The Razor's Edge

I reread this book once a decade, and each time, I get more out of it. It follows a man named Larry Darrell who searches for a deeper meaning to life—spiritual enlightenment.

It’s a wonderful book, and I am sure it has inspired others to look a little deeper into what they hold important. I empathized with Larry’s disenchantment with the “good” life, and I felt, at times, I could glimpse his elusive goal within Larry's story.

The fact that it entailed giving up all possessions and hitting the road seemed perfect to me.

I am sentimental about this book. It was one of my favorite books when I was young. The portrayal of Larry Darrell as a seeker of spiritual meaning—a proto-Kerouac—captures the yearning of a lot of young people, I suspect. But I include it here for its beguiling narrative strategy.

The novel is presented as a true story narrated by Maugham himself, concerning a group of young people he observed at various points in their lives and their interactions with Elliott Templeton, a vain but loveable snob who also bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Maugham. Its opening pages feel almost like… show more.

By the end, The Razor’s Edge had become one of my favorite novels.

Maugham weaves a truly engaging and deeply thought-provoking tale, centered around the nonconforming life and journey of Larry Darrell, and how the choices he makes affect those around him in profound ways. The book ultimately makes a larger statement on what society can impose on those born into certain circumstances and the power within to change course. A wonderful book.

Every year, I try to read The Razor’s Edge, which was published in 1943, because it’s a reminder to me of why I write. This book captures the dichotomy between everyday life and a spiritual life, describing a character who is able to live in both worlds.

Maugham is a character in his own tale, providing just enough information about the extraordinary main character to suggest the possibility of integrating the mundane with the infinite in our own lives. Or maybe there isn’t any difference after all.

While the book is old, the ideas are revolutionary, and infusing daily… show more.

The hero of Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge, Larry Darrell, is a classic seeker. Crushed by his time in the war, he leaves his family and fiancé behind and heads to Paris—then Germany—and finally India. He’s not really sure what he’s looking for, but he knows that the answers lie down a path far different from the one he’s left behind. Larry’s friends back home feel sure that he’s lost his way; only when their own worlds begin to crumble do they start to realize what he’s attained. The Razor’s Edge makes it clear that the spiritual journey may… show more.

The Razor's Edge tells the story of Larry Darrell, a young American traumatized by his experiences in World War 1 seeking the Absolute. There are other characters in the story who have their own goals in life, which are materialistic, unlike Larry’s. The story indicates that how different people pursue different things in life, which ultimately define their life purpose. Larry’s abandonment of the conventional life and quest for the meaning of life provide him the freedom to live in the moment, whereas other characters are enslaved by their habits and fears.

A novel published in 1944 that is as relevant as ever today. 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. A compelling and inspiring tale to inform your journey in a life lived on purpose.