It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the razors edge by w. Abebooks the razors edge by w somerset maugham the razor s edge w. The razor s edge by w somerset maugham was broadcast on bbc radio 4 in 2005 first published in 1944, w somerset maugham s novel dramatised in twoparts by ronald frame. The razors edge ebook epub electronic book the razors edge by w.
First impression of this vanguard library edition not the true first. Almost from the very second the razor s edge was made available to the reading public there has been a raging controversy as to if the storyline as presented by somerset maugham in what has turned out to be one of the bestselling novels of the 20th century was true or false, fact or fiction, real or not real. I could only find the razor s edge as a somewhat badly worn secondhand paperback with yellowed pages. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. 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. His father worked as a legal secretary in the british embassy, in paris. The razors edge quickly became a bestseller upon its publication in 1944, and was one of the first books to foreshadow the popularization of eastern philosophy and spirituality in western culture.
I saw the old movie 1946 when i was a kid and that made me look up the book and read it. Joseph jones, general manager maughams greatest popular novel tells the story of larry darrell, an attractive and enigmatic american who forsakes bourgeois society to live a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth. Buy the razors edge vintage classics by maugham, w. 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. So far as i know, there is only one place in maughams voluminous output where he mentions the razors edge.
Somerset maugham has written many classics, but this one could also be called a book of philosophy. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth century s most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright critic and short story writer. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters from sharply different worlds. For your own edification, this page, appearing under the title the mentor and written by me, the wanderling, has been on the internet for many, many years under it s previous title the razor s edge. If you missed out on the summary of part 3, click here. For men and women are not only themselves, they are also the region in which they are born, the city apartment or the farm. Buy the razors edge book online at low prices in india the. The razors edge is somerset maughams masterpiece, although some would give that honor to of human bondage. It is very difficult to know people and i dont think any one can ever really know any but ones own countrymen. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required.
There are no literary gimmicks here, no examples of stylistic writing that critics could pick out and hold it up before us to justify what a great writer maugham was. Download the razors edge ebook pdf free therazorsedgesgs. 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. Somerset maugham kindle edition with audio multimedia cd video hardcover new or used, cheap audiobook pric theres also other available format to download. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Pulling from great works such as the upanishads, maugham captures the lost generation, weaving an amazing tale of salvation and redemption. The razors edge vintage international kindle edition. One of the best books of somerset maugham i have read. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. And i was delighted to find that the film screenplay written by lamar trotti followed the novel closely, retaining much of the most memorable lines and pieces of dialogue. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant. 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. Celia copplestone is a uniquely spiritual person surrounded by a group of people who have no notion. The razors edge by somerset maugham can be a tricky novel to follow.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the razors edge vintage international. Yet, somehow its dilapidated condition enhanced my reading enjoyment. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the razors edge. 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. A remarkably fine copy of the book in like dust jacket with only the slightest toning to the spine.
All of the characters are well drawn, and you get the feeling that maugham is leaving stuff out rather than putting stuff in. Download the razors edge ebook pdf free therazorsedgesg. Somerset maugham has always been one of my most favorite authors. Somerset maugham is about a character named larry darrel. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with the dichotomy between materialism and spirituality. 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. His writing has inspired a string of over 35 film adaptations and has influenced many notable authors, including anthony burgess, george orwell and gabriel garcia marquez. To save embarrassment to people still living i have given to the persons who play a part in this story names of my own contriving, and i have in. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. Abebooks the razors edge by w somerset maugham the razors edge w. This symbol appears in a great deal of maugham s books, regardless of editor.
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 hermann hesse had collaborated. Larry first sets out to save her and then decides to marry her, a plan that displeases isabel. October 11, 2016 january 2, 2019 books weve read admin leave a comment. Mar 21, 20 a group of students interpret their favorite scenes of the razors edge and add their own personal touch. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. The razors edge is regarded as the masterpiece of novels by somerset. 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. The razors edge vintage international kindle edition by. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth century s most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. William somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Leaving wealth and loved ones behind, larry darrell journeys to the mountains of india in search of spiritual wisdom.
