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Loading... Le fil du rasoir (French Edition) (original 1944; edition 2010)by William-Somerset Maugham
Work InformationThe Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (1944)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I read this in Italy some years back. I don't remember anything about it, but I think I liked it. And Larry Darrell is an unintentionally hilarious name. ( ) I found this book tremendously enjoyable. My prior impression of Somerset Maugham was that he was a good short story writer whose novels are looked down upon for being a bit plot-driven and a bit stylistically simple. I was thrilled to discover that neither of those (imagined?) criticisms is valid. I think Maugham is very good at all elements of the novel, without being excellent at any of them. The characterisation is mostly good, and when it leans a little bit toward cliche it's in a way that's still sympathetic. The prose is crystal clear, with just enough authorial voice to engage the reader. A lot happens in the book, but none of it is unrealistic and much of it is illustrative rather than integral to the story. This is a tricky book to recommend, because I expect going into it with low expectations and no idea what it's about will greatly enhance the experience. Nevertheless, if you're considering reading it, do. A bunch of people who know I'm a reader recommended this book to me. "It's amazing, a must read, wow!" It was okay. I don't get all the fuss, guess it just wasn't my style. Guess I'm more of a Larry Darrell, while the author and proposed audience was supposed to be more of an Elliot Templeton? (And that reference only works if you've also read the book) Maybe it's also that a lot of the book was centered around religion that kind of turned me off, but I read "The Shack" and really enjoyed that, so that couldn't be it. I guess it had to do with a lot of the characters snobbish qualities that irked me a lot, which, while a sign of the times (aka the settings and year, the book was written in) I found rather bothersome. All in all it was well written and had some rather enjoyable qualities, but not one I intend to ever pick up and read again. I don't think that I've ever read a book where the author of the book is also the narrator in a work of fiction. Maugham does this well even though he keeps things moving along chronologically with occasional hints that he will need to fill the reader in on something further into the story. This technique also allows for some moments of humorous self-deprecation. Overall, I enjoyed the book - even the philosophical parts which were nicely spaced throughout the story. The consequences of people's choices in life always make for good reading and this is a wonderful example of how well it can be done. Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inCakes and Ale / The Painted Veil / Liza of Lambeth / The Razor's Edge / Theatre / The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham The Selected Novels - Volumes I, II, III by W. Somerset Maugham (indirect) ContainsHas the adaptationHas as a student's study guideDistinctionsNotable Lists
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
Literature.
Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of this spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brillant characters - his fiancee Isabel, whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliot Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. The most ambitious of Maugham's novels, this is also one in which Maugham himself plays a considerable part as he wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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