&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&ROf Human Bondage&&L/I&&R, by &&LSTRONG&&RW. Somerset Maugham&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R &&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R New introductions commissioned from today''s top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader''s viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader''s understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LSTRONG&&R&&L/B&&R&&L/B&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&ROne of the most widely read novels of the twentieth century, &&LSTRONG&&RW. Somerset Maugham&&L/B&&R''s masterpiece &&LI&&ROf Human Bondage&&L/I&&R gives a harrowing depiction of unrequited love. Philip Carey, a sensitive orphan born with a clubfoot, finds himself in desperate need of passion and inspiration. He abandons his studies to travel, first to Heidelberg, and then to Paris, where he nurses ambitions of becoming a great artist. Philip''s youthful idealism erodes, however, as he comes face-to-face with his own mediocrity and lack of impact on the world. After returning to London to study medicine, he becomes wildly infatuated with Mildred, a vulgar, tawdry waitress, and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life.&&LBR&&R &&LBR&&RFirst published in 1915, the semi-autobiographical &&LI&&ROf Human Bondage&&L/I&&R combines the values left over from the Victorian era with the prevailing irony and despair of the early twentieth century. Unsentimental yet bursting with deep feeling, &&LI&&ROf Human Bondage&&L/I&&R remains Maugham''s most complete statement of the importance of physical and spiritual liberty, a theme that resounds more loudly than ever today.&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LB&&RCarin Companick &&L/B&&Ris a freelance writer and a specialist in the field of language proficiency assessment. She studied English literature at Haverford College and completed her graduate work in Victorian and modern literature at Columbia University. She lives and works in Princeton, New Jersey.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R