| Of Human Bondage Contributor(s): Maugham, W. Somerset (Author), Vidal, Gore (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 037575315X ISBN-13: 9780375753152 Publisher: Penguin Random House LLC (No Starch) OUR PRICE: $13.50 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 1999 Annotation: It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham," wrote Gore Vidal. "He was always so entirely there." Originally published in 1915, Of Human Bondage is a potent expression of the power of sexual obsession and of modern man's yearning for freedom. This classic bildungsroman tells the story of Philip Carey, a sensitive boy born with a clubfoot who is orphaned and raised by a religious aunt and uncle. Philip yearns for adventure, and at eighteen leaves home, eventually pursuing a career as an artist in Paris. When he returns to London to study medicine, he meets the androgynous but alluring Mildred and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. There is no more powerful story of sexual infatuation, of human longing for connection and freedom. "Here is a novel of the utmost importance," wrote Theodore Dreiser on publication. "It is a beacon of light by which the wanderer may be guided. . . . One feels as though one were sitting before a splendid Shiraz of priceless texture and intricate weave, admiring, feeling, responding sensually to its colors and tones." With an Introduction by Gore Vidal Commentary by Theodore Dreiser and Graham Greene |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Classics - Fiction | Coming Of Age - Fiction | Literary |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 98046169 |
| Lexile Measure: 910 |
| Series: Modern Library 100 Best Novels |
| Physical Information: 1.4" H x 5.3" W x 8.02" (1.19 lbs) 656 pages |
| Accelerated Reader Info |
| Quiz #: 10042 Reading Level: 8.3 Interest Level: Upper Grades Point Value: 48.0 |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham, wrote Gore Vidal. He was always so entirely there. Originally published in 1915, Of Human Bondage is a potent expression of the power of sexual obsession and of modern man's yearning for freedom. This classic bildungsroman tells the story of Philip Carey, a sensitive boy born with a clubfoot who is orphaned and raised by a religious aunt and uncle. Philip yearns for adventure, and at eighteen leaves home, eventually pursuing a career as an artist in Paris. When he returns to London to study medicine, he meets the androgynous but alluring Mildred and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life. There is no more powerful story of sexual infatuation, of human longing for connection and freedom. Here is a novel of the utmost importance, wrote Theodore Dreiser on publication. It is a beacon of light by which the wanderer may be guided. . . . One feels as though one were sitting before a splendid Shiraz of priceless texture and intricate weave, admiring, feeling, responding sensually to its colors and tones. With an Introduction by Gore Vidal Commentary by Theodore Dreiser and Graham Greene |