Erin Reads

Reading Buddies Wrap-Up: “The Razor’s Edge” by W. Somerset Maugham

Reading Buddies Badge

Welcome, Reading Buddies! First, a reminder: be sure to vote for April’s book in the poll in the sidebar!

Well! How did you like The Razor’s Edge? When I posted two weeks ago, I’d hardly read enough of the novel to have much of an opinion. I just finished the book yesterday and very much enjoyed it.

I think one of the things I liked best about The Razor’s Edge was how none of the characters was explicitly good or evil and how each of them seemed to represent a particular worldview or way of life without being reduced to stock characters or mere mouthpieces for Maugham’s ideas. They played well against each other without any of them seeming false or underdeveloped, I thought.

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (cover)

I also enjoyed the more philosophical aspects to the novel, mostly introduced by Larry but responded to by the others. I found their conversations and commentaries fascinating and thought Maugham did an admirable job working these sections into his novel without letting them feel disconnected from the narrative.

I’ve spent some time considering whether or not I had a favorite character. I don’t think I actually did. I somehow liked the narrator, even though he revealed next to nothing about himself. There was something endearing about Elliott, even as he snubbed those he felt unworthy. Passionate Isabel and good-natured Gray played their roles admirably. And then, of course, there was Larry. Of all the characters, I think I respected him most. It’s not that he was the only character who went after his dreams — it was just that his dreams required him to take the biggest step away from the norm, I felt. He did what he felt he had to do, regardless of society’s expectations and the reactions of his friends. What began as “loafing” became something much more, and in the end, I do think he found his path.

Speaking of the end, Maugham closes the novel thusly:

“…to my intense surprise it dawned upon me that without in the least intending to I had written nothing ore or less than a success story. For all the persons with whom I have been concerned got what they wanted: Elliott social eminence; Isabel an assured position backed by a substantial fortune in an active and cultured community; Gray a steady and lucrative job, with an office to go to from nine till six every day; Suzanne Rouvier security; Sophie death; and Larry happiness. And however superciliously the highbrows carp, we the public in our heart of hearts all like a success story; so perhaps my ending is not so unsatisfactory after all.” (p. 314)

Do you agree that the characters got what they wanted? I’m not so sure about Sophie, but as for the rest, I’d say they did. Even though some of them — I’m thinking of Isabel here — thought they wanted something else, or something additional, I do think each managed to fulfill his or her top priority. I do think it’s interesting that Larry is the only one Maugham says got happiness; is he implying none of the other characters attained it? Do you agree that “we the public” love a success story? And finally, the author doesn’t mention himself in that list. What did he want, and did he get it?

The verdict? I’ll be reading more of Maugham. Thanks to you for choosing The Razor’s Edge for February’s Reading Buddies book, and for reading it with me! If you posted about this month’s read on your own blog, please leave a link to your post in the comments.

Thoughts on “The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett (Audiobook)

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (cover)

After disliking both Bel Canto and State of Wonder, I’d all but given up on Ann Patchett’s novels. JoAnn suggested I try The Magician’s Assistant as a last chance, and I chose to listen to it.

About the Book:

It isn’t until the charismatic Parsifal, Sabine’s husband and the magician she assisted for years, dies suddenly that Sabine discovers his secret: the family he claimed perished in a car accident long ago is actually alive and well in middle-of-nowhere Nebraska. When Kitty and Dot Fetters, sister and mother, respectively, of Guy Fetters — that’s Parsifal to Sabine — decide to visit Los Angeles to meet Sabine and see where Guy lived, Sabine finds herself drawn into Parsifal’s past, seeking comfort in these women who were so close to her husband and partner so long ago.

Does that (somewhat clumsy) summary make this one sound odd? Don’t get too hung up on it. Patchett manages to make it all work, somehow!

