Of Human Bondage

'Of Human Bondage' is Maugham's masterpiece strongly autobiographical in nature, although Maugham denied this stating that this was a novel, not an autobiography, though much of it was autobiographical, more is pure invention. Of Human Bondage is often included in lists of best English-language novels of the 20th century. From a tormented orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. His cravings take him to Paris at age eighteen to try his hand at art, then back to London to study medicine. But even so, nothing can sate his nagging hunger for experience. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.