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The Razor's Edge
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The Razor's Edge Paperback - 2003

by W. Somerset Maugham

Maugham's greatest popular novel tells the story of Larry Darrell, an attractive and enigmatic American who forsakes bourgeois society to live a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth and meaning.


About this book

The Razor's Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham, first published by Doubleday Doran in the United States in 1944, relates the experiences of a World War I pilot, Larry Darrell, who chooses to embrace a counter-cultural lifestyle as a way of dealing with his PTSD, though the syndrome is of course not identified as such in the book. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards the stereotype of the returning military hero. Some controversy surrounded the publication of this book because of its lack of patriotic fervor and its embrace of bohemian ideals, but today it is regarded as one of the more important pieces of American literature from the 1940s.

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From the publisher

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.

From the jacket flap

Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of his spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiancee Isabel whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliott Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. Maugham himself wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

First Edition Identification

The first printing remains highly collectible, and well kept copies are often sold for several thousand dollars (US). This signed limited edition of the book was printed with only 750 numbered copies, and features a red cover, with a black leather spine label with gilt lettering. First U.S. editions often show severe darkening and wear to the spine, and this flaw will lower the price dramatically, even with the author's signature. 

The Razor's Edge
 was also published in the U.K. by William Heinemann the same year. For this edition the printing is of much lower quality, though signed copies of this printing in good condition still are valued above $1,000 USD. This edition commonly shows print smuding, chipped edges and tanned pages. The spine is often in poor condition. An original copy of the screenplay for the movie starring Tyrone Power is also highly collectible. 

Details

  • Title The Razor's Edge
  • Author W. Somerset Maugham
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Later Printing
  • Pages 314
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Vintage, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Date 2003-09-09
  • ISBN 9781400034208 / 1400034205
  • Weight 0.52 lbs (0.24 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.06 x 5.2 x 0.68 in (20.47 x 13.21 x 1.73 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1900-1919
    • Catalog Heading: Classics
    • Curriculum Strand: Language Arts/Literature
  • Library of Congress subjects Bildungsromans, World War, 1914-1918 - Veterans
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

“[Maugham is] a great artist . . . a genius.” –Theodore Dreiser

“[Maugham’s] excessively rare gift of story-telling . . . is almost the equal of imagination itself.” –The Sunday Times (London)

“It is very difficult for a writer of my generation, if he is honest, to pretend indifference to the work of Somerset Maugham. . . . He was always so entirely there.” –Gore Vidal

“Maugham remains the consummate craftsman. . . . [His writing is] so compact, so economical, so closely motivated, so skillfully written, that it rivets attention from the first page to last.” –Saturday Review of Literature

About the author

W. Somerset Maugham was one the twentieth century's most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. He was born in Paris but grew up in England and served as a secret agent for the British during World War I. He wrote many novels, including the classics Of Human Bondage, Cakes and Ale, Christmas Holiday, The Moon and Sixpence, Theatre, and Up at the Villa.
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The Razor's Edge
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The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

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The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

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Paperback
ISBN 13
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ISBN 10
1400034205
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The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

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  • Paperback
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Paperback
ISBN 13
9781400034208
ISBN 10
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The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge

by Maugham, W. Somerset

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 13
9781400034208
ISBN 10
1400034205
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Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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Description:
Vintage, 2003. Paperback. Acceptable. Former library book; Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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NZ$10.12
FREE shipping to USA
The Razor's Edge
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The Razor's Edge

by Maugham, W. Somerset

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ISBN 13
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ISBN 10
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The Razor's Edge
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The Razor's Edge

by Maugham, W. Somerset

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Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9781400034208
ISBN 10
1400034205
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The Razor's Edge
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Razor's Edge

by Maugham, W. Somerset

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9781400034208
ISBN 10
1400034205
Quantity Available
7
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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NZ$11.98
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Description:
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
NZ$11.98
FREE shipping to USA