Servidumbre humana I

by W. Somerset Maugham, Enrique de Juan (Translator)

Tai vienas reikšmingiausių ir populiariausių W. S. Maughamo kūrinių, pats autobiografiškiausias rašytojo romanas. Pagrindinis knygos veikėjas – Filipas Keris. W. S. Maughamas seka jo gyvenimą nuo pat vaikystės iki studijų laikų. Likimas Filipui vieną po kito siunčia išbandymus: ankstyvą tėvų mirtį ir liūdną vaikystę, sunkumus siekiant tapti dailininku, meilės abejotinos reputacijos moteriai kančias. Tačiau jaunuolis nenuleidžia rankų ir atkakliai ieško savo pašaukimo ir gyvenimo prasmės.

Ar pavyks Filipui nugalėti visas kliūtis, rasti savo gyvenimo kelią, pasiekti laimę ir įgyvendinti svajones?

Knyga nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių prikausto dėmesį ir atmintyje palieka ištisą galeriją nepaprastai ryškių, įdomių ir tikroviškų portretų.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

286 pages, Leather Bound

Published July 1, 1984

About the author

William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He spoke French even before he spoke a word of English, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style.

His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.

Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clichés' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.

During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.

At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.

Reviews

[Malola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent use of the language. Very rhythmic and poetic. The usage of words is just beautiful.
The topic... you know "it gets better"? Well, the book implies "no, it doesn't". :v
The last 70+ pages... Philip... Geezus, worst friendzone-ing ever!

[BradMD · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a hobby of mine to read novels written by physicians. I did not find his writing style enjoyable. There are many physician novelists I would recommend before W. Somerset Maugham.

[Mark Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully and artistically written. Will remind you of the hardness of growing up and feeling, "less than" and well as the pure joy of love. Romantic and common. Will make you think and yearn a little.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philip Carey is orphaned at a young age and must live with his uncle. He goes to boarding school where he's mistreated mainly for his club-foot, works in a law firm for a while, moves to Paris and tries to become a painter, has an affair with an older women, and finally settles on medical school. The action doesn't pick up until Mildred comes on the scene on page 300. By that time I was too far into the book to give up, so I plodded through to the end (300 more pages). While I did enjoy the style of this book and the story line was interesting, it was just too wordy making for a slow read.

[Nestor B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a rather tired genre: a young man comes of age and struggles to find his place in the world. Philip does just that, in late 19th-century Britain - and with predictable difficulty. What saves Of Human Bondage is the ruthless honesty with which Maugham exposes his protagonist’s weaknesses. There’s no attempt to ennoble Philip or make him a tragic hero; he’s simply human, and not always the most impressive specimen.

The novel also offers a sharp look at class and the quiet cruelties of poverty. The prose can be so dry it occasionally risks desiccation, but the social observation and Philip’s relentless self-examination mostly keep it afloat. It’s not uplifting, but then again, neither is life - which may be precisely Maugham’s point.

[Ellen Trufant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a very old fashioned feel to it, didactic especially in the first part when everything our protagonist did was explained, but the narrator relaxes his grip and the story unfolded more naturally.

[Yami Brice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this story but my so many superfluous verbiage. It drew on and on necessarily. But it sure does display how being a slave to societal norms can cripple one's life.

[Janice]

For such an old book, it is amazingly relevant. It might simply be a study in humanity in general. Well written and readable, even with a bit of old English, and unfamiliar phrases.

[Shantanoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's the good stuff..

[Tina Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently read The House of Doors, I felt I should read some works by WSM. This is quite wonderful. I'm sure it was an influence on William Boyd and upon others too.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Somerset Maugham's writing, so an engaging read. At times in sympathy and at times repulsed by Philip and constantly vexed by the irrationality of his infatuation with the irredeemably dreadful Mildred. I read this at college so to re-read it was a revelation and have moved straight on to 'Moon & Sixpence.' A hugely gifted writer who'll no doubt be read forever.

[Laura AP · Rating 1 out of 5]

FINALLY FINISHED and dude was I disappointed. Mom and my cousin talked about this book for WEEKS, but I just couldn't get into it. To me Philip's story felt very shallow, 99% percent of the passages are the perfect example of why "show not tell" is a thing. The story didn't move on, and it felt like it was going nowhere. It's called semi-biographical, and it IS, with long passages of nothing really happening, etc. I just really couldn't empathise with Philip either, because it felt like the basic struggle of the middle class men (c'mon, I've been through that SO MANY TIMES that I just didn't care.) The "evil" character, Mildred, the woman Philip falls in love with, is just another girl on the struggle, and I could honestly understand her motives more than the guy's, but hey -- 19th century fiction, girl who obviously has no interest in guy and is constantly harassed by him doesn't reciprocate his love, so she's obviously EVIL. This wasn't the book for me, unfortunately.

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

too long and depressing!

[Vince · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled at times with this book. It was gloomy but I identified with the main character and his unrequited love. I've never read a better depiction of loving someone you don't even like.