Ellen’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2021)

Ellen’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

I finished this yesterday. All I can say is, "Wow." It's an amazing story that also raises some questions about who owns and who, if anyone, should own art.

I've not seen either movie but am now eager to see one or both.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I once started Of Human Bondage and couldn't get into it but this story grabbed me from the beginning and held my interest all the way through.

I agree with Michelle that the novel is as vivid as a movie. Maybe that's because Maugham was a playwright, too.

I did a little reading about Maugham's life. Not surprisingly, he was a bit like both Kitty and Charles. He had an affair with a divorcee who "effectively trapped him into marriage" by becoming pregnant with their daughter. He "played the husband and father" in London but he traveled the world with his male lover "coming home alone to an increasingly bitter and destructive family life."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/200...

Ditto on the far-fetched and annoying Bailey.

I enjoyed it but found it pretty hard to believe.

I just finished the book and can't say I loved it. It's a good Christmas read, though.