W. Somerset Maugham 
Of Human Bondage 

Considered by many to be Maugham’s masterpiece, ‘Of Human Bondage’ is the semi-autobiographical tale of Philip Carey, who like Maugham, is orphaned and brought up by his uncle. ‘Of Human Bondage’ is a ‘bildungsroman’ that traces the travels of its main character to Germany, Paris and London while exploring the intellectual, emotional and psychological development of the protagonist and later his destructive relationship with the main female character, Mildred Rogers. Originally published in 1915, ‘Of Human Bondage’ is one the great classics of the English language.