The Painted Veil in On The Same Page

Jul 22, 2022 Lorna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: pandemic-plague, favorite-book-covers, great-britain, classics, asia

The Painted Veil was a beautiful literary classic by masterful writer W. Somerset Maugham. In the Introduction to the edition that I read it is noted that this first was published in serialized form in Cosmopolitan appearing from November 1924 until March 1925 and later serialized in England. It was also adapted into theater and films.

But what I found most interesting was the Preface where Maugham notes that when he was twenty and a student at St. Thomas's Hospital, he was given six weeks vacat The Painted Veil was a beautiful literary classic by masterful writer W. Somerset Maugham. In the Introduction to the edition that I read it is noted that this first was published in serialized form in Cosmopolitan appearing from November 1924 until March 1925 and later serialized in England. It was also adapted into theater and films.

But what I found most interesting was the Preface where Maugham notes that when he was twenty and a student at St. Thomas's Hospital, he was given six weeks vacation over Easter. He left with his gladstone bag and twenty pounds setting off for Genoa and Pisa, then Florence where he found board and lodging seeing the dome of the cathedral from his window. As he recalls, the woman had a vineyard on the Tuscan Hills and the best chianti ever. The widow's daughter gave him an Italian lesson each day where the rest of the day he could wander along the Arno. Having already read a translation of Dante's Inferno with Ersilia's help, he started on the Purgatorio. She told him a story of Pia of Siena, suspected of adultery by her husband as he plotted her death. The theme haunted him for many years and he said that it wasn't until he made the long journey to China that it all fell into place:

"I think 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 think very well of character in the void; the moment you think of him in some situation, doing something; so that the character and at least his principle action seem to be the result of of simultaneous act of the imagination. But in this case the characters were chosen to fit the story I gradually evolved; they were constructed from persons I had long known in different circumstances."

This is an engrossing tale of love and disappointment of a young British couple marrying for all of the wrong reasons. The drama of their lives plays out in a remote and beautiful Chinese village in the midst of a cholera epidemic in the 1920s. This elegant novel talks about a marriage gone awry as well as self-discovery and awareness and forgiveness. It is a beautiful and endearing book.

"You know, my dear child, that one cannot find peace in work or in pleasure, in the world or in a convent, but only in one's soul."

"Like a rich melody on a harp that rang in exultant arpeggios through the complicated harmonies of a symphony, one thought beat in her heart consistently. It was this thought which gave their exotic beauty to the rice fields, which made a little smile break on her pale lips as a smooth-faced lad swung past her on his way to the market town with exultation in his carriage and audacity in his eyes, and which gave the magic of a tumultuous life to the cities she passed through."
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Jul 20, 2022 Bill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, classic, 2022-challenges, romance

Over the past few years, I've read 5 books by W. Somerset Maugham, a mix of novels, horror, spy stories and short stories. I first discovered a copy of The Razor's Edge in an antiqueish store and ended up reading it over the weekend. Since that time I've enjoyed the other books very much. I rank his writing up there with another favorite author of mine, that being Nevil Shute. They both have understated ways of telling stories, each with his own unique style, but both present stories that, while Over the past few years, I've read 5 books by W. Somerset Maugham, a mix of novels, horror, spy stories and short stories. I first discovered a copy of The Razor's Edge in an antiqueish store and ended up reading it over the weekend. Since that time I've enjoyed the other books very much. I rank his writing up there with another favorite author of mine, that being Nevil Shute. They both have understated ways of telling stories, each with his own unique style, but both present stories that, while understated, deal with great emotion.

The Painted Veil was initially published in 1925 and is set in Hong Kong and also in a Chinese town in the interior. Kitty Fane is married to microbiologist Dr. Walter Fane, a man she doesn't love. She has found love with a married British diplomat stationed in Hong Kong, a handsome man, one Charles Townsend. Her husband discovers the relationship; this comes out right at the beginning. He offers Kitty two options; he will divorce her if Townsend agrees to divorce his own wife or he offers her the chance to accompany him to the town of Mei-Tan-Fu.

A cholera outbreak has struck Mei-Tan-Fu and the English doctor treating the people has died and Walter agreed to go and take his place. He will work with the Chinese leadership and a convent of nuns, trying to find a cure for the outbreak. Kitty discovers that Charles Townsend will not divorce his own wife for her, so she goes with Walter, even though she is terrified of dying from cholera.

The 2nd half of the story deals with their life together in Mei-Tan-Fu, of Kitty's voyage of self-discovery. All in all, it's a fascinating story. Both Walter and Kitty each have their own issues but the remain interesting characters whose lives you want to follow to see how the story ends up. There characters are fleshed out by other residents of the town; Mother Superior and the local customs agent, Mr. Waddington. Kitty remains the focus as she tries to sort out her feelings for Walter and what she wants of her life. Tragedy will put another spin on things (I'll let you find out that).

Maugham creates a fascinating story, interesting characters and wonderful descriptions of the setting and surroundings. It's a stark place and you get the feel of it from his writing. All in all, another excellent story from a talented story - teller. (4.0 stars) ...more

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Dec 09, 2015 Tracy rated it really liked it

Really excellent. Also made an excellent film with Edward Norris, but the book was better. Their relationship was much more beautifully satisfying in the book.

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May 20, 2018 Natalie [genreneutralreader] rated it it was ok

Shelves: audio-books

⭐️⭐️💫/5
What can I say? This is one of the very few books I can honestly say I preferred the movie over. The character of Kitty did have a nice amount of character growth, there was no romance, no mystery, no life lessons (in my opinion). Just a story about a snapshot of a shallow woman’s life. I felt sorry for Walter, and I just felt really dissatisfied with how the book dealt with him start to finish, though perhaps it was more realistic than the movie. Meh, I read to escape reality, so it was ...more

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