From the Bookshelf of Read, Share, Enjoy: Classics and More!…

[close] The opening of this book is very unusual and will make you want to know more! Meet Kitty Fane who is thrust into a difficult situation in a place very foreign for her. This book follows her on a journey from a flighty girl to a woman who has to face the reality of the real world. Maugham's writing is elegant, moving but not pretentious. His vivid characterizations of unlikeable people led to him being sued by individuals and caused some of the names to be changed. Also, the setting of Hong Kong was changed to a fictional colony at the time of the controversy but in more recent publications, was changed back. The Painted Veil has thematic similarities to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and has inspired multiple film versions over the years.