What do you think?
Rate this book
丕賱賯賳丕毓 丕賱賲賱賵賳
丕賱賯賳丕毓 丕賱賲賱賵賳 乇賵丕賷丞 鬲亘丿賵 賲賳 亘毓丿 賵賰兀賳賴丕 毓賳 丕賱賲孬賱孬 丕賱卮賴賷乇 丕賱匕賷 鬲賲 鬲賳丕賵賱賴 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丕鬲 丕賱毓丕賱賲賷丞 丕賱賰亘乇賶: 丕賱夭賵噩丞貙 丕賱夭賵噩 賵丕賱毓卮賷賯. 賱賰賳賴丕 毓賳 乇丨賱丞 孬乇賷丞 氐毓亘丞 賵賲賯賱賯丞 丿丕禺賱 丕賱賳賮爻 丕賱亘卮乇賷丞. 丨賷孬 賷毓鬲乇賮 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 亘禺胤卅賴 賵賲丨丿賵丿賷丞 賲毓丕乇賮賴 丕賱兀賵賱賶貙 賵丨賷孬 鬲睾賷賷乇 丕賱賲氐丕卅乇 賷亘丿賵 禺賷丕乇丕 賲賲賰賳丕.
賷毓賷卮 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賲毓 毓賲賱 賳賮爻賷 賮匕 毓賳 兀亘胤丕賱 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賷 馗賱 丕夭丿賴丕乇 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇 丕賱亘乇賷胤丕賳賷 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丨賷孬 鬲丿賵乇 賲毓馗賲 兀丨丿丕孬賴丕 丿丕禺賱 丿賵丕卅乇 丕賱噩丕賱賷丞 丕賱亘乇賷胤丕賳賷丞 賮賷 丕賱卮乇賯 丕賱兀賯氐賶 賵丨賷孬 賷賱毓亘 丕賱賵卮丕丨 丕賱賲賱賵賳 丿賵乇丕 乇賲夭賷丕 賲賱賴賲丕.
賷毓賷卮 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賲毓 毓賲賱 賳賮爻賷 賮匕 毓賳 兀亘胤丕賱 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賷 馗賱 丕夭丿賴丕乇 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賲丕乇 丕賱亘乇賷胤丕賳賷 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丨賷孬 鬲丿賵乇 賲毓馗賲 兀丨丿丕孬賴丕 丿丕禺賱 丿賵丕卅乇 丕賱噩丕賱賷丞 丕賱亘乇賷胤丕賳賷丞 賮賷 丕賱卮乇賯 丕賱兀賯氐賶 賵丨賷孬 賷賱毓亘 丕賱賵卮丕丨 丕賱賲賱賵賳 丿賵乇丕 乇賲夭賷丕 賲賱賴賲丕.
Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1925
1436 people are currently reading
42987 people want to read
About the author
W. Somerset Maugham
2,072听books5,865听followersWilliam Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He spoke French even before he spoke a word of English, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style.
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clich茅s' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays.
Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as 'such a tissue of clich茅s' that one's wonder is finally aroused at the writer's ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way.
During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
At the time of Maugham's birth, French law was such that all foreign boys born in France became liable for conscription. Thus, Maugham was born within the Embassy, legally recognized as UK territory.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,970 reviews
July 12, 2018
Wonderful writing and a good read from Maugham. I had not read him lately so I forgot how good a writer he is.
The basic story is of a beautiful young British woman who has 鈥減layed the field鈥� too long. She鈥檚 now 25 and her plainer, younger sister is engaged. In desperation the main character marries an MD bacteriologist who takes her to Hong Kong where he works as a scientist.
Here鈥檚 a wedding proposal for you:
She: 鈥淚 think I like you very much. You must give me time to get used to you.鈥�
He: 鈥淭hen it鈥檚 yes?鈥�
She: 鈥淚 suppose so.鈥�
He loves her; she finds him repulsive. She has an affair and after he finds out, he announces they are going into rural China where a cholera epidemic is raging. Is he trying to kill her? Himself? Both of them?
If you read this book, be sure to read this poem by Oliver Goldsmith written in 1766, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog. 鈥淭he dog it was that died鈥� becomes a key line in the story. (It鈥檚 on the web.)
