
The Painted Veil
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Narrated by:
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Sophie Ward
About this listen
The Painted Veil was recently made into a feature film starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.
©2006 W. Somerset Maugham (P)2014 Audible, Inc.Critic reviews
"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)
What listeners say about The Painted Veil
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kirstine
- 07-12-20
Superb, thought-provoking storytelling
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.
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11 people found this helpful
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- barbara
- 22-07-21
A wonderful story
What a lovely story this is and read beautifully by Sophie Ward. The description of the areas described made me feel like I was there and although the story was very sad in places, I was glad that the ending was a happy one for father and daughter. I loved it!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-02-22
Great book
Such depth to the story and characters. A really enjoyable listen. Narration was good too.
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- Amazon Customer
- 26-05-21
Beautifully, vividly written
A story of themes often found in great writing. compelling, haunting, poignant and finally hopeful. Still feel upset about Walter, though he understood the choice he made.
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- j w
- 11-05-22
beautiful story
I absolutely loved this book, it had me spellbound from the first paragraph. it was read beautifully and I'm sorry it's finished
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- Ms S.
- 13-02-25
Sophie Ward's narration adds to the pleasure of listening to this story.
There's something captivating about this story which has brought me back to it several times. The style of writing is very enjoyable as is the self discovery experienced by the main protagonist. It's slightly different from the film, so it's not the winning love story one might expect, but is equally as satisfying.
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Overall
- Helen
- 11-11-12
Beautiful
Beautiful, serene, quite affectionate style of writing, I did enjoy this book despite its often old fashioned language, the whole thing was very captivating and special.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Anna Edgar
- 09-05-20
Exceptional
Narrated with skill. Places came to life. Subtle portrayals of people. Quiet an d powerful.
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2 people found this helpful
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- ReadingBee
- 30-04-21
Affected reading spoiled the experience.
I'm struggling to finish this because the overenunciation is really spoiling the nuance. Will revert to print!
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Overall
- Juliet
- 20-08-08
The Painted Veil
Fantastic story. One of those that when it ends, you want to double check it really has finished because you were enjoying it so much
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20 people found this helpful