The Razor's Edge

While it seems to go nowhere, it really does. There is little suspense, but all the characters are so well drawn that the reader will end up thinking they are friends or acquaintances. The reader will want to know more but will know there is no more to know.

Easy to read and very interesting material. The characters are easy to follow. I found it interesting the way Somerset moves in and around his characters with his own life events, almost as if it were an autobiography.

I loved the richness of the character development. I loved being immersed in the interwar period. I loved the way it made me think about the meaning of my own life. And I loved the very quotable prose.

Wonderful novel of a man (Larry) who searches for the meaning in life and the road to salvation. Set in the era of the Great Depression, you will find many parallels with today's "recession". Amazing. This parallel alone modernizes the story.

Did I read the same book as other reviewers here? I was not so moved by this story or its characters. I must say Elliott Templeton, fop, elitist, esthete, snob with a good heart, dominated much of the book and was an interesting study of an out-of-step super rich man who was loyal to his sister and niece and friends. Ultimately, Elliott's rather puerile values and existence find some degree of redemption. But Larry's story, his spiritual quest, his drifting life, and his long pursuit of meaning became a long winded and tedious trip for me. I kept thinking too about Larry's ability to sustain himself. He somehow had enough money to ramble through the world without many worldly concerns. His smile and unflappable nature took him through every situation and relationship.
I don't know. He didn't seem real. The book seemed creaky and dated and the writing itself somewhat unreal and stilted. I did like Maugham using himself as a character and interacting with everyone else. I also liked how Maugham achieved the feel of the depression hitting suddenly, ending an incredible American decade of unbridled optimism. But in no way was this book a life changer for me. It was interesting in places, tedious in others. So this is a mixed review of what's considered a classic.

The delivery was fast and the book appeared to be in good condition the pages were a tanted color due to possibly the age, what was a sad thing was that the hard front cover when you look at it was in great condition but when we opened it the binding on the base of the book cracked all the way down. The book must have not been kept in a sealed book case and it should have mentioned that the book cover was damaged. I wouldn't have bought it for the price, however my son said he will pay to have it repaired and likes the book. I hate giving a present to anyone when its damaged.

Excellent! The English language as it's meant to be. Not the lazy, meretricious speech of our texting, tweeting youth of today.
I would wholly recommend this meaningful exploration into the social customs at a time before people felt compelled to report every trite activity in their daily lives as if anyone really cared.

While nothing overly dramatic occurs in the story I still found it entirely interesting in that it is simply a second-hand account of a person's journey on the path rarely followed. The writer, as narrator, occasionally speaks directly to the reader as though it were a private conversation which lends itself nicely to the reserved tone of the story. The writer/narrator has a keen eye for detail so that the story becomes almost fascinating -- especially for those, like the secondary characters and perhaps the narrator himself, who tend to shy away from the mystical and spiritual. One need not buy into these things in order to participate in and enjoy the yarn.

I also liked that the story spanned several actual historical events, the impacts of which were incorporated into the lives of the characters.

This was everything I anticipated it would be. Having read many of Maugham's short stories, I anticipated a well written story about interactions between people. Told over a period of years (basically the years between World Wars I and II), the narrator of the story observes the characters, loves and relationships between a group of young people and family members of his acquaintance. The story is told as a recollection and though the plot mostly concerns relationships, there is nothing of the soap opera about it.