The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Painted Veil
Book Review: Ed Norton improved Somerset Maugham's ending
Summary: 3 Stars
The novel is eloquent, especially in its description of the feelings of Kitty, Walter's wife. Her need for affection and recognition is palpable, but Walter is so highly-strung, even for a Brit, that he can hardly hold a conversation. The plague in the remote region of China, which Walter (and later Kitty) try to alleviate, makes Kitty grow. This part is deep and moving. But Walter does not change at all; he is the same intolerable, reticent, unforgiving husband. He dies without forgiving Kitty. And that's where Ed Norton made a smart revision. His Walter does change and does forgive Kitty, and the process is real and unsentimental. The second mistake of Maugham is that when Kitty returns Beijin, she returns to the arms of her lustful, trashy lover. That right there destroys the immense growth that had taken place in her soul upon seeing the suffering of the plague's victims. Now, at the end of the novel, she hates herself. And rightly so. Ed Norton deserves a lot of credit for revising Maugham's disappointing and confusing ending.Book Review: Excellent literature
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the book to have a comparison with the recent movie version. Always interesting to notice the difference.Book Review: Great Classic Literature
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book. I read a lot of pop fiction and it's like living in a smog-infested city. You get used to living in the smog the same as you get used to the mediocore writing of pop fiction. Then all of a sudden, you read a classic and it's like leaving the smog for the fresh country air. What a difference. The writing is just superb, the story very interesting, the characters very flawed, the premise quite shocking. Husband Walter discovers his wife's infidelity and decides to move them to a cholera-infested region of China with the hope/wish/intent that she'll contract cholera and die. It's a juicy premise with a few surprising twists along the way. Highly recommended.Book Review: Heartbreaking!
Summary: 4 Stars
The story begins with the very unlikable Kitty Fane. She is selfish, vain, and is bored with her husband. After an adulterous affair, Kitty travels with her husband to an area stricken by cholera.
Kitty begins to work in the nearby convent while the nuns nurse those stricken with the disease. During this time, Kitty attempts to repair her broken marriage. Just when she begins to make amends, tragedy strikes. Kitty is left alone to face her demons.
I enjoyed watching Kitty's character evolve throughout the story. I first noticed the change when she began embracing the orphans in her care instead of being repulsed by them. She begins to understand that, in the face of so much suffering, her problems are very small. Kitty begins to empathize with others and make better choices. In the end, Kitty is stronger than she realizes and her tragedy is really the beginning of a new life.
I was captivated from the first page to the last.
Book Review: I Liked the Movie Better...
Summary: 3 Stars
This is one of those books that is probably rated better if you haven't seen the movie with Edward Norton Jr. and Naomi Watts. The writing is effective but the problem was that I preferred the storyline of the movie over the book. Still, it's worth a read even if you have seen the movie because it fills the characters out nicely. The book portrays Kitty Fane's character more fully than others and seems to be written partly from her viewpoint.
That being said, I adore the movie! The Painted Veil