W. Somerset Maugham's compelling debut novel, "Liza of Lambeth," published in 1897, vividly portrays the gritty realities of working-class life in Victorian London. It follows Liza, an 18-year-old factory girl from the impoverished Lambeth slums, who seeks escape from her mundane existence through a passionate, yet doomed, affair with a married man. Maugham masterfully explores themes of social constraint, illicit love, and the tragic consequences of defying societal norms, making this a powerful and poignant narrative about youthful yearning and harsh reality.