A classic story by a master, the razors edge is so wellwritten that the reader glides through the story easily. The razors edge is a frustrating and fascinating film from 1946. It was during a dinner party at a chicago country club. The film would be remade in 1984, with bill murray in the tyrone power role. Both in the book and in the 1946 production of the razors edge, larry darrells search for inner peace after experiencing traumas during wwi rings true to life. Rent the razors edge 1946 starring tyrone power and gene tierney on dvd and bluray.
The razor s edge this book is a classic and should be on the bookshelf of every thinking person who questions. Maughams book and the 1946 movie inadvertently gave birth to the 1984 blockbuster, ghostbusters. The story begins as maugham a novelist, thinking back to when he first met larry darrell. I havent read any comments about either her performance or that of clifton webbs, who also won an oscar for his role of elliot templeton. The first film was created two years after the book was made, which is in 1946 and directed by edmund goulding. This book challenges the cultural ideals of the 1940s, and disregards. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The protagonist is a disillusioned veteran of the first world war who abandons his wealthy friends and lifestyle, traveling to india seeking enlightenment.
The razors edge by w somerset maugham was broadcast on bbc radio 4 in 2005 first published in 1944, w somerset maughams novel dramatised in twoparts by ronald frame. Bbc radio drama the razors edge by w somerset maugham. Maughams last major novel, the razors edge 1944, was a departure for him in many ways. Tyrone power, gene tierney, john payne, anne baxter, clifton webb, herbert marshall. The story begins through the eyes of larrys friends. Unfollow the razors edge 1946 to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.
The razors edge is an unusual amalgam threequarters witty social commentary about american and european society, onequarter eastern philosophy bound together by maughams impeccable prose almost as though henry james and hermann hesse had collaborated. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Collecting the razors edge by maugham, w somerset first. Rent the razors edge 1946 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. It is a great movie and is based on a novel by english writer w. Its about what matters, and what doesnt, in a high society world george cukor could have filmed, but this is by director edmund goulding, coming off of a series of war films, and with the great grand hotel from 1932 in his trail. Up for auction is a great old book i found at an estate sale, the razors edge, the classic by w. Even when a movie wasnt about grand sweeping themes it at least looked and acted opulently. The razors edge when i had started to read the book, i realized that the main narrator was the author himself, maugham. A comparison of the razors edge 1946 and 1984 by lauren ennis. Somerset maugham maugham, william somerset 18741965 published by philadelphia. In case you did not know, there are two films about the novel the razors edge. Throughout the book, he gave a general running narration and often a dialog mainly with larry darrell tyrone power, the main character.
I think power is very good in the role, and he well understood the larry darrell character. It tells the story of larry darrell, an american pilot traumatized by his experiences in world war i, who sets off in. There are none of the jarring grammar or punctuation gaffes included in most of todays selfpublished books, although some of the english usage is archaic and obviously british. There is a free, full and complete online pdf version of the razors edge book available at the link below as well as, for those who would rather not read the book but rather watch the movie or do both, a full version of the black and white 1946 movie by clicking the graphic below the link. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Somerset maugham, who appears onscreen in the form of herbert marshall.
This novel, supposedly based on the life of an acquaintance of maugham, follows the fortunes of an american pilot who, traumatized by war, rejects his former conventional. The 1946 drama was nominated for an academy award as best picture, and it was one of gouldings finest films. His search carried him from the bistros of paris to the far reaches of india. Cant say enough about that, but the performance of anne baxter as sophie was immeasurable. The 1946 film was made shortly after the end of world war ii, which ensured that audiences would understand the dilemma that larry and isabel faced after each anxiously awaited his return home, only to find that both had changed during the course of the war. Screen legend tyrone power stars in this engaging classic based on w. The second one was finished in 1984, directed by john byrum and played with the famous actor that. Bill murray was a fan of both the book and movie versions of the razors edge and began to write a screenplay for it in which he could star.
Despite some critics poking fun the razors edge did receive an academy award nomination for best picture in 1947, but lost to what was undeniably the film of the moment, the samuel goldwyn companys postwar triumph the best years of our lives 1946. 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 countercultural lifestyle as a way of dealing with his ptsd, though the syndrome is of course not identified as such in the book. Gregory peck was originally announced for the razors edge but zanuck must have realized how perfect power would be in the part. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. Despite its apparently uncommercial storyline, it was a pet project of fox honcho darryl f. The razors edge 1946 a stately, dramatic, richly nuanced film about love, true love, and the love of life. W somerset maugham the story of larry darrell, who surrendered his chance at wealth and the woman he loved in order to seek a faith. The razors edge approved 2h 25min drama, romance 25 december 1946 usa an adventuresome young man goes off to find himself and loses his socialite fiancee in the process. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. A hardened tyrone power was surprisingly convincing as the hero on a spiritual quest, and he was well supported by gene tierney. While much of the novel takes place in europe, its main characters are american, not british. First american edition, which precedes the british edition of maughams 20thcentury manifesto for human fulfillment. It is easy to see why she won an oscar for her part.
Somerset maugham because the original book is almost always better than the film. Its epigraph reads, the sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass overthus the wise say the path to salvation is hard, taken from a verse in the kathaupanishad. In an earnest, expensive endeavor to put upon the screen the tenuous drama and morality of somerset maughams the razors edge, twentieth centuryfox has concocted a long and elaborate film in. First impression of this vanguard library edition not the true first. Starring tyrone power as larry darrell, gene tierney as isabel bradley, clifton webb as elliott templeton, anne baxter as sophie macdonald, herbert marshall as w. Somerset maugham, published in 1946 by triangle books. If i could experience these 2 artistic forms again, i would still start by watching this 1946 film first and then working my way backward to reading the 1944 book by w. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Somerset maugham, 1946, triangle books, the blakiston company edition. The razors edge 1946 starring tyrone power, a success. Buy the razors edge vintage classics by maugham, w.
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