W Somerset Maugham is known for both his novels and his plays, the first of the former being Liza of Lambeth (1897) which was ‘new-realist’ in style, while the latter appeared prolifically (Maugham once had four plays running concurrently in London). Of his novel, however, Of Human Bondage is by far the most famous. It was published in 1915 and is a very thinly veiled autobiography. The main character is Philip Carey who experiences the pain of loneliness in a small town. The names of places are twisted versions of those in Maugham’s own life. Maugham grew up in Whitstable, and as such Carey lives in Blackstable; Maugham was eduated in Canterbury, Carey in Tercanbury etc. The novel follows his adventures as he lives with the frustration of having a club foot. In Maugham’s own case, a bad stammer was a similar source of alienation. The novel brought Maugham his first acclaim and is now considered to be a classic.