W. Somerset Maugham (written in 1915, but it’s mostly set later in the 1800s). There are moments where it kind of says, or at least implies, that being a doctor is a “lower” kind of job or not very gentlemanly. But at the same time, the same people weren’t anti-medicine at all—they used doctors. So why would wealthy folks look down on doctors, but still hire them to help and save themselves or someone they care about? When did that attitude change, since nowadays medicine seems like one of the best professions you can go into.

W. Somerset Maugham's "Of Human Bondage" Abridged version vs. Unabridged

By paperbackcougar1984

I usually feel like you’re better off reading the full, unabridged version of an author’s work, but this time the author himself abridged it. In the preface he makes it sound like the shorter version lets him strip things down and get to the “real” core of the story, and that the full version can sometimes be more about publishers pushing word counts or whatever. I’m guessing he probably liked the abridged one more, but after reading it I kept wishing I’d gotten to the well-known part where the narrator finds meaning in a tapestry. Now I’m not sure if I should go back and try the unabridged version. I did enjoy the book overall, though. Anyone else have opinions on abridged vs unabridged?

The Humans by Matt Haig: highly recommended

By Bottle66

If you’re wondering what it’s about: it starts with a mathematician accidentally spotting a pattern in certain numbers and figuring out which ones are prime. Then an alien shows up, jumps into his body, and tries to wipe out the evidence and get rid of anyone who could know about it. But along the way the alien kind of learns about humans—what we’re like, and what it means to be human, to love, and to actually feel things. I thought it was a really beautiful story and definitely recommend it.

The Thief of Always: Clive Barker's dark fantasy fable.

By hareStill1977

This is another Barker book I’ve been really interested in for ages. I’ve spent a few years trying to track it down and finally got my hands on it. So yeah, I figured I’d get around to reading it eventually. It’s definitely a different vibe from some of his other stuff, but you can still feel that same darkness in it. And it even has illustrations done by the author himself, which is a nice touch. Basically, the story follows Harvey Swick, who’s fed up with school and his everyday life. Then one day this weird guy named Rictus shows up and tells him about Mr. Hoods Holiday House and all the “wonders” there. After that, Swick ends up going there and it seems like he’s found something way beyond what he’d ever dreamed of. But of course, in Clive Barker land, nothing stays simple for long. It’s supposed to be for all ages, and honestly it does seem like something pretty much anyone could enjoy. So, is it a fantastic read? For me, yeah—definitely.

A book that nobody that you know has read

By cosmos_peastone

Some really good books that feel like no one else knows about, but I can’t stop liking them.

And our next book is... "Of Human Bondage" by W. Somerset Maugham

By HawkBirch2001

Kinda surprised by this one—after removing a bunch of fake/dummy votes (yikes 😅), it looks like *Of Human Bondage* is in by just one vote! It’s up on Project Gutenberg for free, if anyone wants to grab it here. Sorry to the two people who were going at it for “Hail and Farewell” and “Buddenbrooks,” though. We’ll get to them next!