The Razor's Edge

Rating:
Summary: Shows what we are not by holding up a mirror
Review: The Razor's Edge is often described as the story of Larry, a war veteran who forsakes a comfortable life in Chicago "society" for a vague spiritual quest. It is better appreciated as a portrait of his acquaintences, whose conventional lifestyles are starkly contrasted to the path walked by the seeker. Some readers have wished to know more of Larry and criticize the space and attention Maugham lavished upon the "ancillary" characters. The Razor's Edge instead reveals much about the spiritual path by focusing on people more like the typical reader, people who do not give up materialistic Western striving. The best way to see Larry is to look at what he is not.

This narrative technique succeeds wonderfully in the masterful hands of author W. Somerset Maugham, best known for Of Human Bondage. Rather than simply lay out the details of Larry's explorations and development, which, being spiritual and internal, would be rather dull to watch, Maugham illuminates Larry by dissecting the contrasting behavior of his associates.

Maugham lavishes narrative care and attention less on the figure of Larry the seeker, but on his ground, those who embraced the life of conventional society without a thought for spirituality. Maugham shows us several possible outcomes of such an unexamined life, from the indulgent businessman to the fragile social climber to the dissolute substance abuser. The contrasts are presented realistically and without sermon yet are no less stark for their subtlety. These characters are a rare delight: fictional creations with genuine life, who make choices, have unpredictable effects on one another, and grow as the novel develops. Maugham shows how each suffers in their particular ways, for hell is not a physical place but a denial one's relationship with God.

The power and flexibility of relating to oneself as a network of relationships instead of as an object with fixed characteristics and a predictable future is why one of the three key principle of our executive training is "Be Transitive." Larry beautifully expresses all three principles.

He is genuine, always learning, and clear that he is not a fixed quantity but a network of evolving relationships with people, possessions, and God. In short, he is fully alive.

If Maugham had told us the story of Larry without the contrast of his conventional friends, the novel's entire message would have been lost. Ancient mystics, quantum physicists, and existentialist philosophers are all giving us that same message. Neither figure nor ground is the thing itself, nor even both together. There is no "thing" at all, except as we create it in our minds. It is the relationship between figure and ground that gives rise to an experience, and neither can exist without the other. Take away the ground and there is no boundary for the figure, take away the figure and the ground is meaningless. Each is relative to the other and neither stands alone. What are the details of any figure, except another relationship between a figure and its ground? The edge is where the relationships emerge, where experiences occur, where reality manifests. The Razor's Edge.

Rating:
Summary: timeless
Review: This is a facinating story of a man who turns his back on the ambitions of his fellow Americans to follow his own path. This novel works on many levels: it is a love story and one of revenge, of spiritual journey and social snobbery, selfishness and love of fellow man. The author tells the story as a character in the novel. His language is rich yet strangely free of phrases and cliches that would detract from his story; in this way it transcends the setting. The lives of its main characters unfold gradually; we hear only the essential elements that move the story along. It is intriguing to see how the characters evolve as the novel progresses. First rate!! It certainly causes you to question what is essential in life.

Rating:
Summary: One man's search for meaning
Review: The book begins (as all of Maugham's works) slowly, only after you are in the story do you appreciate the foundation he has laid. This is a book to read and put away for six months and read again. Maugham introduces you to to many characters wandering in and out of Larry Darrell's life, each with their own hidden agenda. Each one of them falls victim to their own weaknesses, Larry remains true to his agenda and not only survives but thrives. If you like this novel, then The Moon and Sixpence should be your next book.

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Summary: a spiritual quest across continents, life and history
Review: Yes, it starts out oh so slow, but don't give up. I thought how could this old English chap, writing about the time between the World Wars, write a story that is so much more inspiring and intense than all the manuals on Zen, Taoism and Christian mysticism that are popping up in the nineties. So many books today explain the spiritual life, but Larry actually lived it. Wish I could be as strong as him.

