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The Painted Veil

W. Somerset Maugham

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: August 1, 2013

Discussion: Classics Corner

Discussion leader: Book Concierge

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What Members Thought

Mar 01, 2021 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-20th-century, favorites-2021, british-literature, e-books, free-literature, proofreading, read-2021, gutenberg, book-and-movie

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.

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 very well think
of a character in the void; the moment you think
of him, you think of him in some situation, doing
something; so that the character and at least his
principle action see ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Mar 18, 2008 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: british-literature, book-and-movie, fiction-20th-century, e-books, gutenberg, library-loan, read-2013, hf-asia

Now available @Project Gutenberg - Canada. If you live outside Canada, check your country's copyright laws before downloading or accessing the files.

Free download available at Faded Page.

This is book which makes us think a lot when it comes to an end. Even if I've watched the movie, it's hard to decide which one is the best.

A magnificent piece of work written by W.S. Maugham.

A splendid movie was made based on this book: The Painted Veil (2006).

The first movie version of this movie, The Painted ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2013 Mary Ellen rated it it was amazing

I thought this was a great book. When we meet Kitty Fane, she is a shallow, flighty young woman who has had the misfortune of marrying a man who bores her and whom she makes no attempt to understand or engage. Her husband forces her to come with him to a distant city suffering a cholera epidemic after he catches her in an affair. There she begins to come into her own as a woman of depth and conviction. All of the major characters are well drawn, complex human beings. The writing is understated y ...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Jim rated it really liked it

I liked the writing style and probably describes men and women relationships then - not so sure it adds insight into today's relationship scenarios and women's place in society ...more

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May 31, 2013 Beth rated it it was amazing

This is one of those books that made me late for stuff. I'd finish a chapter and then think, "just one more--they're so short." One more turns to two more and so on. As always, Maugham's prose is beautiful. He draws marvelous portraits of his characters with all their human frailties. ...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Sara rated it really liked it

Listened to the audio book. Very good.

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Feb 28, 2008 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: classic-fiction

A very different book from the movie of the same name. The heroine is not as strong or as likeable here..but wow! The author can really describe the emotional reality of the characters--the ending is pure pathos.

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