Of human bondage

New York: George H. Doran, 1915. FIRST EDITION. Publisher’s cloth; slight rubbing to head and tail of spine, small amount of water damage to right edges of the last 100 pages, otherwise a nice copy with the bookplate of Robert H. Campbell laid over an earlier inscription on the flyleaf. First edition (preceding the London printing), second or later issue, with the misprint on p. 257 corrected and no monogram on verso of title page. Regarded as Maugham’s greatest masterpiece, the novel charts the course of a doctor’s life, as he struggles to find fulfillment. Partially autobiographical, Maugham includes aspects of his childhood and time as a medical student. The main character’s difficulties with love and marriage may reflect Maugham’s own struggles as a closeted gay man.

Maugham (1874-1965) was one of the most successful English playwrights and novelists of the early twentieth century.