Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Der Autor schreibt aus einer first-person Perspektive über einen jungen Amerikaner, aber man bekommt mindestens genauso viel Info über die anderen Charaktere, über die man Informationen über Larry bekommt.
A fun story and really quite telling of our motives.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Don’t you think he may be pursuing an ideal that is hidden in a cloud of unknowing - like an astronomer looking for a star that only a mathematical calculation tells him exists?”
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I like Somerset Maugham. Of Human Bondage was the 1st classic I read outside of school required reading and it became one of my favorite books. After that, I read his The Summing Up and that made me really like the guy. He was witty and clever showing insight and a great ability to communicate his points and opinions on many subjects. The Razor's Edge is the 1st of his I've read in many years and I love this one, too. The book was made into a motion picture twice and fascinates me mostly because of the character who comes to develop and adopt his own slant on the ancient Vedanta philosophy. Larry is a character who is hard to forget. His quest for something "deeper" than his friends materialistic way of life makes for a contrast and the backdrop that allows Maugham to show the shallowness of how many of us live in this part of the world. I think it applies just as much today as it did when first written. A piece of work which reminds us that you won't see trailers full of people's worldly acquisitions following behind a hearse on the way to the graveyard.
A book for those who want more than a superficial story but one that is easy to read and enjoy.
A book for those who want more than a superficial story but one that is easy to read and enjoy.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wrestling with a dose of existentialism may be a universal human experience, whether for a moment, a period, or a lifetime. Larry, the main character, who is only glimpsed by the narrator through a handful of encounters, or second-hand reports, deals with deep existential crisis, developed during the experience of serving as a WWI pilot, by delving deeply into spiritualism. This is juxtaposed with a narratives of the materialist lifestyles of Elliot, Isabel, Gray, and even Sophie.
Obviously, there is not one single answer to the question of existentialism. So, instead the author/narrator "satisfies" by concluding each character got exactly what they wanted all along (regardless of how deserving the character, or pleasant obtaining their desire might be).
I don’t think I actually felt satisfied, but I was engaged throughout and at the end had a moment of: huh, I think I get it.
Obviously, there is not one single answer to the question of existentialism. So, instead the author/narrator "satisfies" by concluding each character got exactly what they wanted all along (regardless of how deserving the character, or pleasant obtaining their desire might be).
I don’t think I actually felt satisfied, but I was engaged throughout and at the end had a moment of: huh, I think I get it.
Slow and meandering, but worthwhile. Characters felt real, reacted to life realistically, and through short glimpses became rounded.