Reviews for The Painted Veil

The average rating for The Painted Veil based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-07-11 00:00:00 Victor Quijano Wonderful writing and a good read from Maugham. I had not read him lately so I forgot how good a writer he is. The basic story is of a beautiful young British woman who has "played the field" too long. She's now 25 and her plainer, younger sister is engaged. In desperation the main character marries an MD bacteriologist who takes her to Hong Kong where he works as a scientist. Here's a wedding proposal for you: She: "I think I like you very much. You must give me time to get used to you." He: "Then it's yes?" She: "I suppose so." He loves her; she finds him repulsive. She has an affair and after he finds out, he announces they are going into rural China where a cholera epidemic is raging. Is he trying to kill her? Himself? Both of them? If you read this book, be sure to read this poem by Oliver Goldsmith written in 1766, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog. "The dog it was that died" becomes a key line in the story. (It's on the web.) Some lines I liked: Of her husband: "He did not speak because he had nothing to say. But if nobody spoke unless they had something to say, Kitty reflected, with a smile, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech." Saddest lines in the book, from her husband: "I never expected you to love me, I didn't see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very loveable. … What most husbands expected as a right I was prepared to receive as a favor." She: "Do you think that the soul is immortal?" He: "How should I know?" On her breakup with the man who seduced her: "You really are the most vain and fatuous ass that it's ever been my bad luck to run across." Of a woman's restless eyes: "They moved from one part of you to another, to other persons in the room, and then back to you; you felt that she was criticizing you, summing you up, watchful meanwhile of all that went on around her, and that the words she spoke had no connection with her thoughts." And I think it's fair to call this the moral of the story -- from a nun serving orphans and the dying in the cholera epidemic: "…the only thing that counts is love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding." In the preface the author even gives us some writing tips: "I think that this is the only novel I have written in which I started from a story rather than from a character. It is difficult to explain the relation between character and plot. You cannot very well think of a character in the void; the moment you think of him, you think of him in some situation, doing something…" I really enjoyed this book. Still from the 2006 movie version from movies.film-cine.com Pulp edition by Pocketbooks 1946 from abebooks.co.uk

Review # 2 was written on 2017-03-25 00:00:00 Robert Statsinger It had been a long time since I read one of the classics. When I saw 'The Painted Veil' on sale at Audible.com, I thought it would be a nice change of pace. I wasn't wrong. This book proved to be far better than I expected. 'The Painted Veil' is set in England and China, taking place in the 1920's. It is a story of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption. I definitely wasn't prepared for some of the twists and turns that this story took, but I enjoyed every minute. Kitty Fane moved to Hong Kong with her husband, Walter. An incredibly intelligent man, Walter is also socially awkward. He loves Kitty, but is rather unapproachable and aloof. Eventually, Walter grew on me, but he isn't the type of "warm-fuzzy" character that you bond with immediately. From the start, it is made very clear that he is head-over-heels in love with his wife. Likewise, it is immediately evident that Kitty does not return the sentiment. Kitty is beautiful, vain and shallower than a kiddie pool. While Walter married for love, she makes not ifs, ands, or buts about the fact that she did not. It is clear that she married Walter solely so that she would not be one-upped by her younger sister's upcoming nuptials. In fact, Kitty seems to loathe Walter...at least, initially. So, it was no big surprise that Kitty spent her days in the arms of the charming, and also married, Charles Townsend, while Walter was busy at work. No doubt, the dumb twit was just the most recent in what was bound to be a long line of extramarital conquests for Charles. Stupid Kitty believed that he was as in love with her as she was with him. Poor fool. Unlike his wife, Walter has no illusions. He knew that Kitty didn't love him the way he loved her, but he wanted her so badly that he was willing to marry her anyway. He may have known that she didn't love him, but he did expect for her to be faithful. When he discovers her adultery, he gives Kitty an option. He will grant her a divorce, if Charles will agree in writing to divorce his wife and marry Kitty immediately thereafter. Or, Kitty can accompany Walter into rural China where he has accepted a job assisting with the medical management of the cholera epidemic. Of course, Walter already knows exactly how this will work out. Kitty seems to be the only one surprised by Charles' duplicity. I have to say that Walter had a special place in my heart. I love stories with darker themes and am drawn to anti-heroes. There was something so sinister and calculating about Walter that really drew me to him. Kitty was right to be afraid of her husband, even as she knew that he loved her. Walter was kind of a scary guy. Arriving in the small village, it is immediately apparent that Kitty is being punished for her transgressions. Walter keeps her at a distance and is cold, at best. It becomes clear to Kitty that Walter is seeking revenge, using cholera to commit a passive murder/suicide. It was sick. It was twisted. It was goddamn brilliant! The more time she spent in the village, the more Kitty came to see the error of her ways. For the first time, Kitty grew to appreciate her husband and even admire him. Though she never really fell in love with him, she finally felt shame and remorse for her actions. As much as I disliked Kitty at the onset of this book, she grew on me. I came to see her as an imperfect human, a product of her privileged upbringing and societal expectations. Similarly, I came to see some of Walter's flaws. He wasn't entirely a victim as I believed, early on. I can't say that there is one "moral of the story" that really stands out to me with the book. There were many. This book was a beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, account of the human experience. Although this isn't my usual type of story, I enjoyed it immensely. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way that I didn't see coming. Early on, I thought I had it all worked out in my head, but I was sooo wrong. This story did not pan out the way I had envisioned, but it was strangely fitting for this couple. Overall, I thought that this was a wonderful book. It isn't a particularly happy or uplifting read, but it was great in and of it's own accord. This is one that will definitely hang with me for a while. I highly recommend it.