It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in. Theresa russell, catherine hicks, denholm elliott, brian doylemurray and james keach also star in the film. The razor s edge, 1945 hbdj, collectible, vintage book. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w. See all 55 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The novel is concerned in large part with the search for the meaning of life and with the dichotomy between materialism and spirituality. Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front foreedge, rubbed.
World war, 19141918, fiction, veterans, upper class, travel. True first, limited signed edition, number 217 of 750. Somerset maugham, first published by doubleday doran in the united states in 1944, relates the experiences of a. Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. The razors edge by somerset maugham 1944 book no d. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The razors edge by w somerset maugham originally published in 1944. Published four months before the first english edition and simultaneously with the signed limited edition of 750 copies stott 50. Somerset maugham is rarely talked about in the same breath as other 20th century literary greats but at the time he worked he was one of the most popular writers in his home of britain and also america. New listing first edition 1944 the razors edge by w. 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.
When somerset maugham published the razors edge in 1944, the world was weary and battered after five years of war. In fact, the name of the book comes from a verse in the katha upanishad which says the sharp edge of a razor. A classic story by a master, the razors edge is so wellwritten that the reader glides through the story easily. 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. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. You are covered by the ebay money back guarantee if you receive an item that is not as described in the listing. 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.
Thirtythree years ago is about half the age of the novel itself at this point. The book is in good vintage condition but the jacket is not. 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. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. Chicago turabian humanities citation style guide maugham, w.
While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. Chicago turabian author date citation style guide maugham, w. An acclaimed best selling novel, it was brought to the screen in 1946 starring tyrone power, gene tierney, anne baxter and clifton webb. The razor s edge 1944 korea edition paperback april 10, 2016 4. The razors edge is a drama film starring bill murray. While hes still in print, his reputation seems to have diminished. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In the razors edge, a young american named larry darrell, traumatized by the death of a comrade in world war i, abandons conventional life with the materialistic but practical isabel. 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.
The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment. I watched the movie a few months ago and decide to listen to the classic book by somerset maugham. This signed limited edition of the book was printed with only 750 numbered copies, and features a. W somerset maugham the razors edge sellersupplied images. John byrum directed the film, which was cowritten by murray and byrum. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by. Published by doubleday, garden city, new york 1944. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways.
To my mind, it is a wonderful book which offers philosophical perspectives years ahead of its time. Somerset maugham after channel surfing and finding that the 1946 movie by the same name with tyrone power, gene. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. W somerset maugham leaving wealth and loved ones behind, larry darrell journeys to the mountains of india in search of spiritual wisdom. You sound like larry darrell, i said, referring to the razors edge, w. 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 william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. The razors edge by w somerset maugham book chat youtube. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. 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. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards the. Book fine, dust jacket with only slight expert restoration to spine ends and minor rubbing to edges. It is your sole responsibility to make sure that material on this site belongs to the public domain in your country before readingusing them.
Somerset maugham 1944 introduction author biography plot summary characters themes style historical context critical overview criticism sources further reading introduction. The razors edge, 1945 hbdj, collectible, vintage book. 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. 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. Kathaupanishad arguably somerset maughams most popular and enduring book, the razors edge 1944, like much of his work, has not aged well. Jane kivik free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards the stereotype of the returning military hero.
The razors edge is a classic novel that has inspired everyone from steve martin to, well, bill murray. 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. 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. I first saw this oscar nominated movie many years ago as a teenager. Former owners bookplate sticker affixed to front pastedown endpaper. Somerset maughams 1944 book about a young american disenchanted with the way of the west. Larry lives like a pauper, but is able to loaf around europe and india while searching for enlightenment. Dust jacket is chipped along periphery and front foreedge. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Though maugham had no recollection of visiting the infinite, the event left its mark on him. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters from sharply different worlds. I found the performance to be excellent and the story to be tragic yet well written. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and.
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