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The Painted Veil
The Painted Veil
Author: W. Somerset Maugham
First published in 1925, The Painted Veil is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, it is the story of the beautiful but shallow young Kitty Fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to a remote region of China ravaged by a ...  more »
Audio Books swap for two (2) credits.
ISBN-13: 9780786168927
ISBN-10: 0786168927
Publication Date: 9/17/2006
Edition: Unabridged
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 5

4 stars, based on 5 ratings
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Book Type: Audio CD
Other Versions: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Painted Veil on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Beautifully written, compelling story. The movie's plot ended before the book's end and there is one other subplot in the movie. Neither detracts from the other. Frequently seeing a movie after reading the book can be disappointing. That isn't the case here. Both are beautiful.
mickmckeown avatar reviewed The Painted Veil on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A breathtaking story from beginning to end. The author, W. Somerset Maugham is a wonderful storyteller and does not disappoint the reader once during the novel. This is not a love story but a tale of one woman's journey on the road to redemption. The protagonist, Kitty Fane reminds me of a British version of Scarlett O'Hara. Kitty's journey is not a light hearted one. The reader's heart is constantly in a state of flux as the indecisive Kitty always leans towards the wrong choice. This is a timeless work that I believe will be in my top ten of beloved novels for the rest of my life. I highly suggest picking up a copy and enjoying the vivid world left behind by Maugham.
melissa-in-mi avatar reviewed The Painted Veil on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed seeing Kitty's growth and developing understanding of herself.
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reviewed The Painted Veil on + 100 more book reviews
Kitty Fane married a man she did not love. He discovered her affair and forced her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. There, volunteering at a convent, her emerging conscience compels her to reassess her life choices.
Written in 1925, there's not a lot of action, but the author has a great understanding of the human psychic, at least in these characters.
reviewed The Painted Veil on + 3 more book reviews
Yes, I liked it enough to use it for the book club in October at my house. Thank you.
reviewed The Painted Veil on + 8 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book very much. Saw the movie many years ago, so it was fun to read the book. But then I am a Maugham fan. If writing can be likened with music, I'd say he lays words down in a paragraph in the same gentle manner Liberace played a soft melody.
mizPJ avatar reviewed The Painted Veil on + 172 more book reviews
This was a pleasant listen - I enjoyed the characters. Setting wasn't very prominent, but the moral issues and character flaws are what make Maugham a perennial favorite.
Readnmachine avatar reviewed The Painted Veil on + 1474 more book reviews
~Meh.This novel of the redemption (or perhaps just the growing up) of a self-centered English girl after she enters a loveless marriage, betrays her husband, and then finds purpose in a cholera-ridden Chinese city, seems facile and somewhat pointless.