Of Human Bondage (1915) is a novel by William Somerset Maugham. While generally agreed to be his masterpiece and strongly autobiographical in nature, Maugham himself did not quite subscribe to this, stating in a signed inscription of a copy of the book (dated August 28, 1957) that belonged to the renowned collector Ingle Barr: This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention.
Nevertheless the book deals with the life of its main character Philip Carey, who, like Maugham, was orphaned and brought up by his pious uncle. Maugham"s severe stutter has been replaced by Philip"s clubfoot. The novel takes the form of a bildungsroman, tracing the protagonist"s travels to Germany, Paris, and London, while exploring his intellectual and emotional development and later, in the London period, his destructive relationship with the main female character, Mildred, a self-centered, crude Cockney waitress.
The first and most autobiographical of Maugham"s masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey, an orphan eager for life, love and adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, he settles in London to train as a doctor where he meets Mildred, the loud but irresistible waitress with whom he plunges into a tortured and masochistic affair.
菲利普天生跛足，自幼失去双亲，自卑的心理深深植根在他的生活中。他在伯父凯里牧师和伯母路易莎的抚养下长大，伯父对其较为冷淡，但伯母悉心照料，给予他母亲般的温暖。菲利普自幼酷爱文学，在伯父的书房里找到寄托。伯父伯母希望菲利普到牛津学习神学，以后成为神父，把他送到一所宗教气氛浓厚的寄宿学校学习。在那里，虽然菲利普崭露了学习的天份，但生性腼腆的他并不能融入到学校生活中，也因为跛足受尽嘲笑。
随后，菲利普不顾伯父的反对，远赴德国海德堡求学，在那里结识了英国人海沃德和美国人威克斯，开始对神学产生质疑。在一个假期回到英国家中时，菲利普同威尔金森小姐互生情愫但并不真心相恋，在回到德国后便逐渐停止通信。
之后，菲利普到伦敦成为一名会计学徒，但他对枯燥的生活感到厌倦，很快*转而到巴黎学习艺术，在巴黎学了两年绘画。在巴黎，菲利普结交了一些朋友，其中有毫无天分、脾气怪异的普莱斯小姐。普莱斯小姐暗中喜欢菲利普，后来因为穷困无助和绝望而自杀。
菲利普*终意识到自己在艺术上资质平平，不会有所建树，而伯母的死讯传来，菲利普回到英国，并决定去伦敦学医。在伦敦，菲利普爱上了女招待米尔德，但米尔德并不喜欢菲利普，而且天性自私，拒绝了菲利普的追求，同他人发生关系并怀孕。在追求失败后，菲利普转向女作家诺拉的怀抱。之后米尔德被人抛弃，又找到了菲利普，菲利普同诺拉分手，努力接济米尔德生活。但米尔德随后恋上了菲利普的朋友哈利并再次离开。
当菲利普再次遇到米尔德时，发现她再次被抛弃，成为妓女。此时的菲利普已不再爱她，但因为怜悯而收留了她。米尔德试图引诱菲利普未果，一怒之下逃走。后来菲利普知晓她孩子病死，再次沦落风尘。
菲利普后来因投资南非矿山失败而破产，不得不在商店里打工。但*终因得到伯父死后留下的遗产而再次回到医学院，取得医生资质。后来菲利普同多次帮助过自己的医生阿瑟尔尼的女儿萨利相恋，并得知她怀孕的消息。菲利普果断放弃之前游历的计划，同萨利订婚。
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