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The Painted Veil

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The Painted Veil

By: W. Somerset Maugham
Narrated by: Sophie Ward
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Summary

 This is the story of Kitty Fane, the adulterous wife of a bacteriologist stationed in Hong Kong. When her husband discovers her deception, he exacts a terrible vengeance: Kitty must accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic in China.

The Painted Veil was recently made into a feature film starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.

©2006 W. Somerset Maugham (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Classics European Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Fiction Marriage China Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Witty
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Critic reviews

"[Maugham is] the modern writer who has influenced me the most." (George Orwell)
"An expert craftsman....His style is sharp, quick, subdued, casual."( The New York Times)
" The Painted Veil, with its sadness, its moral tension, its irony and compassion, its building evocations of lust and terror and remorse, is a work of art." ( Spectator)
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Most relevant
This is one of those books that stays in my mind long after I had finished listening. The characters seem so real that the tragedies that unfold left me feeling sad on their behalf. None are flawless which makes it more authentic. The story set in the 1920s reflects the unhappiness and havoc that can ensue when marriage is the only option for a woman, desperate not to be left on the shelf, marries without love. The story makes one think about how people react when they feel betrayed by a loved one and either seek revenge or are forgiving. The emotional pain of marriage breakdown is little different today compared to 100 years ago but the social upheaval is thankfully far less damaging. Although sad it is a wonderfully well-told story beautifully narrated. Highly recommended.

Superb, thought-provoking storytelling

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Sad, and thoughtful with beautifully drawn flawed characters. Lovely narration that envelops you. Highly recommended for those who love classical but timeless literature exploring relationships of all kinds. Kitty is still an imperfect, relatable and ultimately sympathetic heroine for our times.

a beautiful, moral story of immorality

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Beautifully written of course, but also beautifully read. The psychological analysis is surprisingly modern and the commentary is surprisingly feminist.

Just beautiful, but also quite modern

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I'm struggling to finish this because the overenunciation is really spoiling the nuance. Will revert to print!

Affected reading spoiled the experience.

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Loved it . Sophie’s reading was perfect. Made Maugham!s story even better. Would listen to more from this narrator

Traditional storyteller with a stellar narrator

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