The Razor's Edge
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4.4 • 23 Ratings
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
The Razor's Edge is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. 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. The story begins through the eyes of Larry's friends and acquaintances as they witness his personality change after the war. His rejection of conventional life and search for meaningful experience allows him to thrive while the more materialistic characters suffer reversals of fortune.
The novel's title comes from a translation of a verse in the Katha Upanishad, paraphrased in the book's epigraph as: "The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard."
The book has twice been adapted into film: first in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, with Herbert Marshall as Maugham and Anne Baxter as Sophie, and then a 1984 adaptation starring Bill Murray.
Customer Reviews
I have read this book at least three times…
I have always been drawn to this book because it was written at a time before radio television and the Internet and yet is not so old fashioned that the language is hard to get your mind around. The inspiring story of Lawrence Durrell is a great backdrop for the narrative excellence of Somerset Maugham. It’s interesting to see how people lived not too long ago and how not much has really changed… I strongly recommend this book to anybody who has the time. It’s also written by an Englishman about Americans at a time when America was gaining world dominance. Much of the book happens in France and that creates an additional fascinating backdrop…