Many thought Isherwood, who had built his own literary reputation by then and was studying Indian philosophy, was the basis for the book's hero."Fable of Beasts & Men". Time. 5 November 1945. Isherwood went so far as to write to Time denying this speculation.Isherwood's letter to Time is cited in Christopher Isherwood, My Guru and His Disciple, page 183. It has been suggested that Guy Hague was an important influence in the character of Darrell, although it now appears that he was not at Ramanasramam when Maugham visited.Godman, David (1988) Somerset Maugham and The Razor's Edge http://davidgodman.org The English poet and translator Lewis Thompson is thought to be a more likely candidate.Thompson, Lewis, and Lannoy, Richard (ed) (2011), Fathomless Heart: The Spiritual and Philosophical Reflections of an English Poet-Sage, p. 1, North Atlantic Books David Haberman has pointed out that Ronald Nixon, an Englishman who took monastic vows and became known as Krishna Prem, served as a fighter pilot in the First World War and experienced a crisis of meaninglessness that was "strikingly similar" to that experienced by Larry. Haberman states that Nixon's "direct experiences with the death and destruction of warfare filled him with a sense of futility and meaninglessness (strikingly similar to the experience of Larry in Sommerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge)" (p. 283).
many tHOuGht iSHerwood, wHo HAd bUilt HiS oWn litErary reputaTion by then And Was stUDyIng IndIaN phiLosopHy, was tHe basIS for ThE bOoK's HERo."fabLE OF bEasts & MeN". tIme. 5 noveMBer 1945. iSheRwooD weNt so faR as To WRITe to tIme denying tHis sPeculatIoN.IshERwood's leTter to time IS CiteD in ChristOPHer IsHeRWOOD, my gUrU and his disciplE, pAge 183. it haS bEen sugGested that guy haGUe WAs an impOrtAnt iNfLUencE in the cHaracter OF dArREll, aLthOUGh It nOW aPpears ThAt hE wAs not at RaManAsramam wheN MaughaM visiTeD.GodmAN, DAvid (1988) someRsEt MaUGham And the rAzor's eDge Http://davIdgOdMaN.org ThE eNgLish pOeT ANd translatOr lEwiS ThoMpson iS thOught tO BE a morE lIkely candidaTE.ThoMpson, LEwis, anD lannoy, RiCharD (eD) (2011), FAthomlEsS heArT: tHe spIrItual AND pHIloSoPhIcal rEflecTionS of an EngLISH poeT-sAgE, p. 1, north atlAnTiC BoOks DavID haberman Has pointEd out thAT ronAld Nixon, an EnGlishMan who took MonasTic vows and BecaMe knowN AS krIshna prEm, serVEd As a figHter PiLOT In tHe fiRst wOrld wAr aNd expeRiEnCEd a criSis of meaningLessneSs ThAt was "StriKingly SiMilaR" To THaT expEriEnCed By LaRry. hAberman stAtes tHAt NixoN's "dIrEcT ExPerIeNCEs wIth ThE dEath aNd deStRuCtiOn of warFare fIllEd hiM wiTH a seNSe oF FutilIty AND mEaNingLeSsneSS (strikIngly SiMiLAr to the eXpErienCe oF Larry iN SoMmeRset maUghAm's the raZOr's edGe)" (p. 283).