Of Human Bondage (1915)

Of Human Bondage (1915)

W. Somerset Maugham

Penguin Classics

Orphan with club-foot fails miserably at a variety of professions before becoming hopelessly smitten by a vulgar, rude, and rather stupid waitress who eventually gets knocked-up by a bigamist, causing her to take up even more of the narrator's time and attention until he is so broke he can't finish medical school. She becomes a prostitute, and then later, dead. Meanwhile, he wanders around London destitute for 40 pages or so until taking shelter with the family of a former patient. Later he marries the eldest daughter and accepts his fate as a doctor in a small seaside community. 600 pages. Count 'em, 600 pages.