The Razor’s Edge (1944) is W. Somerset Maugham’s philosophical novel that explores the search for meaning in the aftermath of World War I. The story follows Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by the war, who rejects conventional success—abandoning his fiancée, Isabel, and a lucrative career—to pursue a nomadic quest for spiritual enlightenment. From the libraries of Paris to the ashrams of India, Larry’s journey contrasts with the materialistic lives of his former friends, including the social-climbing Elliott Templeton and the disillusioned Sophie Macdonald.
Maugham, inserting himself as a fictionalized narrator, weaves a tapestry of post-war disillusionment and Eastern mysticism. The title, drawn from the Katha Upanishad (“The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over”), underscores Larry’s arduous path to self-discovery.
For similar reads, try Siddhartha (1922) by Hermann Hesse or The Alchemist (1988) by Paulo Coelho.
