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 and a great selection of similar new used and collectible books available now at great prices. Unfollow the razors edge maugham to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The razors edge is regarded as the masterpiece of novels by somerset. Somerset maugham, was published in london and new york in 1944. Somerset maugham has always been one of my most favorite authors. The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. Celia copplestone is a uniquely spiritual person surrounded by a group of people who have no notion. There was a remake 1984 that was surprisingly good. The distributed proofreaders canada ebook of the razors. 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. This symbol appears in a great deal of maughams books, regardless of editor.
Somerset maugham ebook product description larry darrell is a young american in search of the absolute. 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, in full william somerset maugham, born jan. 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. Somerset maugham is a novel about a group of young americans who are trying to find their way in the world during the years following world war i. The sunday times london it is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant characters. First impression of this vanguard library edition not the true first. W somerset maugham leaving wealth and loved ones behind, larry darrell journeys to the mountains of india in search of spiritual wisdom. It is also a chronicle of the birth of the united states as a world power. Having first begun reading the book the summer before i left for college at 19, i unfortunately never got around to finishing it and. Buy the razors edge vintage classics by maugham, w.
Somerset maugham is available at in several formats for your ereader. The story begins through the eyes of larrys friends and acquaintances as they witness. Somerset maugham and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Your purchase supports more than words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. Larry darrell is a young american in search of the absolute. In this paper, i evaluate the themes, the style of writing, the lessons learned from the characters in the maugham novel the razors edge. The razors edge was maughams third attempt at writing a book with the exact same plot even down to having characters with the same name. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and he was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold. For in larry dornell he has drawn a character symbolic or many we shall meet in the. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson. The razors edge vintage international kindle edition by w. Buy the razors edge book online at low prices in india the. 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. All our ebooks are free to download, but first you must sign in or create an account.
I first read this book when i was a child of thirteen. Maugham was seventy years old when the book was published, and it was to be the last of his major novels. The reason why the book works is because of the writing. Yet the writing is so full that we can feel part of this other world. My first introduction to somerset maugham was through the movie the razors edge 1946 staring tyrone power as larry darrell. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. 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. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. Those who look to him for a colorful, romantic story will find this slowpaced at the start. 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. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Theodore dreiser maughams excessively rare gift of storytelling.
Even before i began to read it, i knew a few things about it viz. It is a complete story it has a beginning, a middle and definitely an end. October 11, 2016 january 2, 2019 books weve read admin leave a comment. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. Somerset maugham has written many classics, but this one could also be called a book of philosophy. Like the fact that a great many people believe something is no guarantee of.
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. Author of of human bondage, the moon and sixpence, the razors edge, collected short stories, the magician, cakes and ale or the. I saw the old movie 1946 when i was a kid and that made me look up the book and read it. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. The razors edge by w somerset maugham essay example. The razors 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. Guy hague some people think guy hague was the real life role model for larry darrell. The razors edge is somerset maughams masterpiece, although some would give that honor to of human bondage.
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 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, was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. 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. This was also the case in the novel the burden of the passions of man, and in the novel the moon and the pitt. Although the author has his critics, he enjoyed huge success as a writer jeffrey, 21.
It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w. 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. 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. Somerset maugham developed an interest in indian spirituality. One of the best books of somerset maugham i have read. 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 literature. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. The razors edge by william somerset maugham download eub. The razors edge vintage international by maugham, w. Available on kindle ebook and can be read on any device with the free kindle.
The moon and sixpence by william somerset maugham paperback. William somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Long before elizabeth gilbert, somerset maugham turned the ashram experience into a monster best seller, the razors edge. 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 book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format.
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