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.

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The Razor's Edge study guide contains a biography of W. Somerset Maugham, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. Tags: Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Analysis of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Articles of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Criticism of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Essays of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Literary Criticism, Literary Theory, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Notes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Plot of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Study Guide of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Summary of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Cakes and Ale, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Liza of Lambeth, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel Of Human Bondage, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Moon and Sixpence, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novel The Razor’s Edge, Themes of W. Somerset Maugham's Novels, W. Somerset Maugham, W. Somerset Maugham's Novels Related Articles Through the eyes of the narrator, who happens to be a minor character and a writer, we follow Larry’s both spiritual and literal journey. During one of his rare visits to Chicago, Elliot Templeton, an art dealer and the biggest snob in Paris, invites his old acquaintance, the narrator, to a lunch at his sister’s house. He meets Larry there, a young man, who immediately catches his interest.

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Cordell, Richard A. Somerset Maugham, a Writer for All Seasons: A Biographical and Critical Study. 2d ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969.

The Razor’s Edge Summary | GradeSaver

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. 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.

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