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. Oct 11, 2016 what i like most about the razors edge, and all of maughams books even today is how simple the telling of the story is and how it is riveting inspite of it. All our ebooks are free to download, but first you must sign in or create an account. It was released in 1946, and stars tyrone power, gene tierney, john payne, anne baxter, clifton webb, and herbert marshall, with a supporting cast including lucile watson, frank latimore, and elsa lanchester. The sunday times london it is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to. 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. In this paper, i evaluate the themes, the style of writing, the lessons learned from the characters in the maugham novel the razors edge. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham and other ebooks from all genres of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, historical documents and sheet music, all of which are available on a subscription basis. Buy cheap the razors edge by w somerset maugham essay w. Somerset maugham, was published in london and new york in 1944. Dec 05, 2015 the razors edge, by british novelist w.
Almost from the very second the razors edge was made available to the reading public there has been a raging controversy as to if the storyline as presented by somerset maugham in what has turned out to be one of the bestselling novels of the 20th century was true or false, fact or fiction, real or not real. Apr 10, 2018 the razors edge by somerset maugham can be a tricky novel to follow. Joseph jones, general manager maugham s greatest popular novel tells the story of larry darrell, an attractive and enigmatic american who forsakes bourgeois. The razors edge vintage international by maugham, w. This series of blog posts will provide summaries of the main events of every part of the novel. One of the most challenging books somerset maughan has given us. The razors edge vintage international kindle edition by w. Somerset maugham for iphone, ipad txt format version, file with page numbers the razors edge by w.
To save embarrassment to people still living i have given to the persons who play a part in this story names of my. He was educated at king s school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. This month s classic book club selection is razor s edge, by w. Although the author has his critics, he enjoyed huge success as a writer jeffrey, 21. Publication date 1912 topics north collection digitallibraryindia. Larry darrell is an incredibly finely drawn character. Found on the razors edge by w somerset maugham open. He was born in paris but grew up in england and served as a secret agent for the british during world war i. For your own edification, this page, appearing under the title the mentor and written by me, the wanderling, has been on the internet for many, many years under its previous title the razors edge. Those who look to him for a colorful, romantic story will find this slowpaced at the start. The razors edge vintage classics enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Somerset maugham was a french writer born in 1874 in paris to english parents. I first read this book when i was a child of thirteen.
Maughams most famous works include of human bondage, a semiautobiographical novel, the moon and sixpence, cakes and ale and the razors edge. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright critic and short story writer. A group of students interpret their favorite scenes of the razors edge and add their own personal touch. Maugham was seventy years old when the book was published, and it was to be the last of his major novels. If i was told to read the razors edge specifically and watch the film over a decade ago then that would have saved a lot of time. 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. Somerset maugham the razors edge vintage classics, paperback 2000 8vo.
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. Theodore dreiser maughams excessively rare gift of storytelling. Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. 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. Growing up in india at a time when the british influence was still very strong, most of the books written in english were by british authors and they seemed. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. A comrade saved his life but lost his, over france, dying on the cold ground.
This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. The razor s edge is somerset maugham s masterpiece, although some would give that honor to of human bondage. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razor s edge is a novel by w. Bbc radio drama the razors edge by w somerset maugham. There was a remake 1984 that was surprisingly good.
He was one of the most popular writers of the day, and the razors edge was an immediate success on both sides of the atlantic. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. He was born in paris but grew up in england and served as a secret agent for the british during world wa. This months classic book club selection is razors edge, by w. If you enjoy this kind of article make sure to like this post and tag along every tuesday. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over.
Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. 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. The razors edge by w somerset maugham essay example. For in larry dornell he has drawn a character symbolic or many we shall meet in the. Somerset maugham, sri ramana maharshi, guy hague, and zen. Somerset maugham developed an interest in indian spirituality. The razors edge vintage international kindle edition by maugham, w. William heinemann ltd read download a new earth ebook. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w.