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"Human Bonds" is a long semi-autobiographical novel by the famous British writer William Somerset Maugham in the 19th century. It is also his representative work and was published in 1915. This novel is a semi-autobiographical work. By narrating the protagonist Philip's thirty-year life experience since childhood, the novel reflects a young man's pain, confusion, disappointment, frustration and exploration, as well as his process of gradually getting rid of all kinds of shackles, finding the meaning of life, moving toward maturity, and gaining spiritual liberation.

Philip lost his parents when he was young and was born with a deformed foot. He was fostered in his uncle's house. Born deformed and dependent on others, young Philip was sensitive and had low self-esteem. He was often teased and bullied at school, and even though he prayed diligently, he still could not escape the fate of being disabled. Philip understands that his future must be fought on his own. Soon he decided to leave school and live for himself. However, the trial of his humanity has just begun. Family, love, art, ideals, he went round and round in confusion, fought against the flames again and again in the heavy shackles, but fought with all his strength, and finally found a peaceful harbor after reading all the sails... Maugham had a stuttering problem since he was a child. After his parents passed away one after another at a very young age, he began to live under the shelter of others. His childhood experiences deeply influenced his literary creation. This book is an in-depth portrayal of his troubled childhood. In this way, he tried to release the unhappiness caused by the past and explore the meaning of life using the perspectives of philosophy, art and religion.

Maugham is one of the most famous and important modern and contemporary writers in Britain. His literary achievements are mainly reflected in the field of novels. Maugham wrote many works, and "The Shackles of Life" is one of his best works. It was published in 1915 and is his second novel. The novel tells the story of the protagonist Philip's thirty-year life experience in family, school and society since his childhood. It reflects his confusion, frustration, pain, disappointment and exploration in the process of growing up, as well as the physical defects, religious and erotic constraints he suffered, as well as the protagonist's journey of finally getting rid of these shackles. Compared with Maugham's personal experience, this work is obviously quite autobiographical, and it seems that we can see the author's early misfortune. As a result, novels appear more solid, and literary creations extracted from the mineral resources of life will undoubtedly appear more realistic and artistically appealing.

Maugham's father was a lawyer who worked at the British Embassy in France. Maugham lost his mother at the age of eight and his father at the age of ten. He was later sent back to England to be raised by his uncle who was a pastor. With books as his companion, he developed a lonely and melancholy temperament in his character. Later, he studied at the Royal College of Canterbury. He was discriminated against because of his stuttering defect, which left a psychological shadow. When he was in college, he studied medicine, but gradually developed a strong interest in literature. Based on what he saw and heard while working as a trainee doctor in the slums of London, he wrote his first novel "Lisa of Lambeth", which received good reviews and embarked on the path of literary creation. While he was writing, he traveled around the world to collect materials for writing, but the novels he initially wrote did not cause much response until "The Shackles of Humanity" was fully recognized. He wrote many plays, among which "Lady Frederic" was finally staged after being rejected by seventeen theater troupes. It was a great success and started his first step towards great fame and wealth.

"The Portrait of a Gentleman" is the seventh volume of "The Complete Collection of Maugham's Short Stories", which contains 15 short stories in total. It is interesting, fascinating, philosophical and thought-provoking to read. The ending of the story is especially lingering, full of aesthetic significance and artistic tension, which makes people unable to bear to read. These stories all take place in the South Pacific Islands, China, South Korea and other places. They describe the various adventures and curious experiences of Westerners in the mysterious world of the East, as well as their joys and sorrows in life. They reflect the conflict and integration of interactions and exchanges between Western and Eastern civilizations, and reveal themes such as money and love, marriage and family, good and evil, the excesses of the upper class, the various behaviors of ordinary people, and the nature of human nature.

It is a collection of reading essays written by Maugham at the invitation of the "Saturday Evening Post", aiming to provide reading suggestions for readers at that time. Maugham used the special talent of a novelist to paint simple and vivid portraits of his great writers, and encouraged readers to read for pleasure. Although the book is not long, it is full of insights and is worth reading again and again.

Strickland is a successful securities broker. He has both fame and fortune, a happy family, and a comfortable life that others envy. One day, when he was over 40 years old, he suddenly disappeared without a word after leaving a note. He abandoned his wealth, status, and family, endured ridicule, doubt, and hunger, and insisted on studying painting in a foreign country. However, his colorful paintings were not recognized by the outside world, and he fell into the abyss of poverty and illness. After some twists and turns, Strickland decided to live in Tahiti, far away from modern society. The local natural environment inspired his creation, and a stunning work was born from his pen. However, he ordered it to be burned after his death. The freedom and happiness of dreams, the cruelty and corruption of reality, when the moon symbolizing dreams is deep in the heart, how should the sixpence at the feet be placed?

"The Blade" is Maugham's classic philosophical work. Maugham condensed his thoughts on the world and life into this work. Riley served in the Air Force during World War I and flew high in the vast sky. He wanted "power and honor far beyond the world." The death of his comrade made him realize the helplessness and insurmountability of life. After being discharged from the army, Riley refused to go to college, get married, or find a job. He left his relatives and friends behind and traveled to Europe. Later, he went to India, where he was inspired by a Ganesha master's ashram and suddenly realized the true meaning of life. Riley chose to disappear among all living things.

Popular writer Alroy Keel wanted to write a biography of the late famous writer Driffield, but he knew little about the young Driffield, so he asked Driffield's friend, another writer Ashenden, for help. Under Keel's insistence, Ashenden recalled his early relationship with Driffield and his ex-wife Rosie. "Pleasure", also known as "Family Scandal", was published in 1930 and is Maugham's favorite novel. The author changes the prejudice against women in his previous works and draws materials from the real literary and artistic circles. He recalls the life of a beautiful woman as an admirer and sarcastically embellishes it with interesting anecdotes from the literary and artistic circles.

