Of Human Bondage

Why we read is different for everyone. Whether it’s to educate or to entertain, we each have our reasons. I was fortunate enough to have a connection with a book when I was very young. 
( The Talisman by Peter Straub and Stephen King)

It sparked in me a life long love of reading. I related to the young protagonist in the novel because I was young. He was on a journey, learning and growing up much the same way I pictured myself.
I spent years reading everything I could get my hands on looking for that connection to a book that I had had when I was younger. I read many books that I could appreciate but it’s that real connection or understanding of a character or theme that I was looking for. I would ask people for book recommendations and I would spend hours looking through library catalogs. (This was 90’s when computers were not yet in every household.) All this searching finally led to the classics and literature in general. Those books you see with “Classic” written across the cover in tiny print.
A quick search brings up this definition of literature.

lit·er·a·ture /ˈlit(ə)rəCHər/ - Written works, esp. those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.

There was something different about these books. Being young and in school I couldn't afford the fancy hardcover books. I would buy a paperback for $5-$7 bucks every week and it would keep me satisfied. I fell in love with the words on the page not the medium. I have a couple thousand books on bookshelves and in boxes. The text was the prize I was looking for. When the Kindle was first announced I was ecstatic. Finally, I would be able to have all the books at my finger tips. I read everything I can on the kindle and I recommend it to everyone. And the best part is ALL THE CLASSICS ARE FREE!

Stephen King is still an author I return to again and again for a good scare. When I need that connection with a character I return to the classics. I have read many great books that I love and recommend to people. But we all have that one book that started it all and the book we call our favorite. The one that started it all for me was The Talisman.


The book that I absolutely love above all others is Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. I don’t want to influence your opinion about this book by telling you what it's about. Read it and let me know if you loved it as much as I do.


Let me know what your favorite books are. What book do you recommend to people? What book is your favorite?