W. Somerset Maugham no longer seems to have the literary reputation he once did, but I've enjoyed reading some of his novels and short stories over the years. Probably his best work is "Of Human Bondage", a partly autobiographical novel in which the protagonist, Philip Carey, has his life and career in the medical profession disrupted by his obsessive infatuation for a shallow young woman named Mildred Rogers, whom he first meets working as a waitress. The novel was later made into a well-known film starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. I've always enjoyed Maugham for his basic story telling ability.
I have fond memories of reading T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" as a teenage young man, and am tempted to read it again, though I'm apprehensive that it may not measure up to my expectations. I mention the book because White's retelling of the King Arthur story includes Sir Launcelot's and Queen Guinevere's illicit and obsessive love for each other. There is also the tale of Tristan and Iseult.
I'm a retired child protection worker, Daniel, so the scene that left my gob in a state of complete and utter smackification occurs towards the end of the novel when Mildred persuades Philip to take her out to dinner, leaving her two-year-old little girl asleep in bed alone at their apartment. Philip agrees, and while out at the restaurant, Mildred tells Philip she'd like to go to a music hall show, so they do that, too. The couple eventually return to the apartment much later that night, to find that Mildred's little girl is still asleep. From our standpoint, it's a hair-raising episode to read, and it says something about attitudes towards children back in 1915. I'm also inclined to wonder how much firsthand experience Maugham had with young children.
Hungerstone by Kay Dunn is a take on Carmilla and was a fantastic novel. While the overarching theme is the hunger women feel to experience more in life, to do what they’re told they shouldn’t, I feel confident that the amount of time the main character spends thinking about Carmilla would count as Obsessive Love.
I have read the McEwan, Cusk and Duras books. Bought the Duras in Shakespeare and Co after visiting her grave in Montparnasse. Just loved the book. I love the film of The End of the Affair. I would add Miranda July's All Fours. A mad-cap story of obsessive love, with perimenopause thrown in for good measure 😃🤣
W. Somerset Maugham no longer seems to have the literary reputation he once did, but I've enjoyed reading some of his novels and short stories over the years. Probably his best work is "Of Human Bondage", a partly autobiographical novel in which the protagonist, Philip Carey, has his life and career in the medical profession disrupted by his obsessive infatuation for a shallow young woman named Mildred Rogers, whom he first meets working as a waitress. The novel was later made into a well-known film starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. I've always enjoyed Maugham for his basic story telling ability.
I have fond memories of reading T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" as a teenage young man, and am tempted to read it again, though I'm apprehensive that it may not measure up to my expectations. I mention the book because White's retelling of the King Arthur story includes Sir Launcelot's and Queen Guinevere's illicit and obsessive love for each other. There is also the tale of Tristan and Iseult.
Fascinating! I’ll add it to my list.
Tom, you beat me to it! Of Human Bondage was the first that came to mind. I've read most of his work, I agree with you that it's his best.
I'm a retired child protection worker, Daniel, so the scene that left my gob in a state of complete and utter smackification occurs towards the end of the novel when Mildred persuades Philip to take her out to dinner, leaving her two-year-old little girl asleep in bed alone at their apartment. Philip agrees, and while out at the restaurant, Mildred tells Philip she'd like to go to a music hall show, so they do that, too. The couple eventually return to the apartment much later that night, to find that Mildred's little girl is still asleep. From our standpoint, it's a hair-raising episode to read, and it says something about attitudes towards children back in 1915. I'm also inclined to wonder how much firsthand experience Maugham had with young children.
Loved your selection. It's your list, of course, so it doesn't have to include my favorite tale of obsessive love: The Red and the Black by Sthendal.
Hungerstone by Kay Dunn is a take on Carmilla and was a fantastic novel. While the overarching theme is the hunger women feel to experience more in life, to do what they’re told they shouldn’t, I feel confident that the amount of time the main character spends thinking about Carmilla would count as Obsessive Love.
I have read the McEwan, Cusk and Duras books. Bought the Duras in Shakespeare and Co after visiting her grave in Montparnasse. Just loved the book. I love the film of The End of the Affair. I would add Miranda July's All Fours. A mad-cap story of obsessive love, with perimenopause thrown in for good measure 😃🤣
I love Graham Greene in general and The End of the Affair in particular, think I've read it 3 times now (the film is good too).
Other than Of Human Bondage, a few others come to mind - Venus in Furs, A Sentimental Education and The Sorrows of Young Werther.