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The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge

ClassicsLiterary Fiction
Pages
354
Published
1944
Language
English

Synopsis

After experiencing the trauma of war, an American pilot rejects his privileged life in search of deeper meaning. His journey takes him from Paris to India, where he encounters a variety of people and experiences that challenge his worldview. This novel explores one man's quest for spiritual enlightenment in the post-war era.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

ReflectivePhilosophicalThought-ProvokingMelancholic
QuestFish Out of Water

Genres

Classics Literary Fiction Historical Fiction World War I

About the author

W
William Somerset Maugham

William Somerset Maugham was born at the British Embassy in Paris, France, where his father was an English lawyer handling the legal affairs of the British embassy. His mother died of tuberculosis while he was young, a death which traumatized him for life. Two years later, his father died of cancer, and he was sent to England to be cared for by his uncle, Henry MacDonald Maugham, the Vicar of Whitstable, in Kent. His uncle was cold and cruel, and the boarding school he attended, The King's Sc...

Characters

All characters in The Razor's Edge

Frequently asked questions

  • Is the author a character in the book?

    W. Somerset Maugham appears as a narrator and character within the story, acting as an observer who recounts his personal interactions with the protagonist and other figures.

  • Are the characters based on real people?

    The author claimed the events and characters were based on real individuals he encountered, and he had previously explored similar narrative templates in earlier works like his 1924 play The Road Uphill.

  • Are there film versions of this book?

    The novel has been adapted into two feature films, the first released in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and the second in 1984 starring Bill Murray.