About what:
In the center of the story is Philip, who lost his parents early and had a congenital limp. Throughout the novel, he will have to experience many disappointments and mistakes. But in the end, he finds answers to all the questions. The novel is partly autobiographical, it traces similar details with the life of the author himself.
My impression:
Each of us, in one way or another, thought about the meaning of life and looked for his vocation. This theme runs throughout the novel. Philip tries one craft, the second a third, goes against his uncle, loses years, faith and money, suffers from a strange love. As a result, he finds the answer to his questions. One of them is deeply reflected in the quote that I liked the most. Even just for her sake, it’s worth reading the entire book:
A weaver weaves a pattern on a carpet not for any purpose, but simply to satisfy his aesthetic need, so a person can live his life in the same way; if he believes that he is not free in his actions, let him look at his life as a ready-made pattern, which he cannot change. Nobody forces a person to weave the pattern of his life, there is no urgent need for this – he does it only for his own pleasure. From the diverse events of life, from deeds, feelings and thoughts, he can weave a pattern – the drawing will come out strict, intricate, complex or beautiful, and even if it is only an illusion that the choice of a drawing depends on himself, even if it is just a fantasy, a chase for ghosts with the deceptive light of the moon – that’s not the point; since it seems so to him, therefore, for him it is really so. “
For me, the book turned out to be very timely – since lately I have asked the same questions and say goodbye to pink glasses of illusion. Many thoughts and ideas were somewhat similar. It was even nice to realize that I’m not the only one who sometimes bothers like that 🙂
I recommend this book to everyone. Especially if you are still young, just like the main character, looking for the meaning of life and your calling. This book will be a hint, support and help you find answers to your questions. By the way, despite its impressive volume, it is read in one breath.
By the way, Maugham has another novel on a similar topic – “Razor’s Edge”, I highly recommend it! Review – link.