Tuesday 8 April 2014

The Painted Veil by W.Somerset Maugham


At 25 years old, threatened by the news that her younger sister is engaged, Kitty marries the first man she can convince to propose, bacteriologist Walter Fane.  Beautiful, shallow, selfish and not in love with her husband, it doesn't take Kitty long to start having an affair with the Assistant Colonial Secretary in Hong Kong, Charles Townsend.  In fact, she convinces herself that she is in love with Charles and will somehow be allowed to ride off into the sunset with him.  But it's not meant to be; Walter discovers her affair and Charles makes it quite clear that she was just a bit of fun.  When Walter insists that she accompany him on a trip to a cholera stricken region of China as an act of revenge, the terrible circumstances around her force Kitty to examine and challenge herself for the first time in her life.

Oh man, I loved this book.  I picked it up mainly for the interesting premise - a woman having to journey into a cholera epidemic because she had an affair, and I was thrilled to find out that this was backed up by wonderful writing and characterisation.  The Painted Veil is a quiet, in-depth examination of human nature that doesn't shy away from the shallower or less attractive parts of what it means to be human, and I loved it for that.  All of the characters are extremely real and mostly unlikeable, especially Kitty in the beginning of the novel, who is completely self-absorbed and child-like, unwilling to think about others at all.  She knows her husband is desperately in love with her, but still thinks he should show more concern for her feelings when he finds out about her affair!  Charles is almost as selfish as Kitty and even Walter is unappealing.  I know some readers have problems with unlikeable characters, but I always admire an author for writing them, because life is fully of people like Kitty, and I like that Maugham didn't feel the need to varnish her in any way.

The main theme of the novel is Kitty's growth.  As she spends time in the town stricken by cholera, eventually volunteering at a convent, she comes to question herself and her behaviour.  She comes to see the bigger picture, to see that her life is small compared to the world, and that life only has the meaning that we ascribe to it.  Kitty's journey is long and tough, and at no point does Maugham take the easy way out. There's no tearful acts of repentance or forgiveness here, only Kitty trying hard with the reality she finds herself in.  Even at the end of the novel, nothing is straight-forward for her, and there is still a long way to go and some things that can never be fixed.  Life in The Painted Veil is much like real life, complex and full of shades of grey.  I loved that and think that Maugham had a very perceptive eye when it comes to human nature and relationships.

There's absolutely nothing I didn't like about The Painted Veil.  It's in some ways a quiet little book but it's a powerful one too, one that made me think about my own life and choices.  I'll definitely be reading more by Maugham in the future - any recommendations?


Source: Personal copy
First Published: 1925
Score: 5 out of 5
The Classics Club: Book 24/72
My Classics Club list can be found here.

18 comments:

  1. I had not heard of this one before, but am now quite intrigued. I sometimes have difficulty with unlikeable characters, but I don't think I would if a major theme is the character's growth -- you have to start somewhere!

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    1. I love unlikeable characters, the nastier and more horrid the better, I think they can be more interesting to read about. You're right that in this case it was necessary, so that Kitty could grow.

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  2. If at all possible, you've got to watch the movie. They changed a bit of the ending which made me go back and reread the ending of the book. I loved this book too. I've wanted to read more Maugham except I'm a little intimidated by Of Human Bondage, for some reason. Maybe it's the length? I'll be watching to see if anyone recommends any other Maugham books.

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    1. I do want to watch the movie, fingers crossed it goes on Netflix at some point in the future. I'm not sure how I would feel about them changing the ending though, I hope it wasn't changed to make things happier.

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  3. What a great review of this novel! I really like Maugham, and I liked The Painted Veil for a lot of the same reasons you did. Kitty may be harder to like as a character, but she's definitely memorable. Have you read any other of Maugham's books?

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    1. I've not read anything else by Maugham, but I intend to. Do you have any recommendations?

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    2. All his books are good, but I think I like Cakes and Ale and The Moon and Sixpence the best. Maybe because they're both about artists.

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  4. I completely adore this book! Have you seen the film? I actually saw the film first and then read the book (unusually). Even though the ending is different in the film, it is still a really good adaptation. I've got a couple of other Maugham's on my Classics Club list which I may aim to read sooner rather than later. So pleased you enjoyed this one :)

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    1. I've not seen the film yet - I want to, but I'm unhappy with the ending being different as I thought it was perfect in the book. Can't wait to see what you think of the Maugham books you are planning to read...

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  5. Wonderful review! I'm going to have to put this book on my list of must-read classics.

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    1. My own list of must read classics is getting longer all of the time too :)

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  6. I've had the painted vail on my mental tbr list for awhile now, though it has been way down the list. I think I will consider this more seriously now that I've read this review. I had intended reading The Moon and Sixpence as my first Maugham novel...still might. :)

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    1. I've added The Moon and Sixpence to my wishlist - it looks really interesting.

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  7. I really like the premise of this book however I think I'd have trouble getting in to the story as unlikeable characters can often deter my reading experience. I don't have to like every character, but there has to be someone with likeable qualities. The idea of Kitty's growth is what has kept me intrigued in this particular one.
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
    :-)
    Bits & Bobs

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    1. I'm quite strange in that I genuinely enjoy unlikeable characters, and the nastier the better. I think they can be more fun to read about, although I wouldn't like to know them in real life!

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  8. The Painted Veil was one of my favourite books that I read last year. I loved it! I don't mind unlikeable characters as long as they are interesting to read about.

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  9. I haven't got any recommendations for further Maugham books, but I'll look forward to seeing what you think of his other stuff. If I ever do pick him up, it'll be this book -- I saw the movie with Edward Norton and kept thinking, I bet the book is better. :p

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