All of the characters in the razor s edge are searching for something and in the end they all achieve their desired end the author s words not mine. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Next morning i started down the mountain and the day after arrived at the ashrama. The razor s edge this book is a classic and should be on the bookshelf of every thinking person who questions. My first introduction to somerset maugham was through the movie the razor s edge 1946 staring tyrone power as larry darrell. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. The razor s edge is an unusual amalgam threequarters witty social commentary about american and european society, onequarter eastern philosophy bound together by maugham s impeccable prose almost as though henry james and hermann hesse had collaborated. I was first introduced to somerset maugham by my father, who like myself, fell in love with the razors edge at a young age in his early 20s. Who larry darrell was in real life, what happened to him, etc. The razors edge is a very readable and highly enjoyable classic. He was born in paris but grew up in england and served as a secret agent for the british during world war i. Maughams tale of larry darrell, a traumatised first world war flying ace.
The razor s edge vintage international series by w. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are julia lambert, michael gosselyn. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razor s edge is a novel by w. Somerset maugham is his own narrator as we follow the lives of a diverse group of people around him through many years. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Larry darrell is an incredibly finely drawn character. All of the characters in the razors edge are searching for something and in the end they all achieve their desired end the authors words not mine. Those who look to him for a colorful, romantic story will find this slowpaced at the start. Instead of marrying a rich, pretty chicago girl, he goes to paris searching for answers to questions about man, god and the meaning of life.
The razor s edge is a very readable and highly enjoyable classic. Somerset maugham, quote from the razors edge i only wanted to suggest to you that selfsacrifice is a passion so overwhelming that beside it even lust and hunger are trifling. If i was told to read the razor s edge specifically and watch the film over a decade ago then that would have saved a lot of time. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant characters. While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. Great for lovers of classics, tragedies, mysteries, biographies. The razor s edge study guide contains a biography of w. The razors edge study guide contains a biography of w. For in larry dornell he has drawn a character symbolic or many we shall meet in the. Somerset maugham, published in 1944 the novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with the dichotomy between materialism and spirituality. The razor s edge follows the spiritual and physical journey of larry darrell, a sensitive, intelligent young man who refuses to conform to the prevailing social norms of postworld war i america. He visited india in 1938, and in madras was taken to an ashram to meet a man who, born venkataraman, had retreated to a life of silence, selfmortification, and prayer, and was now known simply as the maharshi.
Thomas hospital with the idea of practising medicine, but the success of his first novel, liza of lambeth, published in 1897, won him over to letters. Somerset maugham, was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Somerset maugham, the razors edge you know, the philistines have long since discarded the rack and stake as a means of suppressing the opinions they feared. Somerset maughams novel the razors edge, published in 1944, sold over three million copies and spent almost a year on the bestseller. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters from sharply different worlds. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by. I first read this book when i was a child of thirteen.
Sep 09, 2003 i was first introduced to somerset maugham by my father, who like myself, fell in love with the razor s edge at a young age in his early 20s. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass overthus the wise say the path to salvation is hard, taken from a verse in the kathaupanishad. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life. I have no idea as to how much it was adapted from the book. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with the dichotomy between materialism and spirituality. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. The razors edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and the orphaned boy was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally. Somerset maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Buy the razors edge vintage classics by maugham, w. The most ambitious of maughams novels, this is also one in which. The razors edge follows the spiritual and physical journey of larry darrell, a sensitive, intelligent young man who refuses to conform to the prevailing social norms of postworld war i america.
Long before elizabeth gilbert, somerset maugham turned the ashram experience into a monster best seller, the razors edge. The razors edge by w somerset maugham originally published in 1944. Buy the razor s edge vintage classics by maugham, w. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer.
The razors edge when i had started to read the book, i realized that the main narrator was the author himself, maugham. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 304 pages and is available in paperback format. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant characters his fiancee isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and elliot templeton, her. The first edition of the novel was published in 1937, and was written by w. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. Somerset maugham, 9780099284864, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. The razors edge by w somerset maugham book chat duration. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The razor s edge by w somerset maugham book chat duration. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the razors edge by w.
Somerset maugham early printing with dj gutter code j36. Larry darrell is a young american in search of the absolute. Publication date 1944 topics iiit collection digitallibraryindia. I saw the old movie 1946 when i was a kid and that made me look up the book and read it. The razor s edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. One of the most challenging books somerset maughan has given us. All of the characters are well drawn, and you get the feeling that maugham is leaving stuff out rather than putting stuff in. Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life.
Having first begun reading the book the summer before i left for college at 19, i unfortunately never got around to finishing it and ended up losing my copy of the book before i could. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Its a long, arduous road hes starting to travel, but it may be that at the end of it hell find whats hes seeking. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant characters his fiancee isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and elliot templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate american snob. The razors edge by w somerset maugham book chat youtube. He is excellent at showing the dark side of each character, yet in an optimistic light. Somerset maugham is about a character named larry darrel. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment. I found the performance to be excellent and the story to be tragic yet well written. My first introduction to somerset maugham was through the movie the razors edge 1946 staring tyrone power as larry darrell.
Feb 17, 2018 the razor s edge by w somerset maugham originally published in 1944. Maugham s last major novel, the razor s edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and he was. Somerset maugham and published in 1944, the story is set between wwi and wwii and follows a young american. Throughout the book, he gave a general running narration and often a dialog mainly with larry darrell tyrone power, the main character. The reason why the book works is because of the writing. While this is not his most famous novel, it remains one of my enduring favorites, and rereading it brought into sharper focus why i had liked it so much in the first place. Free download or read online theatre pdf epub book. Larry, a sympathetic and bright young man, is on a spiritual journey, as well as a physical one. One such book i just finished rereading is the razors edge by somerset maugham. Somerset maugham, first published by doubleday doran in the united states in 1944, relates the experiences of a world war i pilot, larry darrell, who chooses to embrace a countercultural lifestyle as a way of dealing with his ptsd, though the syndrome is of course not identified as such in the book. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. The razors edge is an unusual amalgam threequarters witty social commentary about american and european society, onequarter eastern philosophy bound together by maughams impeccable prose almost as though henry james and.
Oct 11, 2016 one such book i just finished rereading is the razors edge by somerset maugham. This book is highly original in its format, a fascinating way to. Somerset maugham developed an interest in indian spirituality. Jul 25, 2010 long before elizabeth gilbert, somerset maugham turned the ashram experience into a monster best seller, the razors edge. He was educated at king s school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maugham s most brillant characters his fiancee isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and elliot templeton, her. Then in 1984 we watched bill murray as larry darrell. The razor s edge when i had started to read the book, i realized that the main narrator was the author himself, maugham. This book is probably not for everyone, with a somewhat dated style, but i loved the story of larry. There was a remake 1984 that was surprisingly good. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format.
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