My Thoughts:

My issue with the two other Patchett novels I’ve read has been the ending. I enjoyed both books until the final pages, where the directions in which Patchett took both stories effectively severed my emotional connection to them — a rather disappointing conclusion to any book! I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Magician’s Assistant worked somewhat opposite for me, drawing me further and further inside itself as the story moved forward and (thankfully!) never letting go.

At first, I didn’t think I’d be able to connect much with Sabine, a glamorous magician’s assistant living the a cushy life in Los Angeles with her husband and his gay lover (I’ll let you read the book yourself to learn about that situation). Yet, as Sabine’s story unfolded, I found myself warming to her as she struggled to come to terms with her grief and redefine her suddenly solitary life. Through the Fetters family, Sabine encounters a world so different from her own that it both forces her to face reality and helps her on her journey. Patchett ended The Magician’s Assistant in precisely the right place, in my opinion, which left me feeling both satisfied and relieved this particular ending hadn’t gone the way of the others of Patchett’s I’d read!

The audiobook was read by Karen Ziemba. She’s a new narrator to me, but I liked the way her cool, polished voice matched the way I imagined Sabine. I very much enjoyed the audio production and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Has The Magician’s Assistant restored my willingness to try more by Ann Patchett? I’d say it has. I do have Run and The Patron Saint of Liars on my shelf already, so I’m sure I’ll try at least one of those. For readers who have had similarly disappointing experiences with Ann Patchett’s novels, The Magician’s Assistant is different enough that I’d recommend it as a nice change of pace. Thanks to JoAnn for suggesting it to me!

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett on Goodreads or LibraryThing, read other bloggers’ reviews, or listen to an Audible sample!

Thoughts on “The Last Nude” by Ellis Avery

The Last Nude by Ellis Avery came to me through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. It came out last month.

About the Book:

Young Rafaela Fano is struggling to carve out a life for herself in 1920s Paris when painter Tamara de Lempika spots her out walking one day and recruits her as a model. It isn’t long before the two women spend as much time in bed as they do at work, and Rafaela is thrilled to discover a new side of herself and a new perspective on love as she inspires some of Tamara’s most famous and coveted works. Based on historical fact, The Last Nude imagines Rafaela’s and Tamara’s stories, first from the model’s perspective and then, much later, from the artist’s.

My Thoughts:

My feelings toward The Last Nude were rather lukewarm. It’s not that I disliked it — more that there wasn’t really anything about it that I loved. I will be interested to see others’ reactions to the novel, as I bet there are many who will really enjoy it.

There were a couple of things I felt were well done in The Last Nude. First, it was, of course, written around a real painter, her model, and her paintings, and I thought Avery wove all three into the novel well. I also liked how Avery chose to portray Rafaela, a bright and passionate but naive girl, trying her best to find a place for herself in the world, thrilled and a little confused by the heady excitement of the role into which she finds herself suddenly thrown. The book is a quick read, not heavy or complex, but these features seemed to suit the story. Avery’s writing somehow matched de Lempika’s painting: bold, immediate, sensuous.

The parts I didn’t like had to do with the overall narrative. I thought Rafaela adjusted awfully quickly to the idea of a sexual relationship with another woman — one page she was questioning her new, unfamiliar feelings and almost literally the next she seemed one hundred percent on board with the relationship and fully invested. It made Rafaela’s transition from model to lover so quick as to be almost unbelievable, the pages before the first sexual encounter more a halfhearted prelude to be dashed through before the interesting part of the story began. (I, for one, was disappointed, as I liked Rafaela as an entity unto herself and not just as a partner for Tamara.) It didn’t match the time Avery spent developing Rafaela in later pages.

I also didn’t understand the need for Tamara’s section at the end of the novel. She is much older, near the end of her days, looking back in disjointed memories on her life. Perhaps my dislike for Tamara made me feel similarly toward her story. Whatever the cause, having her end the story instead of Rafaela partially severed my emotional connection to the novel — even if Tamara did reveal a bit more of Rafaela’s story than Rafaela herself told. I just didn’t need the epilogue, the delivery of which seemed to be Tamara’s main purpose.

