Rating: 
Summary: The Razor's Edge
Review: I think this was overall great book. It was very enlightening and made the reader think about his life. At times it gives the reader the painful truth about life, and it makes him a little depressed. One such instance is when Sophie says, "You know, the Commerce et la Marine. When you go in there at night the corridors reek of [opium]. Sweet and acrid, you know they're smoking in their rooms, and it gives a nice homey feeling" (233). This makes the reader stop and think about the ghettos and slums in your town. It makes the reader realize drug abuse, and prostitution is going on in the world and makes it a little more real. This book also covers the many moods of life. It covers pain as shown on page 289 and 290 when Sophie is murdered. It demonstrates the passion in life. There are two major example of this, one is Larry's love for reading and knowledge, and the other is Isabel's love for Larry. Larry's love for reading is shown at the beginning, "I was surprised to see Larry still immersed in his book"(38). Isabel is in love with Larry the whole novel this is shown in this quote, "It's all very fine to say you don't want to make me miserable. You are making me miserable. You see, I love you" (50). This was a very good novel and I would recommend it to anyone with questions on life. The truth is no matter how much you love someone you can't make them love you. Also that it is foolish to think you can change someone.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good, Pretty Good
Review: Personally, I think that Mr. W. Sommerset Maugham wrote a very intersting novel. I can honestly say I have never read any other book like this. In a way, Maughham combined this book as both a novel itself and a Dear Reader Letter. On several different occasions Maugham just breaks away from the novel itself, and starts talking to his reader. This was one of the reasons why I liked this book, but also one of the reasons why I didn't like this book. I liked it because I have never read a novel like that before and it kind of gave me more insight on what Maugham was trying to say. Then again I didn't like this because it broke my attention away from the book sometimes. I also didn't really understand some of the text of this book, and found myself looking through a dictionary in order to understand a word, and its not like i could just skip over the word, in most cases I had to know what the word meant to be able to move on in the novel. All in all, I would say that i would recommend this book to someone else if they asked me about it. The last thing I want to say about this book is that if it doesn't nothing else for you it will definitly make you think, I know it made me think.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read for any young person
Review: The razor's edge tells the story of several compelling characters at the begining of the 20th century. The focus of the book is the development of the mind of a young man, Larry Darrel. Through, war, heartbreak, hard work, and exotic travel, Larry discovers who he is and what he wants. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for meaning in their life.
Rating:
Summary: Society's characters
Review: I didn't know what character development was until I read this book. WSM paints each character so vividly it is easy to feel as though you may have met them once. A wonderful story ties these characters together in a way that challenges our beliefs about the way things "ought" to be. For, what truly is "society" if not the whole of "us"?
Rating:
Summary: Maugham's Alter Ego
Review: In 'The Summing Up' (1938), William Somerset Maugham said: "In my twenties the critics said I was brutal, in my thirties they said I was flippant, in my forties they said I was cynical, in my fifties they said I was competent, and now in my sixties they say I am superficial." Within six years of writing this, Maugham gifted the world one of his finest works 'The Razor's Edge', a novel centering around the life of Larry Darrel, a confused youth, who in the search of the very soul of truth which is lost in a maze of contrapuntal themes, comes to India where the meaning of genuine existence enters his being. Larry, who served as a US Airforce pilot in World War I by bluffing his age, was exposed to the horrific finality and coldness of death when his closest friend was shot down before his eyes. Subsequently, he is unable to adjust himself to normal life knowing that the ultimate end is Death. In order to seek the answers to his questions on life and God, he forfeits his marriage and surrenders himself to a life of studying and learning. Intermingled with the adventures of Larry, are numerous characters including Isabel, Larry's ex-fiance, whose choice between passion and wealth has lifelong repercussions and her uncle, Elliot Templeton, a classic American snob who is yet much more. From the fashionable hotels to the disreputable quarters, Maugham takes us on a guided tour of early twentieth-century Paris as only he can. The chapter on India and religion is particularly interesting and reveals Maugham's inner self as no other book has. Although 'Of Human Bondage' is considered to be the most autobiographical of his works, I believe that Maugham is the Larry Darrel of The Razor's Edge, the eternal seeker of truth.
Rating:
Summary: My first taste of Maugham
Review: A wonderful depiction of a group of young people trying to find their way in life that almost anyone will be able to relate to. The author inserts himself as narrator and provides character sketches that are beautifully constructed and often poetic. I loved this book and am delighted to have found Maugham through this book. I will be reading him regularly from now on.
Rating:
Summary: All there is to know about depression and emotional pain
Review: I particularly related to Sophie in the book and her loss of a child. It must have been hard for her to have that loss acknowledged at that time after the war, when so many had lost sons and loved ones. This book is really helpful for understanding the impact of trauma on a life and how different personalities have different ways of reacting to trauma. This is a non-judgemental book. You judge or not, for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: One man's journey
Review: In our relativistic age it is becoming increasingly hard to find a faith/religion. Society is destroying tradition and has yet to offer a suitable replacement. In The Razor's Edge Larry Darrell is a man seeking a practical way of living. Unable to devote himself to a particular philosopy or religion he continually seeks. The Razor's Edge is that tale. After reading I was amazed at the reflection I saw between Larry, myself, and my friends. Larry is trying to accomplish what all of us are trying to accomplish. Call it what you want, peace of mind, religion, personal philosophy, we are all searching, trying to live life right. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just About Larry
Review: While the writing of this novel strikes my American ear as a bit formal, it is certainly beautiful and clever prose. Maugham writes an interesting portrayal of 6 or 7 very different people as they interact with each other and pursue their differing objectives in their own way. What do you want out of life? How do you think you might attain these goals? Love, happiness, spirituality, money, social standing -- what is important to you? This book won't necessarily help you answer these questions but it will certainly show you several alternatives to consider. At some point, each of the characters experiences a devastating loss. In the natural course of their lives, each of them has something that they hold most dear taken from them. In their own way, each of them overcomes this devastating loss and perseveres. But their efforts don't come across as heroic. What we see are very natural but no less inspiring examples of the triumph of the human spirit. Larry's spiritual journey for meaning may be the most interesting thread of the story, and as he grows, he helps several of the others along on their own unique journeys. But, unless you can give it all away and wander the earth in search of answers, the kind of answers Larry comes up with may be instructive, but the stories of the other characters may be more applicable to you. [This review is based on the 1944 Blakiston Company edition.]
Rating:
Summary: A Protrait of Life in Words
Review: The Razor's Edge is simply a must-read book. In it, Maugham details the life of Larry (the protagonist of the novel) as a man who is searching for the meaning of life. Perhaps what makes this book unusual is the fact that it takes the perspective of the author (yes, Maugham, is one of the character in the novel)as he observes the protagonist's quest. Along the way, Maugham also delves into the action and motives of other characters as a contrast to Larry. At the end of the novel, as Larry expound on the fruits of his quest, Maugham wryly observes, he is too earthly and pragmatic to share Larry's vision. Yet, at the same time, he cannot help but admire Larry's quest for meaning. I found myself agreeing with Maugham. It is a novel which I would recommend for everyone to read as it captures a phase of life which all of us would have gone through.
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