Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, and Cakes and Ale (1930; see separate entry) are considered by several critics and literary historians as primarily or secondarily autobiographical works.

Many of the details (such as Philip Carey's medical vocation and the literary vocation of the narrator and of Ashenden) of the author's life found their way into these novels. Also, many of the attitudes seen in them can be traced back to Maugham's own vision of people and of life in general. While he claimed to be simply telling the truth, a number of readers discover in his works a cynicism and occasionally a sense of melancholy that may have marked his life experience.

After all, he did remark once that people were all right so long as they kept their distance, hated to be touched, and suffered an unsuccessful marriage that seems to have somewhat blighted...