O údělu člověka – Maugham William Somerset (2019)

The partially autobiographical novel is the pinnacle work of one of the most significant English novelists of the 20th century. It depicts the fate of Philip Carey, a sensitive and delicate young man with a physical disability who suffers from debilitating feelings of inferiority. We follow the hero from childhood until he begins to work as a doctor, finding meaning in life and a way out of the vicious circle in which he is trapped through his selfless work for others. The narrator accompanies Philip not only through various stages of his life at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries but also travels with him across diverse parts of Europe: from conservative England through serious Germany to bohemian France. One of the main storylines is the intense romantic relationship of the protagonist with a superficial girl who torments him and does not hesitate to manipulate him. The hero's life parallels the feelings and doubts of an entire young generation at the turn of the century, an era of Art Nouveau, which Maugham managed to authentically depict through Philip's inner world. At the same time, he skillfully described the distant corners of the human soul and the search and maturation of a young person with a perfect understanding of human psychology.