Some lines I liked:
Of her husband: 鈥淗e did not speak because he had nothing to say. But if nobody spoke unless they had something to say, Kitty reflected, with a smile, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech.鈥�
Saddest lines in the book, from her husband: 鈥淚 never expected you to love me, I didn鈥檛 see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very loveable. 鈥� What most husbands expected as a right I was prepared to receive as a favor.鈥�
She: 鈥淒o you think that the soul is immortal?鈥�
He: 鈥滺ow should I know?鈥�
On her breakup with the man who seduced her: 鈥淵ou really are the most vain and fatuous ass that it鈥檚 ever been my bad luck to run across.鈥�
Of a woman鈥檚 restless eyes: 鈥淭hey moved from one part of you to another, to other persons in the room, and then back to you; you felt that she was criticizing you, summing you up, watchful meanwhile of all that went on around her, and that the words she spoke had no connection with her thoughts.鈥�
And I think it鈥檚 fair to call this the moral of the story -- from a nun serving orphans and the dying in the cholera epidemic: 鈥溾€he only thing that counts is love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.鈥�
In the preface the author even gives us some writing tips: 鈥淚 think that this is the only novel I have written in which I started from a story rather than from a character. It is difficult to explain the relation between character and plot. You cannot very well think of a character in the void; the moment you think of him, you think of him in some situation, doing something鈥︹€�
I really enjoyed this book.
Still from the 2006 movie version from movies.film-cine.com
Pulp edition by Pocketbooks 1946 from abebooks.co.uk
The basic story is of a beautiful young British woman who has 鈥減layed the field鈥� too long. She鈥檚 now 25 and her plainer, younger sister is engaged. In desperation the main character marries an MD bacteriologist who takes her to Hong Kong where he works as a scientist.
Here鈥檚 a wedding proposal for you:
She: 鈥淚 think I like you very much. You must give me time to get used to you.鈥�
He: 鈥淭hen it鈥檚 yes?鈥�
She: 鈥淚 suppose so.鈥�
He loves her; she finds him repulsive. She has an affair and after he finds out, he announces they are going into rural China where a cholera epidemic is raging. Is he trying to kill her? Himself? Both of them?
If you read this book, be sure to read this poem by Oliver Goldsmith written in 1766, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog. 鈥淭he dog it was that died鈥� becomes a key line in the story. (It鈥檚 on the web.)
Some lines I liked:
Of her husband: 鈥淗e did not speak because he had nothing to say. But if nobody spoke unless they had something to say, Kitty reflected, with a smile, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech.鈥�
Saddest lines in the book, from her husband: 鈥淚 never expected you to love me, I didn鈥檛 see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very loveable. 鈥� What most husbands expected as a right I was prepared to receive as a favor.鈥�
She: 鈥淒o you think that the soul is immortal?鈥�
He: 鈥滺ow should I know?鈥�
On her breakup with the man who seduced her: 鈥淵ou really are the most vain and fatuous ass that it鈥檚 ever been my bad luck to run across.鈥�
Of a woman鈥檚 restless eyes: 鈥淭hey moved from one part of you to another, to other persons in the room, and then back to you; you felt that she was criticizing you, summing you up, watchful meanwhile of all that went on around her, and that the words she spoke had no connection with her thoughts.鈥�
And I think it鈥檚 fair to call this the moral of the story -- from a nun serving orphans and the dying in the cholera epidemic: 鈥溾€he only thing that counts is love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.鈥�
In the preface the author even gives us some writing tips: 鈥淚 think that this is the only novel I have written in which I started from a story rather than from a character. It is difficult to explain the relation between character and plot. You cannot very well think of a character in the void; the moment you think of him, you think of him in some situation, doing something鈥︹€�
I really enjoyed this book.
Still from the 2006 movie version from movies.film-cine.com
Pulp edition by Pocketbooks 1946 from abebooks.co.uk
July 1, 2021
This short masterpiece tells of love, betrayal, and a search for real meaning in life. Kitty is an attractive middle class Brit. The only real future for her is to marry well. But when she finds none of her suitors quite up to her hopes, and with her younger sister becoming engaged, she succumbs to the pressure and agrees to marry Walter, a man who adores her, but whom she finds boring. He takes her with him to Hong Kong where he works as a bacteriologist.
There is much here about class. One hero of the story is mother Superior, the head of a corps of nuns dedicated to caring for the sick and the poor. She had been brought up in a very wealthy family in France, but found a purpose in life beyond her personal needs. So too Walter, a shy biologist who risks life and limb to try to stem a cholera epidemic in the interior of China.
Maugham offers musings on religion without sounding excessively preachy, and offers a considered view on what makes life worth living. It is a joy to read and to watch as Kitty comes of age, learning from the people she encounters and ultimately sees past the veil of her life to some underlying truth. There are also comments here on the nature of westerners "doing good" in cultures considered lesser.
