Of Human Bondage in Reading the Chunksters

May 29, 2015 Cindy Newton rated it really liked it

Shelves: nook, classic-lit-american, owned-books

I read this as part of a group read for an "emotional powerhouse," and it really fit the bill. The story follows Philip as a small child, orphaned at a tender age and raised by a loving but ineffective aunt and a distant uncle. As if this is not enough suffering for young Philip to have to endure, it is compounded by a physical deformity that he is born with--a clubfoot. The book follows him as he is forced to leave his uncle and aunt and go to boarding-school, where he is bullied and tormented I read this as part of a group read for an "emotional powerhouse," and it really fit the bill. The story follows Philip as a small child, orphaned at a tender age and raised by a loving but ineffective aunt and a distant uncle. As if this is not enough suffering for young Philip to have to endure, it is compounded by a physical deformity that he is born with--a clubfoot. The book follows him as he is forced to leave his uncle and aunt and go to boarding-school, where he is bullied and tormented because of his foot. The plot progresses as he grows, and we watch him leave school and embark on his career, forming friendships and romantic relationships (mostly bungling them) along the way.

The label of "emotional powerhouse" is appropriate, not only because of the wide variety of emotions Philip displays as he experiences the ups and downs of his life, but also because of the wide variety of emotions we, the reader, feel as we read about him. We start off pitying him, the poor orphaned child; our hearts break for him as he is humiliated and bullied at school. Then he hits his teenage years, and our sympathy dries up. He's obnoxious, as most teenagers are. We are alternately annoyed, frustrated, disgusted, and enraged at his choices and actions as the story continues. As a grown man, we continue to vacillate between sympathy, liking, and frustration and disgust. He works his way--slowly, painfully--to a better understanding of himself and the world. Like most people, he has to learn things the hard way. He learns them, and we see a gradual glimmer of hope that he will become a good person.

I really enjoyed reading this, and the discussion in the group was of a satisfying depth--but I didn't love the book. There were a lot of truths to be found-- people suffer bondage in a variety of ways and from a variety of sources. Some recognize their enslavement and fight to break free. Some are successful, some not. Others never realize that they are not their own masters, that someone or something else is calling the shots in their lives. It's a thought-provoking book, but I just don't feel that visceral reaction that means "love." Highly recommended, though! ...more

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Jun 03, 2015 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: boxalls-1001-books-before-death, 2015

This book was a solid 3 stars throughout most of the book, with some 4 or 5 star moments of philosophical reflections. I honestly could not put this book down, constantly wondering what troubles or twists of fate Philip was going to get into next, whether it be from poor decision making on his part or simply a bad luck of the draw. In the end, I gave this book 4 stars because for all the wretchedness Philip endured throughout his life, I was completely satisfied by the state we leave him in to c ...more

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Jun 10, 2015 Nicola rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books

Reading a work like Of Human Bondage always gives me a dose of satisfaction over and above what is due for just reading it. I'm fairly sure it's a combination of size, literary value and basic gravitas. I felt the same when I polished off similar books like Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, War and Peace, Les Mis茅rables, Bleak House and so on. Even without the self satisfaction of reading a 'long and worthy' book though, Of Human Bondage would still make me pleased to have invested the time in it.

The p ...more

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May 25, 2015 Nina marked it as didn-t-finish

I give up. I just can't make myself pick it up and force myself through the pages anymore, which is a shame because this one has been on my to-read list for years. I thought it would be hugely exciting and a true masterpiece, and while it may be that to a lot of people, it just doesn't float my boat.

I don't care what happens to Philip and I don't want to spend more time with him. I loved Wuthering Heights, so clearly I don't have to like the characters in order to enjoy the book, but I really d I give up. I just can't make myself pick it up and force myself through the pages anymore, which is a shame because this one has been on my to-read list for years. I thought it would be hugely exciting and a true masterpiece, and while it may be that to a lot of people, it just doesn't float my boat.

I don't care what happens to Philip and I don't want to spend more time with him. I loved Wuthering Heights, so clearly I don't have to like the characters in order to enjoy the book, but I really don't want to spend any more time with Philip. He rubs me the wrong way, and life is just too short. I even looked at Wikipedia to find out if the story might take a turn in the right direction, but it just seems to be more drudgery, more boredom, more unlikable Philip, more obsession, more petulance, more ugh! Philip is boring, he lies, he doesn't know what he wants but doesn't want to do what he is currently doing so fights to go do something else, and when he is finally given permission, he wants to do something else again. He is sulky and petulant and everything that is annoying about teenagers. And now he becomes obsessed with the unlikable Mildred and no. I am out.

I participated in a group read of this one, and while hardly anyone liked Philip, most people enjoyed the book itself and the writing. I was not particularly impressed. There are beautiful passages, but not anything out of the ordinary. But more to the point, over the 300 pages I managed to read, WSM created zero characters that could hold my interest. If an interesting character does appear on the stage, he is quickly removed. There are a lot of characters here, but Philip is one of the few constants, and that kind of character gallery annoys me. I can't be bothered to care about a character if he is only there for a couple of short chapters only to never be seen or heard of again. It's a personal preference thing. And many of them seem to be only there for the purpose of juxtaposition or to prove a point. They are types more than actual people. "This one represents what Philip could have become had he continued down this road", "this one is the antitheses to Philip" etc. No one was fully fleshed out.

To me it felt like an unfinished work, a draft. The characters are only shells, the story draaags (and my respons to people who complain that the action drags in Jane Austen's novels is typically, "Really? When?") and the ending is banal (I looked it up). So yes, this one joins my short list of books that I could not finish. I don't want to. Life is too short. ...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Alana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-film, boxall-s-1001-books

I picked this one up years ago because it was in old-style binding and looked good on the shelf, I kid you not!. I only just now got around to actually reading it. It is a crazy roller-coaster of a story involving many complex relationship, characters I often despised, yet felt I could know in my actual life, and just growing-up and life experiences that anyone could be capable of going through. Definitely many layers to this one. Worth reading, but I got a lot out of it by doing it with a group ...more

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Sep 14, 2013 Lisa rated it liked it

Disappointed.

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May 28, 2015 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics

Definitely a powerhouse. And I'm glad to have read this with a group. First of all I don't think I would have likely finished if I hadn't been outwardly motivated, and I got so much more out of it with a lively weekly discussion. I can see why it's a classic, and Maugham is incredibly skilled at writing so that you can believe the desperation and the bondage that Phillip finds himself in within the book. Glad to have read this. Will probably read more Maugham at a later date. ...more

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