Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham is a fiction first published in 1915. W. Somerset Maugham uses the form to consider human motives, relationships, conflict, and the consequences of choice, keeping the emphasis on how ideas become choices, conflicts, and consequences. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. W. Somerset Maugham relies on a character-centered narrative style that rewards attention to voice, structure, and perspective, allowing mood and structure to carry as much meaning as subject matter. At roughly 264,742 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Readers still return to it because of its capacity to make unfamiliar lives and difficult choices emotionally legible. The result is a book that rewards readers who enjoy character-centered narrative style while leaving room for reflection after the final page.