Walter's dying words are "It was the dog that died." This is a reference to the poem "An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" by Oliver Goldsmith. There are various interpretations to be had of the significance of this. The poem tells of a man who is bitten by a mad dog. Yet it is not the man who dies but the dog. In the novel, I believe that Walter sees himself as the mad dog who had dragged Kitty into a life-threatening situation, (foreshadowed by Maugham's prologue) biting her in a way, expecting that it would be a death sentence for her. Instead it was Walter who would pass, thus the irony. (Here is a to the poem)
The title offers a nice field in which one can play the game interpretation. The title comes from a poem by Shelley, . The notions offered in the novel have a primary source here.
There is much here about class. One hero of the story is mother Superior, the head of a corps of nuns dedicated to caring for the sick and the poor. She had been brought up in a very wealthy family in France, but found a purpose in life beyond her personal needs. So too Walter, a shy biologist who risks life and limb to try to stem a cholera epidemic in the interior of China.
Maugham offers musings on religion without sounding excessively preachy, and offers a considered view on what makes life worth living. It is a joy to read and to watch as Kitty comes of age, learning from the people she encounters and ultimately sees past the veil of her life to some underlying truth. There are also comments here on the nature of westerners "doing good" in cultures considered lesser.
Walter's dying words are "It was the dog that died." This is a reference to the poem "An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" by Oliver Goldsmith. There are various interpretations to be had of the significance of this. The poem tells of a man who is bitten by a mad dog. Yet it is not the man who dies but the dog. In the novel, I believe that Walter sees himself as the mad dog who had dragged Kitty into a life-threatening situation, (foreshadowed by Maugham's prologue) biting her in a way, expecting that it would be a death sentence for her. Instead it was Walter who would pass, thus the irony. (Here is a to the poem)
The title offers a nice field in which one can play the game interpretation. The title comes from a poem by Shelley, . The notions offered in the novel have a primary source here.
March 29, 2017
It had been a long time since I read one of the classics. When I saw 'The Painted Veil' on sale at Audible.com, I thought it would be a nice change of pace. I wasn't wrong. This book proved to be far better than I expected.
'The Painted Veil' is set in England and China, taking place in the 1920's. It is a story of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption. I definitely wasn't prepared for some of the twists and turns that this story took, but I enjoyed every minute.
Kitty Fane moved to Hong Kong with her husband, Walter. An incredibly intelligent man, Walter is also socially awkward. He loves Kitty, but is rather unapproachable and aloof. Eventually, Walter grew on me, but he isn't the type of "warm-fuzzy" character that you bond with immediately. From the start, it is made very clear that he is head-over-heels in love with his wife.
Likewise, it is immediately evident that Kitty does not return the sentiment. Kitty is beautiful, vain and shallower than a kiddie pool. While Walter married for love, she makes not ifs, ands, or buts about the fact that she did not. It is clear that she married Walter solely so that she would not be one-upped by her younger sister's upcoming nuptials. In fact, Kitty seems to loathe Walter...at least, initially.
So, it was no big surprise that Kitty spent her days in the arms of the charming, and also married, Charles Townsend, while Walter was busy at work. No doubt, the dumb twit was just the most recent in what was bound to be a long line of extramarital conquests for Charles. Stupid Kitty believed that he was as in love with her as she was with him. Poor fool.
Unlike his wife, Walter has no illusions. He knew that Kitty didn't love him the way he loved her, but he wanted her so badly that he was willing to marry her anyway. He may have known that she didn't love him, but he did expect for her to be faithful.
When he discovers her adultery, he gives Kitty an option. He will grant her a divorce, if Charles will agree in writing to divorce his wife and marry Kitty immediately thereafter. Or, Kitty can accompany Walter into rural China where he has accepted a job assisting with the medical management of the cholera epidemic. Of course, Walter already knows exactly how this will work out. Kitty seems to be the only one surprised by Charles' duplicity.
I have to say that Walter had a special place in my heart. I love stories with darker themes and am drawn to anti-heroes. There was something so sinister and calculating about Walter that really drew me to him. Kitty was right to be afraid of her husband, even as she knew that he loved her. Walter was kind of a scary guy.
Arriving in the small village, it is immediately apparent that Kitty is being punished for her transgressions. Walter keeps her at a distance and is cold, at best. It becomes clear to Kitty that Walter is seeking revenge, using cholera to commit a passive murder/suicide. It was sick. It was twisted. It was goddamn brilliant!
