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Of Human Bondage Audiobook
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(4.00) - 19,837 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
One of the most widely read novels of the twentieth century, W. Somerset Maugham's masterpiece Of Human Bondage gives a harrowing depiction of unrequited love. Philip Carey, a sensitive orphan born with a clubfoot, finds himself in desperate need of passion and inspiration. He abandons his studies to travel, first to Heidelberg and then to Paris, where he nurses ambitions of becoming a great artist. Philip's youthful idealism erodes, however, as he comes face-to-face with his own mediocrity and lack of impact on the world. After returning to London to study medicine, he becomes wildly infatuated with Mildred, a vulgar, tawdry waitress, and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. First published in 1915, the semi-autobiographical Of Human Bondage combines the values left over from the Victorian era with the prevailing irony and despair of the early twentieth century. Unsentimental yet bursting with deep feeling, Of Human Bondage remains Maugham's most complete statement of the importance of physical and spiritual liberty, a theme that resounds more loudly than ever today.
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"This book was hard to get through at times, but well worth it to me. Loved the sense of reality that came with the journey of the main character. Also it was filled with quotes that I would love to stitch on pillows if I did cheesy stuff like that..."
— Tawn (5 out of 5 stars)
Of Human Bondage Listener Reviews
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" I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. I loved the title for a long time and I finally got around to reading it. I like part of the book very much. Philip's angst about what to do with his life, his feeling emotionally and socially crippled because of his own exaggerated deformity, and his intelligence that isn't serving him well, are all relatable. But all of the surrounding characters are unlikeable. It is not until the end of the book when he meets the Athleney family that some side characters can really be appreciated. I felt that Maugham was striving for realism but instead created a maudlin parody of it. The novel's strong points will stay with me, especially the wonderful existential philosophizing Philip does toward the end of the book. The epiphany only temporarily comforts him, but it does set the stage for him to finally be moving in a direction. He spent his youth moving from one thing to another and torturing himself with an unrequited love. It is one of the only books I have read where I don't want the love to be requited. Mildred is just a bad person. Philip's ability to be compassionate and self-sacrificing after the three ways she betrays him is neither a testament to love or a noble trait. It is acting out the self-destructive tendency that grew in him when he went to school and was made fun of for the club foot. I suppose I can recommend the book, but it just wasn't what I thought it would be. "
— Caitlin, 2/19/2014 -
" This is another book I read very long ago but has left a lasting memory in my life. I couldn't put it down. "
— Linda, 2/13/2014 -
" Shoo. Pretty sure this one covers just about everything. "
— Marie, 2/6/2014 -
" For some reason I heard this book was really sexy so i was impelled to download the ebook. it wasn't all that sexy, but i found that i was always wondering what would happen next in the epic of philip carey's life. "
— Corri, 2/3/2014 -
" very deep; emotional; had a profound effect on me when I was young "
— Elsie, 1/9/2014 -
" Reading this has definitely taught me a lot about what type of fiction sells today. "
— Dean, 1/8/2014 -
" By the end of the book I had a lot more sympathy for Philip. In the end, he matured and made some good choices for his life. I'll say this for him: He took responsibility for what he chose in life, and took the consequences of his actions. "
— Annie, 1/5/2014 -
" It wasn't a page-turner for me, but I do like Maugham's writing. "
— Lyddie, 11/24/2013 -
" It's humbling to think that an early 19th century English fellow can have the same thoughts and struggles as a 20th century Asian-American. "There is nothing new under the sun." "
— Nureyev25, 8/18/2012 -
" I read this book when I was quite young (early teen) and it was haunting to me. I'll have to go back and read it again and see if it still has that same affect. "
— Linda, 7/30/2012 -
" I loved this book. So touching it made me cry. "
— Anne-Marie, 4/4/2012 -
" Eh. Call me uncultured, but I never got into this one. Seemed to never really reach a climax, though there were little gems of literary genius buried throughout the text. I like Maugham as a writer, but I felt like this story didn't quite pick up speed. "
— Megan, 6/6/2011 -
" Quickly made its way on to my short list of all time greats. If I were ever an english teacher this is the book I would want to teach. "
— Pattersonjh, 5/18/2011 -
" Lovely except 2/3 through the last third becomes obvious "
— Ctb, 5/8/2011 -
" Summer reading for Senior Year HS AP English Literature "
— Phil, 4/28/2011 -
" I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. There points where you just hate the main character but you continue to read it so you can see how it all ends. "
— Angus, 4/15/2011 -
" For a gay author, Maugham portrays heterosexulal infatuation/love in excruciating detail. "
— Joe, 4/8/2011 -
" Must reading. A moral tale well told, full of all the ruminations on life, art and sex an especially astute observer of life could compile. "
— William, 4/6/2011 -
" Disappointing because The Razors Edge is one of my favorite books. The guy was just really pathetic, I thought, though I understood some of what he was going through. "
— sandy, 4/4/2011 -
" One of the most poignant and powerful books I have ever read. "
— Carey, 4/3/2011
About W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was born in Paris, the son of a British embassy official, and grew up in England. He studied medicine and officially qualified as a doctor before turning to writing. One of the twentieth century’s most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short-story writer, he also served as a secret agent for the British during World War I.
About Steven Crossley
Steven Crossley, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, has built a career on both sides of the Atlantic as an actor and audiobook narrator, for which he has won more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. He is a member of the internationally renowned theater company Complicite and has appeared in numerous theater, television, film, and radio dramas.