The Razor's Edge

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In each character, the ideal is neither obvious nor probable in the conventional sense. Its existence is ironic, and it might be overlooked were not the Maugham persona on hand to define it. Not even the narrator, however, can explain or account for it; the reader savors its presence without fully understanding its origin. It is perhaps inevitable that none of the other characters rise quite to the same level of interest as Larry although Sophie comes close, but it is difficult to tell whether that is due to her actually being an interesting character or leading the most interesting life of any character other than Larry. Her is a tragic narrative and the tragic narrative is almost always more fascinating than the narrative of those who simply orbit around a romantic figure like Larry Darrell without full understanding or appreciating him. That is by design as well. Somerset Maugham may not be considered one of the great literary artists to ever walk the land, but his ability to craft a story that reads exactly the way it should is almost unparalleled. Life is short, nature is hostile, and man is ridiculous but oddly enough most misfortunes have their compensations and with a certain humour and a good deal of horse-sense one can make a fairly good job of what is after all a matter of very small consequence. Among the remaining novels of Maugham, one finds works of literary merit and appeal, though they represent lesser achievements. A reader of Maugham would not want to miss novels such as The Painted Veil and The Narrow Corner, which narrate suspenseful and intense conflicts. Works such as these differ from the better-known novels in several important respects. First, the Maugham persona is either absent or less intrusive. In The Narrow Corner, for example, the author’s viewpoint is usually expressed through Dr. Saunders, who lives on a Pacific island and has no literary interests or ambitions. Further, the settings are usually foreign or exotic—European or Asian rather than American or English. Instead of spanning decades, the plots narrate events that occur during a few months; novels such as Up at the Villa, for example, differ little from some of Maugham’s short stories.

The Razor’s Edge | WWI, Philosophical Novel, Existentialism

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The Razor’s Edge Summary | GradeSaver

Established in 1970, the Razors Edge brand has been catering to Manchester's diverse clientele for over 40 years. A key part of their long standing success is their passion for progression, with their staff keeping up to date with the latest trends to make sure you remain at the forefront of fashion. They also use high quality products and brands such as Redken, L'Oréal and ghd to provide a premium service, ensuring glamorous looks and a long lasting finish. Priding themselves on their creativity and talent, Razors Edge leave you with beautiful, confidence boosting hair with every visit. A veteran with good connections and a sharp mind, he could easily go into business and start making big money just like his friends. To Isabel’s dismay, he turns down one good opportunity after another. In an attempt to clarify what his plans are, she asks him directly. Larry’s intention is to go to Paris and try to gain needed knowledge. He and Isabel decide to marry later.Almost two years after, Isabel breaks off the engagement and marries Gray, who has an appropriate social position and money. Elliot and Isabel’s mother are ecstatic for Gray is everything that they wanted to see in Isabel’s husband. Soon enough the young pair becomes parents. Unlike his friends, who almost all settled down, Larry travels. Almost 10 years passes before they all meet again.

The Razor’s Edge Study Guide: Analysis | GradeSaver The Razor’s Edge Study Guide: Analysis | GradeSaver

W. Somerset Maugham’s (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) twenty novels are exceptionally uneven; the first eight, though interesting, suggest the efforts of a young novelist to discover where his talent lies. From the publication of Of Human Bondage (1915) through The Razor’s Edge (1944), he produced his most significant prose works. During this period, he was a worldfamous man of letters with a following of many thousands who would buy and read anything he wrote; however, a few novels that he produced, such as Then and Now and Up at the Villa, were not in his best vein. In The Razor’s Edge, the narrator becomes “Mr. Maugham,” a celebrated author and world traveler. With characters such as the urbane and aristocratic art agent, Elliott Templeton, he exchanges views and pleasantries in an attitude of amusement and tolerance. To younger characters such as Sophie Macdonald he offers sage advice. To readers he offers a variety of wry comments on the art and craft of the novel. He speculates as to why people whom he barely knows divulge their life stories so readily to him. He admits the reader behind the scenes of the writer’s study with such unguarded comments as the famous opening, “I have never begun a novel with more misgiving,” and such wry asides as “I feel it right to warn the reader that he can very well skip this chapter without losing the thread of [the] . . . story. . . . I should add, however, that except for this conversation I should perhaps not have thought it worthwhile to write this book.” Usually “Mr. Maugham” limits his involvement to conversation; his own actions, where they are noted (as when he withdraws to write a novel or takes his boat to Toulon), do not advance the plot. Occasionally, he does involve himself in the plot in some minor way. He contrives for the dying Elliott Templeton to receive an invitation to a party given by the Princess Novemali after she had deliberately snubbed Elliott, and he is on hand to identify the body of Sophie Macdonald. The Razor’s Edge is not simply Maugham’s finest novel, however; it is easily one of the best novels of all time. I freely admit that I am an evangelist for this particular book, having read it every year since 1985. When I’m finished I give that copy to someone who has never read it and buy myself a new copy. Some have seen the 1946 film adaptation starring Tyrone Power, which was fairly true to the book, and almost 40 years later Bill Murray attempted an ill-conceived film version that, while not stellar, is ultimately what introduced me to the novel. Neither film comes close to the greatness of the novel. Situated inside Manchester’s famous Royal Exchange, Razors Edge is a dynamic hair salon offering the very best in haircuts and colours. With their striking interior housing some of the finest talents in the industry, they create bespoke looks that are guaranteed to turn heads.Reflecting upon happiness, Philip is puzzled as to how this quality fits as a purpose in life, since his own is unhappy. He observes that happiness eludes people such as the dancers at the Bal Bullier in Paris who pursue it frenetically. Those who seek happiness through the enjoyment of art waste their lives, and those who struggle to create art seldom find happiness, even when they succeed. Yet, the paintings of El Greco suggest to Philip that the will of humankind is powerful, that life can be made meaningful through struggle. After this realization, Philip comes to understand the secret of a piece of Persian rug given him by an eccentric poet. The poet told him that the rug held the key to the meaning of life, but he refused to explain the puzzle to Philip. The solution becomes apparent to Philip years later, after much searching for it: Life has no meaning. There is no set of obligations by which a person must live, no certain path to follow. With this bleak conclusion, Philip comes to another realization: Like the weaver of the carpet, a person may choose the strands that please his aesthetic sense and make a pattern of his life satisfying to his own taste. Happiness and pain are important only as strands in the design. Though people are under no obligation to create a design, they are free to do so if they choose; or, if they reject freedom of the will, it may seem that they are free. Life for Philip, then, has purpose because he wills to endow it with purpose—a conclusion primarily existential but also in accord with Schopenhauer’s view of people’s will. The Moon and Sixpence