In Volume 1 we begin with the deathbed scene in which his mother clasps Philip for the last time. We follow Philip's development as he grows up under the tutelage of his uncle, the vicar of Blackstable, a small village south of London. Philip is sent to Kings School where he confronts for the first time the challenges of being different from others. Upon reaching the age of independence, Philip leaves Kings School and goes abroad to study in Heidelberg, where he continues to mature and observe human nature more carefully.

After a year abroad, he comes back to England and takes up an apprenticeship with an accounting firm, which he loathes. He decides to leave this position and pursue the study of art in Paris. Over the violent objections of his uncle, Philip spends several years in Paris. Failing in his effort to become a painter, he returns to London and takes up the study of medicine. It is while enrolled as a medical student that Philip is ensnared by Mildred Rogers. His ambivalent, tumultuous relationship with Mildred is the core of the novel.

More details on Of Human Bondage, Volume 1 (Unabridged)

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