Of Human Bondage

'The rain fell alike upon the just and upon the unjust, and for nothing was there a why and a wherefore.'

I finished Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham the other day and I'm still sad that it's over. It is an expansive and beautiful piece of literature. It was one of those kind of books that had me hunched in my seat over during my daily el ride, poring over the book and unaware of the rest of the world. It's the author's novelized biopic that is based on his life from the age of nine to thirty. I don't know how truthfully he represents his own life, but the universal human truths in this book are stunning.

I marvel at authors who are able to make me feel great emotions while reading. There are moments of this book where I laughed out loud, and others where I flushed with embarrassment or shame, and yet others where I felt anger. Philip, the main character, is eminently relatable as he makes his way through life that is full of pain, joy and uncertainty. I don't even begin to do this book justice. Just read it.

I'll end with another of my favorite quotes from the book, this one spoken by the drunken poet character Cronshaw, who explains to Philip his philosophy in life:

'I do not confer praise or blame: I accept. I am the measure of all things. I am the centre of the world.'