Smashwords from the razors edge a book by stjepan dz benedict. There are none of the jarring grammar or punctuation gaffes included in most of todays selfpublished books, although some of the english usage is archaic and obviously british. 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. The razors edge tells the story of an american who, having prepared himself by acquiring a deep tan and donning indian garb, visits the guru shri ganesha and at his hands has an ecstatic spiritual experience, an experience of the same order as the mystics have had all over the world through all the centuries. Goodreads members who liked the razor s edge also liked. Somerset maugham and published in 1944, the story is set between wwi and wwii and follows a young american. The razor s edge when i had started to read the book, i realized that the main narrator was the author himself, maugham. The reason why the film was good is because the book is good.
Maughams last major novel, the razor s edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Why anyone needed this much space, he couldnt say, but the room screamed conceit. Isabella, the author of razors edge, is one very prolific and clever writer. 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. 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. With his fledgling republic teetering on the verge of collapse, he must find a way to seize an unlikely victory from what appears to be certain defeat. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Larry darrell is an incredibly finely drawn character. 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. The razor s edge is a drama film starring bill murray. First impression of this vanguard library edition not the true first. 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. Apr 20, 2017 the author is the narrator of the book, so we see the events through his eyes. It is difficult to understand that such an author gave so much to me in one book that would attract me to try and understand his way of thinking and through this entice me on to my own enlightenment. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Larry darrell is a young american in search of the absolute. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books.
The reason why the book works is because of the writing. While he s still in print, his reputation seems to have diminished. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. Its a long, arduous road hes starting to travel, but it may be that at the end of it hell find whats hes seeking. I found the performance to be excellent and the story to be tragic yet well written. The razor s edge is somerset maughams masterpiece, although some would give that honor to of human bondage. Somerset maugham, was published in london and new york in 1944.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. All author proceeds benefit the one way farm, a home for abused and abandoned children. Find books like the razor s edge from the worlds largest community of readers. A child sourcerer yes, i spelt that right, who fights on the losing side of a great war between empires. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams most brillant characters his fiancee isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and elliot templeton, her uncle, a classic expatria. Those who look to him for a colorful, romantic story will find this slowpaced at the start. The razor s edge is a classic novel that has inspired everyone from steve martin to, well, bill murray. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters from sharply different worlds.
The first 15 pages are less interesting because they talk about elliott, an american living the high life in paris. The most ambitious of maughams novels, this is also one in which maugham. But at the same time, she knows how to make her key players, in this case, luce and her lover, brooke, touch our hearts with their love and sensitivity so that good prevails in the midst of all the mayhem. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the razors edge by w. The first edition of the novel was published in 1937, and was written by w. And if you arent, and youre a fan of the fantasy genre, then you really need to check out the contest. Isabella, the author of razor s edge, is one very prolific and clever writer. The razors edge is a frustrating and fascinating film from 1946. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters. Theresa russell, catherine hicks, denholm elliott, brian doylemurray and james keach also star in the film. The the razors edge community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
It was a cool night in carmel but for deputy us marshal jack killigrew, thoughts of rachel were generating a lot of heat and sweat into his lonely nights. The razors edge symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. The best novel ive read since joining goodreads might be the razors edge, the 20th century bestseller by prolific british playwright and author w. The binding is tight with no cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp. 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. The book is bound in the original cloth and is in excellent condition. The razor s edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Razors edge is set on the monterey peninsula in california.
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, quote from the razors edge i only wanted to suggest to you that selfsacrifice is a passion so overwhelming that beside it even lust and hunger are trifling. The novel had been a massive best seller and the public anxiously awaited the film adaptation. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment. Throughout the book, he gave a general running narration and often a dialog mainly with larry darrell tyrone power, the main character. For in larry dornell he has drawn a character symbolic or many we shall meet in the. He was one of the most popular writers of the day, and the razor s edge was an immediate success on both sides of the atlantic. Razors edge by maugham abebooks shop for books, art. Along the razor s edge is the first book in the war eternal, written by a guy that you may already be aware of, if you follow the spfbo run by mark lawrence. The dutchman and the baron is a nonfiction historytrue crime book written by tommy and hilde wilkens. The razor s 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. W somerset maugham the story of larry darrell, who surrendered his chance at wealth and the woman he loved in order to seek a faith.