During World War I, American young man Larry's comrades died trying to rescue him. This experience completely changed Larry's thinking. He began to ask his inner questions: Since there is good in the world, why does evil also coexist? After the war, he stubbornly pursued the answer. He first went to Paris to study philosophy, and then came to a monastery in Bonn. However, Christian doctrine failed to provide him with a satisfactory answer, so he went to Spain and tried to find the true meaning of life through art. After getting no results, he ran to India and stayed there for five years before finally finding his true faith in Indian religion. "The Knife's Edge" is Maugham's full-length work published in 1944. It is based on the famous philosopher Wittgenstein. It profoundly shows the mental journey of an entire generation of Western intellectuals in their search for the meaning of existence, and presents a picture of life in the Western world after World War I. , From the United States to Europe and India, from Paris and London to Chicago and New York, from the city to the seaside, from the upper class to the lower class, the author provides us with a group of vivid and flesh-and-blood characters in a broad geographical and social background.

The protagonist Philip was born in the upper class, but his parents died when he was young, and he was born with a disability. He spent his childhood in a sojourn life where he was ignored. After entering the society, he experienced the hardships of the world. In the rough road of life and the tumultuous torrent of life, he abandoned unrealistic dreams, worked hard to break free from the shackles of the spirit, and constantly pursued the true meaning of life. "The Shackles of Life" is Maugham's masterpiece, published in 1915. It is based on the author's real life experiences in his early years and has an obvious autobiographical flavor. After the novel was published, it was highly praised by the American writer Theodore Dreiser and became popular in Britain, the United States and even the world. Maugham himself regarded the book as "an immortal novel".

In a battle, his comrades sacrificed their lives to rescue Larry, a young American pilot. Larry began to think about the meaning of life. Since there is truth, goodness and beauty in the world, why are there still wars and misfortunes? He felt extremely confused and bewildered about this. After the war, Larry returned to his hometown. There was a craze in the United States to create a "magnificent and prosperous era," but he found it difficult to stay a part of it. In order to get answers to the lingering doubts in his heart, he gave up the opportunity to study and find a job, left his fiancée behind and came to Paris, embarking on a long journey of exploring the meaning of life wholeheartedly. Finally, I found a spiritual way out in Indian spiritual philosophy: "a peaceful life with compassion, calmness and selflessness, gratitude and selflessness, and asceticism and self-denial." He returned to China and became a taxi driver, living in seclusion in the city as the saying goes.

A maritime novel full of passion, adventure and conspiracy, Dr. Sanders in "On the Chinese Screen" and Captain Nichols in "The Moon and Sixpence" meet at sea, creating a tragic comedy of human nature that is full of dangers. "What do you believe?" "You really want to know? I don't believe in anything, except myself and my experience. The world is made up of me, my thoughts, and my feelings; everything else is just fantasy." The characters in the novel are all kinds of strange, they just appear, take root and grow in your heart, and gradually acquire appropriate characteristics and place themselves in specific scenes. You think about them from time to time, and sometimes you become so obsessed with them that you can't think of anything else, and then you just write them out so they don't bother you anymore. --Maugham

At the age of 50, Maugham wrote this almost perfect love story, because everyone finds themselves in the story. This novel tells about all the bad things in love: betrayal, suspicion, revenge, as well as the separation and self-salvation we will eventually face. Maugham vividly portrayed a woman's degradation and awakening in his calm and almost mean way. Katie couldn't figure out whether her husband had discovered the secret of her cheating - the turning of the doorknob during the affair, the meaningful words at dinner, and the sudden decision to take her to a cholera field, all of which made Katie's nerves tighter and tighter. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore and planned to show off her cards and join her beloved lover after the divorce. However, when the veil is lifted, her innocence is shattered by the truth of love and the meaning of life. Maugham vividly depicts a woman's degradation and awakening in his calm and almost mean way - in a world of two people, she can only choose to love him or lose him to fill the emptiness in her heart; but it is only after she is in a wider world and witnesses the cruelty of life and the brilliance of human nature that she truly gains peace of mind and self-salvation.

The protagonist of the novel, Philip Carey, lost both his parents when he was young. Unfortunately, he was also born with a disability. He spent his childhood in an indifferent and unfamiliar environment, making his character withdrawn and sensitive. The years he spent in boarding school made him suffer from the unreasonable school system, and when he entered the society, he experienced pain in love. On the bumpy road of life, he had to struggle hard every step he took, but Kaili, who was independent in thought and personality, had been trying to break away from the two shackles that restricted his spirit, religion and petty citizen consciousness, and tried to find the true meaning of life in the chaotic and chaotic life.

"The Moon and Sixpence" was written in 1919 and is one of Maugham's masterpieces. The novel narrates the entire story in the first person, and the plot is based on the life of French post-impressionist painter Gauguin. "The moon" is a symbol of lofty ideals, while "sixpence" is a symbol of petty gains. Whether a person looks up at the moon and aims high, or looks down at the ground and pursues small profits, these are two completely different outlooks on life. Through the conflict between a talented artist and the reality he is trying to escape, the author deeply explores the emergence and essence of art, the relationship between personality and genius, as well as the contradictions and interactions between artists and society, art and life, and other thought-provoking issues. The translator of this book is Gu Qinan, a professor in the English Department of Nankai University. He has been engaged in the translation and research of British, American and Canadian literature for many years. He has translated "Mrs. Dalloway" and "Interlude", etc.