The Painted Veil

By: W. Somerset Maugham

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

First published in 1925, The Painted Veil is an affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change, and forgive. Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, it is the story of the beautiful but shallow young Kitty Fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to a remote region of China ravaged by a cholera epidemic.

Stripped of the British society of her youth and overwhelmed by the desolation around her, she is compelled by her awakening conscience to reassess her life. She takes up work with children at a convent, but when her husband dies, she is forced to return to England to her father, her one remaining relative, to raise her unborn child. Though too late for her marriage, she has learned humility, independence, and how to love.

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©1925 W. Somerset Maugham (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Classic, 2007

"[Maugham is] the modern writer who has influenced me the most." (George Orwell)
"An expert craftsman....His style is sharp, quick, subdued, casual."(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)

Wonderful storyteller

Having read Maugham’s short stories years ago , i am reminded of what a superb teller of tales he is with Painted Veil. He has wonderfully constructed the unfolding of a consciousness in a young woman brought up in middle class London, focused on the superficialties of the society and forced to reach inward in the time of plague in China.

The Painted Veil

As an English major, I never read any of Somerset moms works. It was a joy, and I loved Kitty. I watched her grow throughout the novel, coming to understand herself, life, and particularly her ability to be an independent woman.

Great read!

The plot and storyline were well put together. Times were different for women 100 years ago, but some of the challenges remain today. This book transcends generations and captures the life of a young lady coming into her own.

A simple & beautiful tale of love & betrayal.

The Painted Veil is a quieter, shorter and simpler novel than Of Human Bondage, but it is equally worthy of your time. I will say right up front that I have not seen the movie so I cannot make a personal comparison, but because I always love the book more than the movie I am sure that truth would remain.

What I love about W. Somerset Maugham's books is the approach h takes to character development. Each of them are deeply scarred people who are often unlikable. They are marred human beings who are often motivated by love for other equally marred human beings who do not return their love. He allows these people to be good, bad, loving and contemptible all at the same time. He gives us little that good without blemish, and I love how complex life is under Maugham's paintbrush.

Like Philip in Of Human Bondage Kitty and her husband Walter love the wrong people and their love is destructive. They recognize the flaws within their lover, but go forth as though their love alone will change the other. The problem happens when that person finally does something to turn the love to hate and anger. Philip finally stopped loving Mildred after she destroyed everything he owned leaving him penniless and with nothing except his clothing. Walter stops loving Kitty when he finds that she is having an affair with Charles.

What W. Somerset Maugham does best is to outline the nastiness of people. He gives us characters who are often revolting. He gives us love stories that do not follow the traditional "happily ever after" trajectory; love stories which are messy and real. He writes about a life that is dark and light at the same time. He allows his characters to be unlikable but relatable. He allows their anger to breathe and take over all emotion. For example, when Walter confronts Kitty about the affair he says: I had no illusions about you,' he said. 'I knew you were silly and frivolous and empty-headed. But I loved you. I knew that your aims and ideals were vulgar and commonplace. But I loved you. I knew that you were second-rate. But I loved you. It's comic when I think how hard I tried to be amused by the things that amused you and how anxious I was to hide from you that I wasn't ignorant and vulgar and scandal-mongering and stupid. I knew how frightened you were of intelligence and I did everything I could to make you think me as big a fool as the rest of the men you knew. I knew that you'd only married me for convenience. I loved you so much, I didn't care. Most people, as far as I can see, when they're in love with someone and the love isn't returned feel that they have a grievance. They grow angry and bitter. I wasn't like that. I never expected you to love me, I didn't see any reason that you should. I never thought myself very lovable. I was thankful to be allowed to love you and I was enraptured when now and then I thought you were pleased with me or when I noticed in your eyes a gleam of good-humored affection. I tried not to bore you with my love; I knew I couldn't afford to do that and I was always on the lookout for the first sign that you were impatient with my affection. What most husbands expect as a right I was prepared to receive as a favor.

Later in the book when Kitty has done much to grow and change Maugham allows Walter to remain in his anger but for the sadness to spill out as well. He doesn't force Walter to forgive, which is also true to life. One can offer change and one can offer apology, but it doesn't guarantee that you will receive the happy ending. Perhaps my favorite scene occurred when Kitty asked Walter when he would stop punishing her and if he despised her. His answer was that he despised himself for loving her. I believe all human beings will feel that way at least once, and that Maugham has captured this feeling better than anyone else ever has.

What does it mean to live?

The book, inspired by a verse from Dante, begins with, "the painted veil, which those who live call life." The question then becomes, if life is fleeting and our human significance is utterly ephemeral in the infinity of time, what does it mean to live or, to put it another way, what gives meaning to our lives?
The story, set in colonial China, revolves around the wife of a British scientist/bureaucrat in Hong Kong and later in the provinces. Through this story, the book explores the question of what will give us happiness and bring meaning to our lives. Is it in the indulgence of pleasure? The performance of duty? The acquisition of wealth and status?
Despite some pretty offensive racism (most of which occurs in the furtherance of character development), the book, narrated by the inimitable Kate Reading, stands well the test of time.

The Painted Veil

The recent film based on this 1924 novel, while lovely, does not stick to the original, much more complex, and rather demanding story. This is a book that from beginning to end makes you think deeply about mother-daughter relationships, love, guilt, repentance, courage, revenge, self-knowledge and self-sacrifice, and sexual predators. Much of the story takes place in the exotic setting of a remote Chinese village afflicted with an epidemic of cholera. Maugham draws his characters precisely and with sympathy, and has his usual sharp eye for the British bureaucrats who ran the Empire. This is a story that repays re-reading and re-hearing, providing much food for thought about human nature and how we grow psychologically and spiritually.

Surprisingly engrossing!

What made the experience of listening to The Painted Veil the most enjoyable?

The narration was superb!

What did you like best about this story?

The character of Kitty was shallow but portrayed in depth, if that makes sense. She sought to understand herself and improve herself, and though she wasn't very good at either, she did progress.

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She really brought the characters to life. Even when she was using a French accent she was able to distinguish the voices of different nuns. And the accent was totally convincing - this is where some good narrators are quite weak but Ms. Reading was perfect.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really, but I did empathize with Kitty.

Any additional comments?

Well worth listening to - I would probably never have read it in print.

Powerful story

Best audiobook I've listened to in several years. This story is about forgiveness, and how damaging to a person withholding forgiveness can be. So while I don't like the characters, and wish they would have made different decisions, I still found the book powerful . And the plot line is so interesting.

Wonderful narration.

Tragic and Complete

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

As a well written piece of its period I would highly recommend this. Although I didn't care for the narrator at certain points and there were times when you could tell it was a man trying to write from a woman's perspective, the story is a good one. The ending is an optimistic one and reminds us that we can forge the relationships we would like to.

What aspect of Kate Reading’s performance would you have changed?

Some of her male characters sounded very similar to each other, so I would have done a little bit more to distinguish between them. Also, the main character sounded shrill at times.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did want to power through it, but more to say I had listened to it rather than being caught up in the story itself.

For a deal of the day, not bad.

Yes, sappy, but you don't have to think to much for this chick book. It was a fun little ride, predictable, with a few twists. For 2.95, I was ok in the end.