Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's 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. The most ambitious of Maugham's novels, this is also one in which Maugham himself plays a considerable part as he wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

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Product details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Vintage Classics; New Ed edition (2 Mar. 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0099284863
ISBN-13: 978-0099284864
Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm
Average Customer Review: 60 customer reviews
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 49,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2736 in Books > Fiction > Classics
- #6488 in Books > Fiction > Literary Fiction

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Review

"One of my favourite writers" (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

"A formidable talent, a formidable sum of talents...precision, tact, irony and total absence of pomposity" (Spectator)

Synopsis

Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiancee Isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliot Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. The most ambitious of Maugham's novels, this is also one in which Maugham himself plays a considerable part as he wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

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60 customer reviews

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Samuel Barber

The Unemployed Man Judged by All

14 July 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a really good novel. I was advised to read Somerset Maugham over a decade ago, and went to the library to research all the titles under his name. After skimming through them I wasn't impressed. However, when I saw the film version of this book with Anne Baxter I thought I should read the book as I enjoyed the film. The reason why the film was good is because the book is good. 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. All of the characters are well drawn, and you get the feeling that Maugham is leaving stuff out rather than putting stuff in. I found Larry, Sophie, Gray and even Isabel engaging. Larry could be your contemporary unemployed man who is judged by everyone for living on benefit. Isabel is your typical middle class woman who has certain standards and doesn't want to drop below it for love or money. Sophie is an endearing character and I felt that more could be said about her. This is why I feel that stuff has been left out because we don't experience the tragic car accident that robs Sophie of her husband and children, nor do we get any indication of what she was like before she met her husband. It is for this reason why I think the novel should have been longer than its 341 pages.

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Mr B

Under-rated

27 December 2017

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Under-rated

2 people found this helpful

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Joyce

Very good indeed although rather too verbose towards the end

4 March 2016

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Very good indeed although rather too verbose towards the end. The narrative format is interesting. The prose flows, is easy to read but beautifullybwritten. The characters are sympathetically drawn. Maugham's erudition is breathtaking.

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Tonie Gibson

A Master' s touch

26 April 2015

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A tour de force in story telling. Richly drawn characters and an insightful description of life in the late 20s and 30s. Masterful, entertaining and occasionally moving.

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Mr. P. J. Laidlaw

A masterly classic.q

31 March 2014

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Maugham last

Somerset Maugham is famous primarily as a short story writer and this full length novel has the feel of a collection of short stories
But this is not a criticism , it is a brilliant literally device which brings together his talent in both fields to very good effect. Quite brilliant.

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owl

A can't-put-down philosophy book

7 March 2015

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A philosophy book written as if it is written to the reader as a letter - the author seems to speak t the reader. I wonder whether Mr maugham is writing this book in order for him to satisfy his own search for knowledge and God (god). A muder is committed and although the autor never identifies a murdered the reader knows the instigator of a situation when the maiden had to end up murdered. Beautiful character descriptions - the reader knows the characters as friends.

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Chris Manwaring

Great

9 February 2019

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Lovely book. Morality, good plot and a straightforward explanation of re-incarnation. Made a nice change from my Kobo recommendations First heard as a play on Radio 4 extra. Good play but the book is better.

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Abdullah Ali-Ahmadi

Great work

29 January 2018

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Amazing discription of characters and their individual habits , behaviou and psychological traits- thoroughly enjoyed this book as before by the author

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