Book Review of 'Of Human Bondage' by William Somerset Maugham
It’s a rarity for one to find a novel that stands the test of time. You will find it relevant, so will the generations to come. Of Human Bondage (Bantam Classic)
The storyline is cut-and-dried: a hero, whose childhood is miserable, finds his way out and settles down. What draws one to this book is the savage honesty the author has displayed in portraying the characters. Philip, club-footed by birth, is forced to grow at his uncle’s vicarage, for he is orphaned at a young age. At school, he is abandoned and teased for his disability. Mr. Perkins, his teacher, is projected as a person whom anyone would love to have as one’s mentor; he manages to help Philip come out of his shell.
The plot takes a twist when Philip calls it a day and moves to Heidelberg to learn French and German; He makes friends with Hayward, a dashing young lad who impresses Philip with his varied interests, but later meets his death in an untoward fashion. He then decides to pursue a career in arts in Italy. Here, he meets Cronshaw, an old guy with intriguing philosophical thoughts. The conversation that takes place between the two is mind-boggling. To Philip, Cronshaw’s words sounded cryptic, which he later decodes in life. After spending couple of years trying his hands at painting, he figures out that art is not his cup of tea. He firmly believes that learning by one’s own failure reaps more benefit than by doing things right at somebody else’s advice. He lands up in a medical school to pursue his career as a doctor, where he meets Mildred, his first love. The author talks about their feelings towards each other at length. Their relationship breaks up and he finds it tough to get her off his memory. Having failed at almost everything, he finds himself penniless and couldn’t meet even his bare minimum needs. Even his uncle fails to come to his rescue.
Solitude becomes his only luxury. It is during this phase of life that Philp introspects on the meaning of life. He thinks of Cronshaw and Hayward; both of them, no more in the world, have influenced Philip to a great extent.
He comes to realize that the each one’s life is a unique pattern. It is one’s duty to add motive to its complexities. Happiness mattered as little as pain. That’s when he does a volte-face with his theory about life. He decides to take on life with a fresh perspective.
Philip finally settles down with Sally, the daughter of a poor helper and leads a contented life.
There is an obverse side to this book, too. It is a voluminous book, loaded with too much of information, which puts one to sleep. Keeping them aside, I would rate this book at par with best-selling self-help books in the market. Maugham, with his plain vocabulary, unplugs the most intricate human emotions with ease. This book gives you a sense of comfort that all of us are in the same boat, experiencing similar emotions. The key to success lies in how we approach the situation. The bottom line of the story is so insightful - Unhappiness one suffers is no more than part of a decoration which is elaborate and beautiful. All that we go through in life adds richness to the design of our life. So never let moments of despair take over you!
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Hello! Welcome to Sammy's MindChirps. I'm glad you are here. To me, the word LIFE is an acronym of Laboratory with Infinite Freedom to Experiment. It's more like a kaleidoscope offering amazing learning opportunities as we grow and explore various facets of life. So this blog is a platform where I share anything that I find interesting (with my two cents, of course :D). I assure that you will have some new learning when you exit the blog. And do share your feeback on the blog or anything you want me to write about in this blog by dropping an email to mindchirps@gmail.com