The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

“The acquisition of knowledge,”

I knew a man who was a doctor, and not a bad one either, but he didn’t practice. He spent years burrowing away in the library of the British Museum and at long intervals produced a huge pseudo-scientific, pseudo-philosophical book that nobody read and that he had to publish at his own expense. He wrote four or five of them before he died and they were absolutely worthless.

It’s a toss-up when you decide to leave the beaten track. Many are called but few are chosen.”

I asked myself if she thought she’d answered my question.

I MENTIONED SUZANNE ROUVIER

My favorite character in the book. The author recounted the events in such a light hearted way that, though well suited the character's toughness, I didn't fully appreciate what she'd been through until i read it again.

“You make me tired. D’you think I sacrificed myself to let Larry fall into the hands of a raging nymphomaniac?” “How did you sacrifice yourself?” “I gave Larry up for the one and only reason that I didn’t want to stand in his way.” “Come off it, Isabel. You gave him up for a square-cut diamond and a sable coat.” The words were hardly out of my mouth when a plate of bread and butter came flying at my head. By sheer luck I caught the plate, but the bread and butter was scattered on the floor. I got up and put the plate back on the table. “Your uncle Elliott wouldn’t have thanked you if you’d broken one of his Crown Derby plates. They were made for the third Duke of Dorset and they’re almost priceless.” “Pick up the bread and butter,” she snapped. “Pick it up yourself,” I said, seating myself again on the sofa. She got up and, fuming, picked up the scattered pieces. “And you call yourself an English gentleman,” she exclaimed, savagely. “No, that’s a thing I’ve never done in all my life.”

The devil was sly and he came to Jesus once more and said: If thou wilt accept shame and disgrace, scourging, a crown of thorns and death on the cross, thou shalt save the human race, for greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus fell. The devil laughed till his sides ached, for he knew the evil men would commit in the name of their redeemer.”

When he sacrifices himself man for a moment is greater than God, for how can God, infinite and omnipotent, sacrifice himself? At best he can only sacrifice his only begotten son.”

the purpose of creation is to serve as a stage for the punishment or reward of the deeds of the soul’s earlier existences.” “Which presupposes belief in the transmigration of souls.” “It’s a belief held by two thirds of the human race.” “The fact that a great many people believe something is no guarantee of its truth.” “No, but at least it makes it worthy of consideration.

It was not for me to leave the world and retire to a cloister, but to live in the world and love the objects of the world, not indeed for themselves, but for the Infinite that is in them.

This coincides w Taoism and later-stage Confusianism. 格物致知

When it came I passed it over to Larry. “If you’re going to chuck your money down the drain you can damn well pay for my breakfast.”

I watched him cross the road with his loose, long-legged stride. I, being made of stuff less stern, stepped into a taxi and returned to my hotel. When I got into my sitting-room I noticed that it was after eight. “This is a nice hour for an elderly gentleman to get home,”

You’re free, white, and twenty-one.”