The Painted Veil cover art

The Painted Veil

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The Painted Veil

By: W. Somerset Maugham
Narrated by: Sophie Ward
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About this listen

 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 Emotionally Gripping

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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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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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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!

A wonderful story

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Such depth to the story and characters. A really enjoyable listen. Narration was good too.

Great book

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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.

Beautifully, vividly written

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I absolutely loved this book, it had me spellbound from the first paragraph. it was read beautifully and I'm sorry it's finished

beautiful story

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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.

Sophie Ward's narration adds to the pleasure of listening to this story.

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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.

Beautiful

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Narrated with skill. Places came to life. Subtle portrayals of people. Quiet an d powerful.

Exceptional

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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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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

The Painted Veil

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