Our first book, for which the whole book club has been named! Before I go into the book let me tell you what this book club is all about. We want to only read books which were critically acclaimed and beloved and were turned into movies that not only bombed, but were terrible! So our first choice was the book The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham.
This book caught my eye while I was watching the biography of Bill Murray. Bill had read the book around the time he was making the switch from SNL to the big screen. Bill apparently has always had a deeper more serious side. After reading The Razor's Edge and intimately relating to the main character and his spiritual search for real meaning and purpose, Bill began a campaign to make a movie out of the story he loved so much starring, of course, him. After many rejections by many producers he was given a script for the movie Ghostbuster. He agreed to do the film if they would only make The Razor's Edge a motion picture as well. Producers and directors believed in Ghostbusters so much that they agreed and production started. That year Ghostbusters came out on top as the number one movie. And The Razor's Edge... dead last. People were not ready for Bill Murray to take on a serious roll. Those days wouldnt come until Lost In Translation and Broken Flowers. Bill Murray was shattered. And we, delighted for it became our first literary journey.
The book was boring at first. It was all dialgue. The recollection of the author and narrator of his encounters with the main character of the book, Larry, as he continued on his spiritual journey. Mostly observations, the chapters lull on until half way through the book you find yourself wrapped up in the lives within the book just as the narrator is, interested yet distant, and completely curious. The book picks up speed and by the end I became very grateful for having read it. So do I recommend it? Yes! Definitely.
The movie. It wasnt so bad! It was boring. And looooonnnnnggggggg. And Im so sorry Bill.... but I wasnt ready for you to go serious either! And I dont think he was either. His character just came off as a more chilled out and philosophical version of Phil Conners from Groundhog Day with his dry, lifeless sense of humor. However, and again, Im very glad we watched it and it feels good to have completed our first bookmovie! We cant wait for the next one .... TO BE CONTINUED.......
