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The Painted Veil

W. Somerset Maugham

Start date: July 1, 2022

Finish date: July 31, 2022

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Oct 04, 2020 Joy D rated it it was amazing

Shelves: journeys, 2020-top-50, literary-fiction, favorites, relationships, asia, disease, reviewed, zzck, death

“Everything passed, and what trace of its passage remained? It seemed to Kitty that they were all, the human race, like the drops of water in that river and they flowed on, each so close to the other and yet so far apart, a nameless flood, to the sea. When all things lasted so short a time and nothing mattered very much, it seemed pitiful that men, attaching an absurd importance to trivial objects, should make themselves and one another so unhappy.” – W. Somerset Maugham, The Painted Veil

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May 04, 2025 Nadejda Ignatenko rated it it was amazing

This is a beautifully written, emotionally rich story about a woman who starts out as careless and self-centered — like the dragonfly in the fable — and is forced to confront pain, loss, and ultimately, herself.

Though the novel is short, Maugham masterfully captures the full emotional spectrum of the characters. We see how some men act purely for their own benefit, how pride and revenge can lead to destructive choices, and how growth can come from the most painful experiences.

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