1944 book the razor's edge

He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. 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. Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front fore edge, rubbed. The razor s edge by somerset maugham 1944 book no d. Zanuck and fox spared no expense in translating the sprawling book to the silver screen. British storyteller william somerset maughams 1944 speculative novel the razors edge, as did his earlier semiautobiographical of human bondage, won a devoted following when it hit the book shelves, and so 20th centuryfox wasted no time in securing the screen rights to this mammoth warera adventure into existentialism. 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. The razors edge by somerset maugham, w good hardcover 1944. Somerset maugham, first published by doubleday doran in the united states in 1944, relates the experiences of a. New listing first edition 1944 the razors edge by w. You sound like larry darrell, i said, referring to the razors edge, w.

It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by. Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front foreedge. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. The reason why the film was good is because the book is good. Chicago turabian humanities citation style guide maugham, w. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. The reason why the book works is because of the writing. I watched the movie a few months ago and decide to listen to the classic book by somerset maugham. Somerset heinemann the razors edge 19441944 abebooks. The razors edge by w somerset maugham book chat youtube. The novel had been a massive best seller and the public anxiously awaited the film adaptation. Maugham was seventy years old when the book was published, and it was to be the last of his major novels.

What made the razors edge especially appealing to those of us in india was that larrys quest ultimately drew him to india and that he found the answers to what he was looking for in an ashram there under the guidance of a guru. World war, 19141918, fiction, veterans, upper class, travel. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razor s edge is a novel by w. This signed limited edition of the book was printed with only 750 numbered copies, and features a. 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 razors edge is a drama film starring bill murray. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters. The razors edge by maugham, william somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. John byrum directed the film, which was cowritten by murray and byrum. Nov 28, 2011 i first read the razor s edge when i was in college, in 1978, in an early book club edition i found in my grandmother s attic and still possess. 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. 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. While he s still in print, his reputation seems to have diminished. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Somerset maugham, was published in london and new york in 1944.

Kathaupanishad arguably somerset maugham s most popular and enduring book, the razor s edge 1944, like much of his work, has not aged well. The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with the dichotomy between materialism and spirituality. Jan 18, 2009 you sound like larry darrell, i said, referring to the razors edge, w. The razors edge project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Thirtythree years ago is about half the age of the novel itself at this point. The razor s edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Somerset maughams 1944 book about a young american disenchanted with the way of the west. The novel was the story of a young american war veterans quest for a satisfying way of life, and once again maugham put great amounts of his own personal experience with his disenfranchisement with life and the way society lived it. An acclaimed best selling novel, it was brought to the screen in 1946 starring tyrone power, gene tierney, anne baxter and clifton webb. Wwii had a great effect on maugham, and from his enforced domicile came the novel the razors edge 1944. Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front fore edge.

Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for. 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. Kathaupanishad arguably somerset maughams most popular and enduring book, the razors edge 1944, like much of his work, has not aged well. He was educated at king s school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university.

The novels title comes from a translation of a verse in the katha upanishad, given. The razor s edge by somerset maugham, w good hardcover 1944 webuybooks. The razors edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. To my mind, it is a wonderful book which offers philosophical perspectives years ahead of its time. The razors edge 1944 my maugham collection concordance.

Larry lives like a pauper, but is able to loaf around europe and india while searching for enlightenment. I can say that the 1946 version of the razors edge is good. Oct 11, 2016 what made the razors edge especially appealing to those of us in india was that larrys quest ultimately drew him to india and that he found the answers to what he was looking for in an ashram there under the guidance of a guru. 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.

Chicago turabian author date citation style guide maugham, w. Feb 17, 2018 the razor s edge by w somerset maugham originally published in 1944. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. It was released in 1946 and stars tyrone power, gene tierney, john payne, anne baxter, clifton webb, herbert marshall, supporting cast lucile watson, frank latimore and elsa lanchester. I first read the razors edge when i was in college, in 1978, in an early bookclub edition i found in my grandmothers attic and still possess. It is your sole responsibility to make sure that material on this site belongs to the public domain in your country before readingusing them. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. All of the characters in the razors edge are searching for something and in the end they all achieve their desired end the authors words not mine. For in larry dornell he has drawn a character symbolic or many we shall meet in the. In fact, the name of the book comes from a verse in the katha upanishad which says the sharp edge of a razor. W somerset maugham the razors edge doubledaydoran wartime conditions 1st 1944. Maugham 1944 the razors edge somerset w download bok. I found the performance to be excellent and the story to be tragic yet well written.

The razors edge by somerset maugham, w good hardcover. Bill murray interview the razors edge letterman duration. The dust jacket is missing, but the book is in good to very good condition, considering the age 75 years old book. While hes still in print, his reputation seems to have diminished. Former owners bookplate sticker affixed to front pastedown endpaper. 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.

W somerset maugham the razor s edge doubledaydoran wartime conditions 1st 1944. May 04, 2014 the razors edge is a frustrating and fascinating film from 1946. Apr 10, 2016 the razor s edge was first published in 1944. Maugham s last major novel, the razor s edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. The razor s edge by somerset maugham 1944 w jacket. Those who look to him for a colorful, romantic story will find this slowpaced at the start. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment. W somerset maugham leaving wealth and loved ones behind, larry darrell journeys to the mountains of india in search of spiritual wisdom. Theresa russell, catherine hicks, denholm elliott, brian doylemurray and james keach also star in the film. New listing first edition 1944 the razor s edge by w. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned.

Somerset maugham after channel surfing and finding that the 1946 movie by the same name with tyrone power, gene. The novel was the story of a young american war veteran s quest for a satisfying way of life, and once again maugham put great amounts of his own personal experience with his disenfranchisement with life and the way society lived it. But is it better than the 1984 version with bill murray. The razors edge by somerset maugham 1944 book no d. While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Somerset maughams 1944 novel makes more sense to me and is more enjoyable in 1984 versus 1946. Former owner s bookplate sticker affixed to front pastedown endpaper. Wwii had a great effect on maugham, and from his enforced domicile came the novel the razor s edge 1944.

Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front foreedge, rubbed. One of the most challenging books somerset maughan has given us. The razors edge is a frustrating and fascinating film from 1946. Jan 02, 2017 bill murray interview the razor s edge letterman duration.