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W. Somerset Maugham

The Razor's Edge Paperback – September 10, 2003

by W. Somerset Maugham (Author)

1,765 ratings

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Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. 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 uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. The most ambitious of Maugham's novels, this is also one in which Maugham himself plays a considerable part as he wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

September 10, 2003
Dimensions

5.19 x 0.67 x 7.97 inches
ISBN-10

1400034205
ISBN-13

978-1400034208
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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

From the Inside Flap

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.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage (September 10, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1400034205
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1400034208
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 0.67 x 7.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #28,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #185 in Teen & Young Adult Classic Literature
- #249 in British & Irish Literature & Fiction
- #1,067 in Family Saga Fiction

Customer Reviews:
1,765 ratings

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5 star		66%
4 star		23%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Jay Allan Storey

Searching for the Meaning of Life

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2016

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This book is probably not for everyone, with a somewhat dated style, but I loved the story of Larry Darrell, a man relentlessly pursuing a meaningful life, despite pressure from all around him, even from the woman he loves.

Darrell is sort of the original hippy, searching for spiritual fulfillment everywhere from a catholic monastery to a Indian ashram, while those around him destroy themselves chasing after material wealth, prestige, power, and all the other ‘worldly’ things which to Larry hold no value.

I especially like the way he steadfastly refuses to bow to societal pressure. We’re bombarded on TV with images of people who are supposed to be ‘rebels’ because they use a certain kind of deodorant (which, of course, everybody else also uses), or drive a particular car. Darrell truly is a rebel, going his own way, living life the way HE wants, refusing to be distracted by society’s rules. He doesn’t argue, he doesn’t try to convince others to join him. He just ‘does his own thing’.

All in all, I found it an inspiring, life-affirming story.

130 people found this helpful

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GENIE FRISBEE-HIGBEE

Undeniably astute descriptions of physicality and persona.

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2020

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Maugham’s title and the opening quote by Katha Upanishad offer intrigue. It led me to look up Occam’s Razor, “the principle that, of two explanations that account for all the facts, the simpler one is more likely to be correct; it is applied to a wide range of disciplines, including religion, physics, and medicine.” In this novel it applies, perhaps, to our protagonist’s gradual discovery of the life best lived. And to one tragic character’s precarious balance. There is also a double entendre in the title that I didn’t strike upon until days after the reading.

It seems unusual to utilize the author as a first-person character since this is Fiction, but it’s very effective as handled here. One can imagine the author as an excellent spy when reading his astute descriptions of physicality and persona. (Maugham did work in secret intelligence during two world wars—experiences that provided the inspiration for the groundbreaking Ashenden stories.)
The cast of characters in The Razor’s Edge includes, among others, an acquisitive snob embroiled in Romanticism; a comfort/fashion/security/fun-seeking young woman; and a young man traumatized by the experience death and warfare who then, as they say, goes in search of.

This is not a light read although I found passages quite witty and tingling with sarcasm. I experienced it as a tale filled with a stark contrast—a twirl through high society after WWI, vs. passion for learning and for plumbing the depths of spiritual mysteries which include eliminating evil in the world.

Some books I read and may easily forget. Not so with Maugham’s, The Razor’s Edge.

16 people found this helpful

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Harish Nair

A masterpiece on life

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2015

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I had read this book long back, I was probably much less than twenty. I remember being intrigued by this book because this was not the Maugham that I had earlier experience. The nag remained with me for quite long.

So, twenty years down the line, I decided to revisit this book to clear my nag. And am so glad that I did it. This is not a story book, it is deeply philosophical book, some thing like Jidu’s works. But leave to a master with Maugham to make it so much more readable. Every character in this book holds a mirror to us, whether it be Isabel, Elliot or Gray. I am sure many a times in life, I may have been one of those characters.

While Maugham, in all his modesty, tells the readers that one can skip the chapter 6 (i did that probalbly and that is why had to come back), but that chapter contains a big key to understanding many questions of life – why do some people pursue perfection , are they pursuing glory in the process; what is a sin and if there are sinner, where is God; can one really understand God; what is Reality and Absolute. These are many questions for which Maugham has tried to find answers in Hinduism. But what makes it interesting is the lucidness with which Maugham handles these questions. Being a Hindu, I can say this is one of the shortest work on Hinduism and because it is short, makes it so much more relevant.

