Support epubbooks by making a small paypal donation purchase. Somerset maugham, was published in london and new york in 1944. Commercial success with high book sales, successful theatre productions and a string of film adaptations, backed by astute stock market investments, allowed maugham to live a very comfortable life. Somerset maugham countryunited states languageenglish publisherdoubleday, doran publication date 1944 media typeprint pages314 isbn1400034205 oclc53054407 dewey decimal 8. Maugham s last major novel, the razor s edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. 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. 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.
Larry darrell is a young american in search of the absolute. In january 1938 somerset maugham, the british novelist, visited sri ramanashram for a few hours. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham and other ebooks from all genres of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, historical documents and sheet music, all of which are available on a subscription basis. Somerset maugham 1951 m the complete short stories of w. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. The first edition of the novel was published in 1944, and was written by w. The razors edge epub adobe drm can be read on any device that can open epub adobe drm files. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first.
The razors edge quickly became a bestseller upon its publication in 1944, and was one of the first books to foreshadow the popularization of eastern philosophy and spirituality in western culture. The brief contact he had with bhagavan inspired maugham so much, he decided to use him as the model for a fictional guru in the razors edge, a novel of his that was published a few years later in 1944. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His father worked as a legal secretary in the british embassy, in paris. The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over. The razors edge william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. The reason why the book works is because of the writing. Electronics breadboard training manuals, what readers really do teaching the. Set in chicago, paris, and india in the 1920s and 30s, it involves characters from sharply different worlds.
Maugham writes very simply about rather complicated things, with a fair amount of ironic humor. The razors edge by w somerset maugham was broadcast on bbc radio 4 in 2005 first published in 1944, w somerset maughams novel dramatised in twoparts by ronald frame. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment. 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. Its a long, arduous road hes starting to travel, but it may be that at the end of it hell find whats hes seeking. Maugham himself 1954 m seventeen lost stories 1969 m collected short stories 19631978 m sixtyfive short stories 1976 m far eastern tales 1993 m princess september and the nightingale 1998. At sri ramanas ashram, maugham is long since forgotten. Theodore dreiser maughams excessively rare gift of storytelling. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Publication date 1944 topics iiit collection digitallibraryindia. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. And i was delighted to find that the film screenplay written by lamar trotti followed the novel closely, retaining much of the most memorable lines and pieces of dialogue.
Kindle file format the razors edge w somerset maugham. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 304 pages and is available in paperback format. William somerset maugham was an english playwright, novelist and short story 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. 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.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1937, and was written by w. Somerset maugham was a french writer born in 1874 in paris to english parents. But, perhaps, it was in the novel the razors edge that maugham was the best able to reflect all the problems of spiritual growth of an. Somerset maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. A 1940s edition of the razors edge larry darrel speaking it was three or four miles from the nearest town, but people used to come from there, and even from much further, on foot or by bullock car, to hear the yogi talk when he was inclined to or just sit at this feet and share with one another the peace and blessedness that were radiated from his presence as fragrance was wafted upon. Somerset maugham was one the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer.
The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with so. 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. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. The razors edge by william somerset maugham download eub. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the razors edge by w. As this the razors edge w somerset maugham, it ends going on visceral one of the favored book the razors edge w somerset maugham collections that we have. Somerset attended the kings school but felt pressured and abandoned schooling at sixteen years.
Free download or read online the razors edge pdf epub book. The theme of finding his true i was raised maugham in his works repeatedly. The razors edge study guide contains a biography of w. Somerset maugham is about a character named larry darrel. Yet, somehow its dilapidated condition enhanced my reading enjoyment. The razors edge project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. The razors edge william somerset maugham the razors edge is a novel by w. 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 author william somerset maugham was an english author, playwright, and doctor best known for. If you scroll up a bit and click the third button under other maugham eresources that says nonfiction with my logo on it, you will go to the ebook page of nonfiction, including travel books and essays.
Like i feel it right to warn the reader that he can very well skip this chapter without losing the thread of such story as i have to tell, since for the most part it is nothing more than the account of a conversation that i had with larry. Project gutenberg offers 61968 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Info download free ebooks in all formats, pdf, epub, mobi. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. I could only find the razors edge as a somewhat badly worn secondhand paperback with yellowed pages. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in. All of the characters are well drawn, and you get the feeling that maugham is leaving stuff out rather than putting stuff in. 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. Free download or read online theatre pdf epub book.
William somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an. 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. Bbc radio drama the razors edge by w somerset maugham. This is why you remain in the best website to see the incredible ebook to have.
All our ebooks are free to download, but first you must sign in or create an account. The razors edge by w somerset maugham essay example. But when he returns 10 years later, she will stop at nothing to. This was also the case in the novel the burden of the passions of man, and in the novel the moon and the pitt. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are elliott templeton, larry darrell. Maugham was seventy years old when the book was published, and it was to be the last of his major novels. There is no landmark to commemorate his visit nor is the razors edge sold in the wellstocked bookstore. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are julia lambert, michael gosselyn. With tyrone power, gene tierney, john payne, anne baxter. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. 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.
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