A timeless literary classic exploring one man's spiritual awakening. Follow Larry Darrell, a disillusioned World War I pilot, as he abandons wealth and convention to pursue meaning through philosophy, travel, and self-discovery. Narrated by W. Somerset Maugham himself, this 1944 novel contrasts Larry's quest for enlightenment with the materialistic world around him—including his former fiancée Isabel and her privileged circle. Inspired by the Katha Upanishad, the title captures the razor-thin path between spiritual truth and worldly illusion. A profound meditation on purpose, identity, and the cost of choosing authenticity over comfort.
