Talk:The Razor's Edge

Untitled

I understand that Larry is based on Michael Patrick Leahy who was Somerset Maugham's friend and psychiatrist in Mayfair and then Harley Street. Leahy treated his patients by suggestion. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.198.178.113 (talk) 09:36, 13 October 2020 (UTC)

Whether or not Guy Hague is the real Larry in the Razor's Edge is an interesting question. Nevertheless there are other characters that could be pursued, for example the French woman painter Suzanne Rouviet from the book might well be Suzanne Valadon in real life. http://members.tripod.com/cathreese/DefiantWomen/artists/valadon.html If she and her child really did spend time with him, maybe her son knows who is the real Larry.

It has been suggested that Eliot Templeton is based on Henry Channon and that the younger American snob is based on Ashley Chanler. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.252.109.36 (talk) 22:51, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

-the razors edge is also what Zen is known as

Plot

the plot summary is rather interesting, as I'd have given more thought to the adventures of larry, including Kosti and Suzanne. The only time the novel hints at the narrator being Mr Maugham is when he is referred to as "Mr. M," right? Anooneemiss 08:54, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

I agree that the plot section is puzzling in its selection, especially the undue weight placed on Sophie's role in the story. Also, Maugham starts the book off in the first person speaking as the author, so it is assumed throughout that the narrator is Maugham himself. But yes, he is first mentioned as Mr M, though later in the book he is called by his full last name. Anyway, the plot section would need some serious work to extract all the Sophie references and still flow well, but if anyone's up to it, the article would be better for it. — Bility (talk) 22:35, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

Book cover image

My understanding is the general rule of thumb is to use as early a book cover as possible (preferably a 1st edition). I don't have a 1st edition, but I do have a rare 1946 edition with a cover tying in with the first film. The image currently in use is a more recent reprint (which appears to lack fair use licensing information). If no one has any objections I'm willing to replace the current image with one of the older hardcover. Thoughts? 23skidoo 07:23, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

Sounds good. Go for it. The bellman 01:23, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:RazorsEdgeNew.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 03:50, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Why were these references removed?

• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087980/locations IMDb
• http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ramanasramam.html
• http://the-wanderling.com/hague.html

by Special:Contributions/99.192.58.201

99.190.80.182 (talk) 08:42, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

It's explained in the edit summaries. One is not a credible source for anything. One was being used to source a claim that it does not actually source. And one was just an external link connected to an OR claim, and not being used as a source at all. Read the edit summaries and they do explain all this. 99.192.68.204 (talk) 18:43, 6 January 2012 (UTC) (=99.192.58.201)

Influences

The mention of the 1950s Beats is naïve. Schopenhauer, in 1819, explained the essence of Hinduism and Buddhism for the benefit of Western readers. Maugham knew Schopenhauer's philosophy and, as a result, was impressed by Hinduism and Buddhism. The Beats tried to act in accordance with Zen Buddhism but, instead, degenerated into dependence on drugs and alcohol.Lestrade (talk) 00:30, 8 October 2012 (UTC)Lestrade

and jazz. 76.218.248.127 (talk) 17:15, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

and least we forget, during the time this book/movie takes place, there was a entire movement in the West re: strong interest in Eastern philosophy; e.g. Ouspensky, Rudhyar, Gurdjieff, Huxley, Bailey, Marc E. Jones, Jung, etc. 76.218.248.127 (talk) 17:15, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

Assessment comment

The comment(s) below were originally left at Talk:The Razor's Edge/Comments, and are posted here for posterity. Following several discussions in past years, these subpages are now deprecated. The comments may be irrelevant or outdated; if so, please feel free to remove this section.

I'm new to this - but I notice that this article refers to an example of "domestic violence", when a woman has her face slapped outside a cafe. The context makes it clear that the man is a pimp. It is "between two and three" in the morning. She is "young, rather shabby, but heavily painted, and looked very tired" "Presently I noticed her take something out of her bag and hand it to him. Money." Clearly the man is displeased. He slaps her. She tells those who wish to interfere that she deserves it. Maugham comments. "I always thought that to live on a woman's immoral earnings you must be a strapping flashy fellow with sex appeal ..." etc. Certainly violence to women, but not domestic violence. Perhaps the author could rejig this section?Peter Goodwin 06:42, 27 December 2006 (UTC)

Last edited at 06:42, 27 December 2006 (UTC). Substituted at 08:21, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

Ambiguous

Who is "he"- Maugham or Maharshi  ? "Maugham himself visited Sri Ramana Ashram, where he had a direct interaction with Ramana Maharshi in Tamil Nadu, India in 1938.[3][4] Maugham's suggestion that he "invented nothing" was a source of annoyance for Christopher Isherwood, " — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.53.191.77 (talk) 06:11, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

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