Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of his spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiancée Isabel whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliott Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. Maugham himself wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.
The Razor's Edge (Vintage International)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“[Maugham is] a great artist . . . a genius.” –Theodore Dreiser
“[Maugham’s] excessively rare gift of story-telling . . . is almost the equal of imagination itself.” –The Sunday Times (London)
“It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham. . . . He was always so entirely there.” –Gore Vidal
“Maugham remains the consummate craftsman. . . . [His writing is] so compact, so economical, so closely motivated, so skillfully written, that it rivets attention from the first page to last.” –Saturday Review of Literature
“[Maugham’s] excessively rare gift of story-telling . . . is almost the equal of imagination itself.” –The Sunday Times (London)
“It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham. . . . He was always so entirely there.” –Gore Vidal
“Maugham remains the consummate craftsman. . . . [His writing is] so compact, so economical, so closely motivated, so skillfully written, that it rivets attention from the first page to last.” –Saturday Review of Literature
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
189 of 195 people found the following review helpful
By E. Karasik
Format:Paperback
The Razor's Edge is an unusual amalgam -- three-quarters witty social commentary about American and European society, one-quarter Eastern philosophy -- bound together by Maugham's impeccable prose -- almost as though Henry James and Hermann Hesse had collaborated. The book contrasts the adventures of Larry, a seeker who travels widely in search of life's meaning, with that of his former fiancee, Isabelle, who sacrifices her love for Larry in favor of wealth and social standing. While the book is an odd literary chimera, the result is supremely satisfying. One gets to luxuriate in Maugham's biting descriptions of the social milieu in Paris, the Riviera, and London, while simultaneously being exposed to some much bigger issues presented in the context of Larry's intriguing quest for enlightenment. Along the way there is beauty, degradation, betrayal, forgiveness, art, fashion, turgid fascination with France's demimonde, and lots of other juicy material. A great read -- fun yet substantive -- like eating a fluffy eclair that actually has nutritional value!
216 of 229 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
William Somerset Maugham is considered one of the best authors of the 20th century. After reading this book, I can understand why. His grasp of the human condition is simply phenomenal. He is one of those rare authors that can make his characters leap off the page and become living, breathing creatures. The introduction to this Penguin edition spends much time trying to place the fictional characters into the context of Maugham’s life. I’m sure the characters in this story are somewhat based on real people, as any author worth his salt always draws on real experience to create a story. Personally, I couldn’t care less if these characters were based on real people, as it wouldn’t make them any less interesting to me.
“The Razor’s Edge” really has a simple message. It asks us to reflect on how we lead our lives. Do we follow the masses or seek inner fulfillment? Is it right or wrong to drop out of society and follow our inner selves? Maugham makes us ponder these questions as he introduces us to his characters ... When I think of the overall plot of the book, even after reading it, it doesn’t really seem that interesting. But when I think all of the little things within the book, I realize how excellent the novel is. Read this book, even if it is the only Maugham book you ever read (which is a pretty pretentious statement on my part, as this is the only one I’ve read). The prose is excellent, and the psychological insights are really amazing. Recommended.
78 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Razor's Edge is often described as the story of Larry, a war veteran who forsakes a comfortable life in Chicago "society" for a vague spiritual quest. It is better appreciated as a portrait of his acquaintences, whose conventional lifestyles are starkly contrasted to the path walked by the seeker. Some readers have wished to know more of Larry and criticize the space and attention Maugham lavished upon the "ancillary" characters. The Razor's Edge instead reveals much about the spiritual path by focusing on people more like the typical reader, people who do not give up materialistic Western striving. The best way to see Larry is to look at what he is not.
This narrative technique succeeds wonderfully in the masterful hands of author W. Somerset Maugham, best known for Of Human Bondage. Rather than simply lay out the details of Larry's explorations and development, which, being spiritual and internal, would be rather dull to watch, Maugham illuminates Larry by dissecting the contrasting behavior of his associates.
Maugham lavishes narrative care and attention less on the figure of Larry the seeker, but on his ground, those who embraced the life of conventional society without a thought for spirituality. Maugham shows us several possible outcomes of such an unexamined life, from the indulgent businessman to the fragile social climber to the dissolute substance abuser. The contrasts are presented realistically and without sermon yet are no less stark for their subtlety. These characters are a rare delight: fictional creations with genuine life, who make choices, have unpredictable effects on one another, and grow as the novel develops. Maugham shows how each suffers in their particular ways, for hell is not a physical place but a denial one's relationship with God.
The power and flexibility of relating to oneself as a network of relationships instead of as an object with fixed characteristics and a predictable future is why one of the three key principle of our executive training is "Be Transitive." Larry beautifully expresses all three principles.
He is genuine, always learning, and clear that he is not a fixed quantity but a network of evolving relationships with people, possessions, and God. In short, he is fully alive.
If Maugham had told us the story of Larry without the contrast of his conventional friends, the novel's entire message would have been lost. Ancient mystics, quantum physicists, and existentialist philosophers are all giving us that same message. Neither figure nor ground is the thing itself, nor even both together. There is no "thing" at all, except as we create it in our minds. It is the relationship between figure and ground that gives rise to an experience, and neither can exist without the other. Take away the ground and there is no boundary for the figure, take away the figure and the ground is meaningless. Each is relative to the other and neither stands alone. What are the details of any figure, except another relationship between a figure and its ground? The edge is where the relationships emerge, where experiences occur, where reality manifests. The Razor's Edge.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Book for Years
I first read this book in college in a Brit. Lit class. It has remained my favorite book for nearly a decade. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Samantha Martin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Consisently Maugham
The characters in "The Razor's Edge" are hardly edgy. From the start, they are consistent and mimic Maugham's cynical perception of wealth, beauty, existentialism, and the... Read more
Published 27 days ago by nancy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A spiritual journey
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to reject the values of mainstream culture and to explore the meaning of life? Follow Larry Darrel as he does just this. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Patricia Vargas
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Proper Ends of Life
"I have never begun a novel with more misgivings. If I call it an novel it is only because I don't know what else to call it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Roger Brunyate
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Razor" proves cut above the rest
Remember that 1950s song "Wake Up Little Susie"? "The movie wasn't so hot, it didn't have much of a plot.... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert S. Newman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible
I am reading this book for the third time in my life. I love that this copy is a used paperback because I can take it with me, write in it, turn down the pages and thoroughly OWN... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Betty Bodlak
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good reading
I like all of Maugham's books - and have read them all. Wish I had more to read like them.
Published 1 month ago by Faye Baggett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Fortunately, I have never seen the film adaptations of this novel. Had I seen one of those, I probably would not have read the book. And the lose would have been all mine. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Fred M. Jeffers
4.0 out of 5 stars
The book moves along and is fun.
Easy to read and very interesting material. The characters are easy to follow. I found it interesting the way Somerset moves in and around his characters with his own life... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gerald
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice book!
nice book,
Easy to understand even for non-native speaker. Story is easy to follow and interesting.
Very light reading and question the human existence.
Easy to understand even for non-native speaker. Story is easy to follow and interesting.
Very light reading and question the human existence.
Published 3 months ago by Nurul Aeiyuni Husna
