It's difficult to approach this wonderful book afresh, as there have been several film versions -- none of them really satisfying -- and to tell the truth this wasn't the first time I've read it. This was my third read over a period of 50 years, and each time was like a new experience. This is a long novel -- no getting away from that -- and there are moments when the reader might wonder why Mr. Maugham didn't condense his story somewhat. But novels were long in those days (1916), and this is in the tradition of a lengthy Dickens novel like David Copperfield. There are similarities, too, with Dickens in theme and treatment: a boy orphaned at a young age, brought up by relatives inexperienced in the rearing of a shy, sensitive child, the constant struggle with poverty, the finding of one's place in the world.So yes, this is a long book but it has a magical forward thrust -- Maugham was a master storyteller -- and except for a couple of doldrums it moves right along up to its somewhat unconvincing finish. What stood out for me this time around is how shockingly self-absorbed the hero, Philip Carey, really is! Painfully shy, he is flawed in many ways, but extremely bright. The reader often wants to just slap some sense into him, wishing he would learn from his mistakes and get over himself, as we say nowadays. This is maddening, but it makes Philip a fascinating character study. He doesn't learn from his mistakes, and like many young people is completely ruled by his emotions, complicated in this case by his pride and class snobbery. In other words, he is his own worst enemy. It's interesting, and crucial to the tension of the plot, that the reader is more aware than Philip is where his self-destructive behavior will lead him. We fear for him and mourn with him when misfortune comes.Oddly, for such a long book, the character who becomes his nemesis has to wait until the volume is half over before she makes her appearance.The central and most famous sections of the story deal with his disastrous involvement with Mildred Rogers, a selfish, ignorant virago of a woman who instinctively recognizes in Philip an unconscious masochism and uses it to manipulate him, like a puppet on a string. Her cruelty is almost beyond belief at times, and the reader learns to both dread and look forward to her appearances, like a terrible accident we're compelled to watch. And it should be said that these are the most exciting scenes in this powerful novel. The protagonist's attraction to her is a mystery even to himself, but it is undeniable. A kind of bondage.But there are other women in Philip's life and invariably he treats them quite badly. His men friends don't fare much better. He doesn't seem to have a sense of what makes people tick. He is simply oblivious to the suffering of a fellow art student who is in love with him, although her tragic end does provoke some pricks of conscience.On the other hand, despite many setbacks Philip eventually becomes an excellent doctor, sympathetic and liked by his patients. These contradictions in our hero's character are part of why he is such an enduring character in literature. For me, the most moving parts of his story are when he is forced by dire circumstance to accept help from the people who care for him. He seems surprised that they would want to, so precarious is his self-esteem.This makes Philip Carey very modern in some ways. He has to touch bottom several times before the way forward becomes clear.This is one of the great books of the twentieth century, and one of the most entertaining.