[fantasyfan]

I love this novel; it is the best I have read in a long time.

The title is perfect. As the book progresses we become aware of all sorts of "bondage" human beings inflict upon themselves and others. Social, emotional, psychological, religious, and gender issues are all there--and more.

The pacing of the prose is beautifully modulated and lends itself to an immersive meditative reading and re-reading experience.

And the characters! They are wonderfully memorable in their frailties as well as their humanity. If Philip is a self-portrait of the author then I have seen a deeply sensitive and vulnerable side of Maugham--one that I never really noticed before.

I enjoyed his essays on the Ten Great Novels in world literature. Personally, I think this book is in the same class of excellence as those he selected.