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.

W. Somerset MaughamSophie WardAudible Studios

Classics

European

Genre Fiction

Historical Fiction

Literary Fiction

World Literature

Fiction

Marriage

China

Heartfelt

Thought-Provoking

Witty

Classics European Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Fiction Marriage China Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Witty

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)

Most relevant

Typical Somerset Maugham - compelling and desperately sad. I wanted to listen to this after seeing the film. As expected, the book is much bleaker and more complex, without the reconciliation between Kitty and Walter that made the film more of a straightforward romance.