[Bookpossum]

Great post bfisher.

One of the things I found so compelling about the book was Philip's obsessive love of Mildred, which I see as a consequence of his loss of his mother and his lonely childhood. His aunt loved him, but his uncle would have overruled any sort of loving relationship. And because he thought his love for Mildred was normal, it took him a long time to recognise the possibility of a normal loving relationship with Sally. When one thinks the agonies of a grand passion are what love is about, it is hard to recognise that quiet happiness and mutual respect are the real thing.

I think Maugham's psychology is spot on in his depiction of Philip, all the way through the book. I would like to bet that he had experienced something similar in terms of relationships as a young man, given his apparently bleak upbringing.