Overall, I think The Last Nude just wasn’t quite the book for me. I think that has more to do with my own preferences than the book itself, and I bet there will be plenty of readers out there who will love Avery’s latest novel.

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Last Nude on Goodreads or LibraryThing, or read other bloggers’ reviews!

Reading Buddies Discussion: “The Razor’s Edge” by W. Somerset Maugham

Welcome, Reading Buddies! Today we’re discussing The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. Published in 1944, it was Maugham’s last major novel. It’s the first novel of his I can remember reading, though I know I read Of Human Bondage years back. Last year, though, I read a collection of Maugham’s short stories, called The Trembling of a Leaf, which I very much enjoyed.

Shortly after reading that collection of stories, I learned that one of my favorites had served as the basis for The Razor’s Edge, which made me eager to read the latter. I’m not too far into the novel yet — I just finished the third chapter of Part 2 — but so far the stories don’t quite line up. I am completely fine with this, and yet at the same time, I’m noticing how strongly my expectations formed from the short story color my reading of The Razor’s Edge. I keep wondering how we’re going to get from where we are to where the short story goes…and I don’t even think (or care if) the two tales end up in the same place at all! Has that ever happened to you?

So far I find all the main characters endearing, each in his or her own way, which is rare for me. I often find I really like a couple of characters, feel lukewarm toward others, and maybe strongly dislike a few more. I suppose that may change as the story progresses. I also quite enjoy that Larry’s life goal at this point is to “loaf,” though I’m not sure at this point where it’s leading him. The story itself isn’t big and flashy, which so far has worked fine. In 65 pages, the story really hasn’t moved terribly quickly, and yet I’ve not found myself wishing it would pick up the pace at all.

One thing I particularly like about The Razor’s Edge so far is the awareness the author inserts of himself. I like when he tempers his supposed retelling by cautioning the reader that much of the scene has been constructed, based on remembered fact, with the author’s imagination. In an odd way, I find this faux memoir turning my mind toward real memoirs, causing me to consider just how much of such a story must be recreated from memories and imaginings. I tend to forget all that when I read a memoir. Kind of neat.

Finally, I like that Maugham (or his narrator) explicitly states he will not attempt to American-ify his characters. It must be difficult to write characters from cultures not your own, though I’ve honestly never really considered it. I love Maugham’s explanation:

“It is very difficult to know people and I don’t think one can ever really know any but one’s own countrymen. For men and women are not only themselves; they are also the region in which they were born, the city apartment or the farm in which they learnt to walk, the games they played as children, the old wives’ tales they overheard, the food they ate, the schools they attended, the sports they followed, the poets they read, and the God they believed in. It is all these things that have made them what they are, and these are the things that you can’t come to know by hearsay, you can only know them if you have lived them. You can only know them if you are them.” (p. 4, in my edition)

That’s all I’ve got so far. How’s The Razor’s Edge going for you? What are your impressions so far?

Looking Back: January 2012

Well hello, February, where did you come from? Here’s what my January looked like:

Books

Total books read: 3
Total pages read: 876
Favorite book: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Least favorite book: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu — I had high hopes, but it fell flat for me.
The others: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, still working on War and Peace!

Audiobooks

Total audiobooks listened to: 5
Total hours listened: 72 hours, 26 minutes
Favorite audiobook: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Least favorite audiobook: I really didn’t have one. They were all good!
The others: The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett, Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, The Religion by Tim Willocks

Last month on Erin Reads:

I looked back on December and wrapped up 2011.
Reading Buddies read A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (discussion, wrap-up) and chose The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham for February.
I shared thoughts on 1984 by George Orwell (audiobook), The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (audiobook), The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost (audiobook), and The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon (audiobook).

Your Turn!

That was my January. How was yours?