Thank you, Maugham. You are and will remain the best for me.

96 people found this helpful

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Eager Reader

Slow start but a strong finish

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2021

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The Razor’s Edge is one of those works of serious literature that many consider essential to have read to be well-educated. It is not an easy read. I found the first two-thirds of the book to be tiresome as the author detailed the minutiae of the lives of very flawed and not very interesting people. In particular, two central characters, Isabel and her uncle, Elliot, were terrible snobs who only cared about their social status. The author, who is also the first-person narrator, is himself a snob, as well as a misogynist, a racist and an anti-Semite. The “hero” of the book, if there is one, is Larry, who is entirely wrapped up inside his own head, and who makes very selfish choices about his life, but with whom the author is completely smitten. However, I was surprised when the book became really interesting to me at the point where the author began relaying Larry’s adventures in India and Larry’s thoughts about the meaning of life, as those were not topics to which I had previously been drawn. It ended up being an enjoyable and educational read and I recommend it as a completely different experience from the usual novel.

10 people found this helpful

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sandy

Wonderfully written work of art

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2016

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A classic story by a master, The Razor's Edge is so well-written that the reader glides through the story easily. There are none of the jarring grammar or punctuation gaffes included in most of today's self-published books, although some of the English usage is archaic and obviously British. It's a perfect teaching tool for aspiring writers in search of a this-is-how-it's-done manual. The story is about a self-discovery journey taken in an era long before it was common to do so. It describes one man's strength of will to keep searching for meaning at the cost of his place in society, a trait found only in the rare few who feel a profound dissatisfaction with the mundane world. The character descriptions are vivid and detailed; it's a mark of genius when readers understand the characters even if there is nothing in common with them. Highly recommend.

47 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Fisherman

It's so good to return to read one of the masters of English literature

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2019

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To many modern readers some of the story, the characters, and their lifestyle may appear to be so old-fashioned as to be stilted. Look beyond this and revel in Somerset Maughan's minute details of the scenes and the people and you will discover how his observations have been translated into the written word. I defy anyone to master it better than he does. Today the study of someone who rejects the strictures of his upbringing to seek an alternative lifestyle is as poignant today as it was when it was written.

13 people found this helpful

Marmite

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2020

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A good read interesting characters.
The style is a little different from what I'm used to, but is easy to get used to.
It jumps about a little in places but manages to maintain a good chronology.
It get's a little heavy on the philosophy towards the end but as the author points out you don't need to read that chapter, I did and am none the worse for it.
I think it's less about 'Larry's life' than about the author.
Not my usual read but most enjoyable, will read more by this author.

Samuel Barber

The Unemployed Man Judged by All

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a really good novel. I was advised to read Somerset Maugham over a decade ago, and went to the library to research all the titles under his name. After skimming through them I wasn't impressed. However, when I saw the film version of this book with Anne Baxter I thought I should read the book as I enjoyed the film. The reason why the film was good is because the book is good. 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 reason why the book works is because of the writing. All of the characters are well drawn, and you get the feeling that Maugham is leaving stuff out rather than putting stuff in. I found Larry, Sophie, Gray and even Isabel engaging. Larry could be your contemporary unemployed man who is judged by everyone for living on benefit. Isabel is your typical middle class woman who has certain standards and doesn't want to drop below it for love or money. Sophie is an endearing character and I felt that more could be said about her. This is why I feel that stuff has been left out because we don't experience the tragic car accident that robs Sophie of her husband and children, nor do we get any indication of what she was like before she met her husband. It is for this reason why I think the novel should have been longer than its 341 pages.

11 people found this helpful

m

A good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2022

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Marginally better than Moon and Sixpence but I much preferred Of Human Bondage. I loved the way he developed the characters and it cleverly made me consider the prospect of reincarnation.
However, it got a bit heavy towards the end and thought the plot could have done with a twist in the last chapter.

John Sheldon

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent. I'm very fond of this book. My old one fell apart, so I bought a new copy

4 people found this helpful

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