Of Human Bondage

Written by:
W. Somerset Maugham
Narrated by:
Tom Weiss

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
56
Narrator
22
Release Date
January 2016
Duration
25 hours 49 minutes
Summary
Of Human Bondage, published in 1915, is considered to be W. Somerset Maugham's best work. Many believe the novel to be one of the world's literary masterpieces. The story follows Phillip Carey from early childhood through his 30's. Orphaned at 9, Phillip spends his early years raised by his childless aunt and uncle. His aunt tries to be a mother to Philip, but she is unsure how to behave whereas his uncle, a vicar, takes a cold disposition towards him. Philip is sent to a boarding school but his shyness and his club foot make it difficult for him to fit in. The novel follows this theme throughout as Phillip travels to Germany, France, and England, makes new acquaintances, searches for his life's calling, and experiences romantic episodes. Mildred in particular, will leave you wondering about Phillip's obsession and passion for such a woman. More than a few of us have had "our Mildred". The characters in Of Human Bondage are real-life with faults, qualities, and feelings that Maugham describes so vividly. It would not be unusual that we have encountered individuals with traits similar to the characters in this book. At times the emotions in this novel, so simply but purely written, will leave you either sad or happy and even perhaps, teary-eyed as the enthusiasm of youth is met with reality as Phillip tries to discover the meaning of HIS life through the dreams of others. (Summary by the Tom Weiss)
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Reviews
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Karen M.

I loved this book. Not right from the beginning but as it continued it really took a hold of me. It spanned from art to philosophy to literature to current social problems, placing the protagonist in his times masterfully. The attitudes to class differences and the crudity of the language used to describe them, while not surprising, was quite shocking I think for the modern reader. I loved the use of contemporary slang in the dialogues! The narrator had a very pleasant voice. The only thing that irritated me was the continuous misprononunciation of proper names, and sometimes even words, but I have found this also in other audio books. I think that more attention should be paid to this aspect, in general.

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David C.

Truly a thought provoking narrative that details a boy’s transition to a man. While text is based at the of the 1800’s the introspection of the protagonists Philip Carey is timeless. You feel the pain of his challenges and the lesson he learns from them. Truly a wonderful book that is a must read.

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James R.

If this book were written today, no publisher would touch it! Meandering, redundant, and less-than-profound, I wasn't bored, but I kept wondering "What's the point?" Hard to believe that this is considered to be one of the 100 greatest English-language novels of all time. That's why I stayed until the end: to understand what is perceived to be a Classic. Spoiler Alert: "To Kill A Mockingbird" it's not. Surprising that there is apparently no editing process for these public domain works. The narrator has a pleasant voice, but his mispronunciations reveal his lack of worldly knowledge. Didn't an Editor clue him in? While the exchanges in foreign languages would be a challenge for any reader, he misses the target with words most readers know how to say: Concierge, Absinthe, Provence, Sheherazade, plus stumbles over English-language words that he should know better: execrable, incomparable; I could go on. But I'm enormously grateful for one key reason: this British novel could have been delivered by some distant upper-klaahhss Brit-tish reader. Instead, we get a friendly, slightly sing-song, American accent, which was the reason I selected this recording. With pros and cons, the American narrator delivers.

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Anonymous

This book was 25 hours long and I was sorry when it had finished.Excellent narration throughout the story

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Terryrd

Great book can relate to today Loved the narrator strong voice easy to hear very consistent

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Anonymous

Excellent book. The narrator was great. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Anonymous

A most tedious novel. The narrator, Tom Weiss, would do well to research the pronunciation of words he is not familiar with. I’m also not sure why I needed to hear so often that this book was narrated by Tom Weiss, was in the public domain etc.

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Scott W.

Epic tale, brilliantly told, of one person’s fascinating life as he seeks to make his way in the world. Narrator was strong but lacked ability to provide accents.

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Debra M.

Very good.

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Anonymous

Good narrative, well read

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