Bettie's Books

The Razor's Edge is a novel by W. Somerset Maugham written in 1944. Its epigraph reads, "The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard." —Katha-Upanishad.The Razor's Edge tells the story of an American, Larry Darrell, who, traumatized by his experiences as a fighter pilot in World War I, decides to search for some transcendant meaning in his life. The novel tells its story through the eyes of Larry's friends and acquaintances as they witness his personality change after the War. His rejection of conventional life and search for meaningful experience allows him to thrive while the more materialistic characters suffer reversals of fortune. This is a re-read as I just love this tale of 'enlightenment sought after trauma'. In many self-help philosophies it is stressed that only a major catastrophe in one's life can lead a person to look into personal behaviour and lifestyle and have the courage to amend. (Gurdjieff's teaching is one that instantly springs to mind.) I have always thought that those who have sailed through life without anything in the way of a major peak or trough do not experience life in the full spectrum, so be careful who you envy.