The Painted Veil

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Sophie Ward

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.©2006 W. Somerset Maugham (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

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)

A shallow woman's discovery of her shallowness

Wonderful writing as usual for Maugham, but a rather simple tale of a shallow, cloying woman's discovery of her own shallowness..

A beautiful story read by a beautiful voice

It’s a great story. I read this book while I am listening to this. Sophie has done a great job.

Quite a Turner

You turn opinions on the characters. The story has your head turning in surprise. And even you yourself might turn something over at the end of it.

Better than the movie

I was very taken with the movie of "The Painted Veil." While I still think the film very fine, this novella proves itself better precisely in those places where the film-makers altered the story. Kitty never becomes perfect, and the ending is hopeful, not triumphant. The reading, too, is very well done. Good male voices, as well as the female.

Great reader -- OK story

It was the reader that drew me in. I listened to the ten minute sample and I was hooked. The story is not gripping all the way through. Some of the characters stay frustratingly distant, but Kitty grows and deepens with every page, and watching her navigate her world is fascinating.

Kitty becomes human

Judy
This book is truly about the transformation of a spirit- or the discovery of one. I don't want to be a spoiler so I'll only say- read it- bear with it. It is a worthwhile journey.

Amazing story

This story really took me by surprise. I thought it might be a dated and quaint journey into another time. While parts of it are quaint, its substance is timeless. It has all the major ingredients of a great story: lust, love, betrayal, adventure, pathos, and an anti-hero(ine) central character who transforms in a plausible way. The woman reading it is a little wooden, but her posh accent is actually quite enjoyable and works well with the story.

written so long ago, timeless

loved it, very easy to listen to. enjoyed all of the characters. couldn't put the book down!

Early Imperialism and the flapper

I can't tell you why I love this glimpse into the twenties and early 20th century china. The romance belies romance and kicks the gooey love stuff to the curb. But I came to love the doctor in this book, even if his wife was too shallow to manage that herself. And she in her own way learns to be kind. It's a very interesting book about imperfect lives.

Fools in China

Would you listen to The Painted Veil again? Why?

I would listen again; the reader was impeccable. Natural, believable, soothing. The narration was probably the best I have ever listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

I most enjoyed that the characters are all so irreparably flawed and damaged. It was human. It was clear that their issues were a product of both the times and just the sheer fact of being honestly alive. Yes, some of their concerns were trivial. Yes, some of their reactions were overly dramatic. Yes, it was like listening to a train wreck as it happens. Isn't life really like that?

Which character – as performed by Sophie Ward – was your favorite?

Kitty Fane. Of course, that was the main character and her perspective throughout the book, but she just did it SO WELL.

Who was the most memorable character of The Painted Veil and why?

For me, the most memorable characters were all of them—I know, that's a cheater's way out, but none of the lives and situations are really cleared up or explained, so I was left wondering about nearly everyone, even if they had died. What were their real motivations? What would they or should they or could they have done differently? Did they ever find out that (fill in secret or lesson here)? Did anyone else eventually become a victim of the Cholera? I will never know the answers, and will likely think about those loose ends for a long time to come.