On a razors edge book 3, the darkness series author k. Gordon van zandt is a man accustomed to adversity and hardship, but now he is left with dwindling options. A classic story by a master, the razor s edge is so wellwritten that the reader glides through the story easily. The razors edge is the twelfth studio album by australian hard rock band acdc released in september 1990. The razors edge when i had started to read the book, i realized that the main narrator was the author himself, maugham. Mar 17, 2016 from the razors edge by stjepan dz benedict this is a true story in five parts covering half a century in life of people author met knew and worked with while analysing his own failures by his choices seesawing between lifes calamity and ecstasy. At first, i thought that the book would be boring to death and would be super long, but hold on because after 15 pages you will get into to the book. 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. While this is not his most famous novel, it remains one of my enduring favorites, and rereading it brought into sharper focus why i had liked it so much in the first place. Razors edge sylvia day the multimillion bestselling author. The razor edge book of sharpening by john juranitch.
Hayes along the razor s edge is the first book of rob j. I first read this book when i was a child of thirteen. I watched the movie a few months ago and decide to listen to the classic book by somerset maugham. Zanuck and fox spared no expense in translating the sprawling book to the silver screen. The new world series continues with book 6, the razor s edgegordon van zandt is a man accustomed to adversity and hardship, but now he is left with dwindling options. Razor s edge is set on the monterey peninsula in california. 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. However, the current kindle edition is littered with small typographical or ocrbased errors that can detract from the text, and as such id suggest getting a paper copy. Kathaupanishad arguably somerset maugham s most popular and enduring book, the razor s edge 1944, like much of his work, has not aged well. Guy hague some people think guy hague was the real life role model for larry darrell. Sylvia was stationed there, at the presidio of monterey, while she served in the u.
If you like the razor s edge you might like similar books of human bondage, a moveable feast, the snows of kilimanjaro and other stories, the moon and sixpence, ragtime. One such book i just finished rereading is the razor s edge by somerset maugham. 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. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razor s edge is a novel by w. Designs and patents act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work this electronic book is sold subject to the condition that it shall.
It was the band s eleventh internationally released studio album and the twelfth to be released in australia. Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. Having an extremely high level of magic, but not knowing how to use it, has become more than a little problematic. 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. Free download or read online theatre pdf epub book. He talks to a fellow coal miner about reading books, asked if he has ever read the upanishads, he says no, the other miner says you cant learn it out of a book. The pages are exceptionally clean with no writing, marks or bookplates in the book. The hero of this historical drama is the dutch journalist willem oltmans, who dedicated ten years of his life to untangling the complicated and unanswered questions surrounding the assassination of president john f. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. Spartacus educational biography of william somerset maugham. Written by guinness world record holder john juranitch, it contains all the knowledge and insights gained during his more than 40 years in the sharpening industry. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of maughams 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.
Kennedy and the killing of lee harvey oswald, whose. He includes himself as a minor character, a writer who drifts in and out of the lives of the major players. Andris stalked into the white mages chamber in a cloud of irritation, ignoring the newest statue, gleaming and gaudy, decorating the far corner of the enormous room. The razor edge book of sharpening paperback july 5, 2000 by john juranitch author visit amazon s john juranitch page. Maugham was seventy years old when the book was published, and it was to be the last of his major novels. I read this book at the right moment in my life it really struck a cord. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. This lady knows how to plot a riveting story, full of action, nasty characters, crime and violence. One of the most challenging books somerset maughan has given us.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 304 pages and is available in paperback format. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are julia lambert, michael gosselyn. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. He was born in paris but grew up in england and served as a secret agent for the british during world war i. Somerset maugham and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from penguin random house. If sasha thought life would slow down after being captured, she was dead wrong. The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. John byrum directed the film, which was cowritten by murray and byrum this marked murrays first starring role in a dramatic film, though murray did. Maugham s last major novel, the razor s edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Dancing on a razors edge is an important contribution for families and treatment. Universally recognized as the bible of the cutting edge, this book belongs in the library of anyone who is serious about sharpening.