Razor's Edge

Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

I started reading it because I've been on a hunt for heroes in modern literature, and I came across a literature form where the character Larry from this book was listed a a heroic figure. . . He wasn't much of a hero though (unless you’re thinking of ‘hero’ in the sense of a Greek Tragic hero). He was extremely self-centered even though he professed that giving to others and self-sacrifice were the highest callings in life.

Gray was the only real hero in this novel. He lived the life of self-sacrifice for the good of others that Larry seemed to idealize after returning from India. Although Gray was wealthy at the beginning and end of this novel, any married man can tell you that a good marriage demands a daily sacrifice of time, personal desires and money. He adored his children (which seems easy enough to do) and loved his snobby wife (which does not seem so easy to do) who was bound to die just as pathetically as her uncle, Elliot. Gray also had a sincere concern for his clients; he was a stock broker in the 1920’s and when they went bankrupt, he was devastated. He tried to support them with his own money hoping the market would pick up again. It didn’t and he, through his generosity, became as poor as his former clients. He showed true compassion and loving sacrifice throughout his life. It is unfortunate that he was a minor character in the novel.
Larry, on the other hand, seemed completely self-indulgent. Even though he followed his religious convictions, which is admirable, he never made any sacrifice of himself for the good of others. Even the holy men of India, who Larry idealized, spent years leading lives of true sacrifice for years before wandering around the country attempting to unite themselves with God. After Larry had his apparent religious epiphany he gave no satisfactory reason for returning to the United States. It seemed more like he was running away again.
Everyone else was just as self-centered as Larry.

I suspect the person who recommended Larry as a modern hero was swept away by Larry’s romantic religious musings, and overlooked his fatal flaw which was that Larry was a narcissist and never spent a second of his life thinking of or carrying for others.
Although I enjoyed the book, I didn’t find the hero I was looking for.