William Somerset Maugham (25 January 1874 ? 16 December 1965) was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s.

The Razor?s Edge is a book by Maugham published in 1944. Its epigraph reads, "The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard." taken from a verse in the Katha-Upanishad.

The Razor?s Edge 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 story begins through the eyes of Larry?s friends and acquaintances as they witness his personality change after the War. His rejection of conventional life and search for meaningful experience allows him to thrive while the more materialistic characters suffer reversals of fortune. The book was twice adapted into film, first in 1946 directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, and Herbert Marshall as Maugham, and then a 1984 adaptation

There is no entry about the novel available on Wikipedia at this time, but here is a link to the film entry.