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Summary: nostalgic, brilliant, wistful,
Review: Brilliant: The true beauty and significance of "loafing" is certainly comparable to the dreamy life Sebastian and Charles lead as they loafed around the English countryside, sat beneath shady trees and ate strawberries with cream while washing them down with some particularly fine wine. Larry's loafing, although propelled by a strong will to search for a meaning in life, is nevertheless just as heightened with a beauty that is idyllic and nostalgic, and that penetrates beyond the mundane world and reaches for the stars.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent story of a mans search for personal truth
Review: I challenge and recomend all who for whatever reason might have the opportunity to read this book, to do so. It is one of the most enlightening and life changing books that I have ever had the opportunity of reading. My mother, whom I didn't consider a very spiritual or enlightened person by any means, saw what was happening in my life at the time and recomended that I see this movie (the origional not the new version) I became so inspired by the movie that I had to go on a search for the book that had been out of print for some time. I happened to find it in a used book store and I probably don't have to tell you that the book is one thousand times better. If you have the opportunity read the book, get the tape, or at least invest two hours and see the movie; it's black and white, under the same title. I can honestly say that this book is one thing that literly changed my life and gave me some answers that I was searching for. If you do read it you can decide for yourself, I can't tell whether or not this is a true story or is it a work of fiction? Maughm says it's true but you neveer can tell with some writers. Wishing you all good reading and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: frightfully chic that Mr. Templeton
Review: Elliott Templeton for me was the most intriguing character, much more so that Larry. Elliott, the quintessential social climber could never be satisfied because underneath all his grandeur and amour propre he really didn't love himself at all. However, this book is one of my favorites for being on one hand "as shallow as a dinner plate," and also piercing a profound depth. Would do wonders for a youngster striving to know the ways of the upper class. A must read for all you money snobs in the corporate world who really haven't a single CLUE about the rarified world of aesthetic pursuits.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing overall.....
Review: After being stunned by the force of his Of Human Bondage, this felt strangely pedestrian and dispassionate. Those looking for enlightenment or spiritual discovery will be disappointed. The passion of Maugham as a young author has indeed been replaced by a workman-like effort.

Rating:
Summary: "In art honesty is not only the best but the only policy."
Review: Maugham's description of reading Homer -- "You can't imagine what a thrill it is to read the Odyessy in the original. It makes you feel as if you had only to get on tiptoe and stretch out your hands to touch the stars." -- is about as close as I can come to describing how I felt the first time I read The Razor's Edge. Over the years, I have returned to the novel four or five times to discover that it becomes more profound with each reading. The story continues to exalt the spirit and confirm the fact that in the cosmos, Man is truly something, but to fulfill our potential we must connect with God. When we do, the life that can ours is the one that Maugham's central character describes: "I wish I could make you see how much fuller the life I offer you is than anything you have a conception of. I wish I could make you see how exciting the life of the spirit is and how rich in experience. It's illimitable. It's such a happy life. There is only one thing like it, when you are up in a plane by yourself, high, high, and only infinity surrounds you. You're intoxicated by the boundless space. You feel such a sense of exhilaration that you wouldn't exchange it for all the power and glory in the world."

Rating:
Summary: A life changing book
Review: I feel very strongly that this book is a must-read for anyone who feels lost. I read this book some time ago, as I was reading Somerset Maugham at the suggestion of my English teacher. After wading through a beginning that I thought was somewhat discouraging, I found myself being spoken to on a level that I have never found before. At a time in my life when I felt lost in a whirlwind of forced maturity, I found myself calmed and comforted by this book. Alongside The Razor's Edge, I found myself learning from my hardships and seeking out my own path. That was a much-needed dose of courage when I had none. Now I find myself living in another city, where I have absolutely nothing but my job and the clothes I wear. My first month was not what I had long hoped for, and I again feel lost. I find solace in this book, relearning the lessons that he taught me. Somerset Maugham wrote a masterful book about finding one's path, and by doing so, he showed me the way.