The more time she spent in the village, the more Kitty came to see the error of her ways. For the first time, Kitty grew to appreciate her husband and even admire him. Though she never really fell in love with him, she finally felt shame and remorse for her actions.
As much as I disliked Kitty at the onset of this book, she grew on me. I came to see her as an imperfect human, a product of her privileged upbringing and societal expectations. Similarly, I came to see some of Walter's flaws. He wasn't entirely a victim as I believed, early on.
I can't say that there is one "moral of the story" that really stands out to me with the book. There were many. This book was a beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, account of the human experience.
Although this isn't my usual type of story, I enjoyed it immensely. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way that I didn't see coming. Early on, I thought I had it all worked out in my head, but I was sooo wrong. This story did not pan out the way I had envisioned, but it was strangely fitting for this couple.
Overall, I thought that this was a wonderful book. It isn't a particularly happy or uplifting read, but it was great in and of it's own accord. This is one that will definitely hang with me for a while. I highly recommend it.
'The Painted Veil' is set in England and China, taking place in the 1920's. It is a story of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption. I definitely wasn't prepared for some of the twists and turns that this story took, but I enjoyed every minute.
Kitty Fane moved to Hong Kong with her husband, Walter. An incredibly intelligent man, Walter is also socially awkward. He loves Kitty, but is rather unapproachable and aloof. Eventually, Walter grew on me, but he isn't the type of "warm-fuzzy" character that you bond with immediately. From the start, it is made very clear that he is head-over-heels in love with his wife.
Likewise, it is immediately evident that Kitty does not return the sentiment. Kitty is beautiful, vain and shallower than a kiddie pool. While Walter married for love, she makes not ifs, ands, or buts about the fact that she did not. It is clear that she married Walter solely so that she would not be one-upped by her younger sister's upcoming nuptials. In fact, Kitty seems to loathe Walter...at least, initially.
So, it was no big surprise that Kitty spent her days in the arms of the charming, and also married, Charles Townsend, while Walter was busy at work. No doubt, the dumb twit was just the most recent in what was bound to be a long line of extramarital conquests for Charles. Stupid Kitty believed that he was as in love with her as she was with him. Poor fool.
Unlike his wife, Walter has no illusions. He knew that Kitty didn't love him the way he loved her, but he wanted her so badly that he was willing to marry her anyway. He may have known that she didn't love him, but he did expect for her to be faithful.
When he discovers her adultery, he gives Kitty an option. He will grant her a divorce, if Charles will agree in writing to divorce his wife and marry Kitty immediately thereafter. Or, Kitty can accompany Walter into rural China where he has accepted a job assisting with the medical management of the cholera epidemic. Of course, Walter already knows exactly how this will work out. Kitty seems to be the only one surprised by Charles' duplicity.
I have to say that Walter had a special place in my heart. I love stories with darker themes and am drawn to anti-heroes. There was something so sinister and calculating about Walter that really drew me to him. Kitty was right to be afraid of her husband, even as she knew that he loved her. Walter was kind of a scary guy.
Arriving in the small village, it is immediately apparent that Kitty is being punished for her transgressions. Walter keeps her at a distance and is cold, at best. It becomes clear to Kitty that Walter is seeking revenge, using cholera to commit a passive murder/suicide. It was sick. It was twisted. It was goddamn brilliant!
The more time she spent in the village, the more Kitty came to see the error of her ways. For the first time, Kitty grew to appreciate her husband and even admire him. Though she never really fell in love with him, she finally felt shame and remorse for her actions.
As much as I disliked Kitty at the onset of this book, she grew on me. I came to see her as an imperfect human, a product of her privileged upbringing and societal expectations. Similarly, I came to see some of Walter's flaws. He wasn't entirely a victim as I believed, early on.
I can't say that there is one "moral of the story" that really stands out to me with the book. There were many. This book was a beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, account of the human experience.
Although this isn't my usual type of story, I enjoyed it immensely. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way that I didn't see coming. Early on, I thought I had it all worked out in my head, but I was sooo wrong. This story did not pan out the way I had envisioned, but it was strangely fitting for this couple.
Overall, I thought that this was a wonderful book. It isn't a particularly happy or uplifting read, but it was great in and of it's own accord. This is one that will definitely hang with me for a while. I highly recommend it.
January 27, 2019
This was so good.
, first published in 1925, is now considered a classic. That fact - combined with the cover, description and the reviews - had me switching into classic-reading mode. I tend to approach classics with a different frame of mind and a greater tolerance for slow-moving plots, complex language, and characters I cannot relate to that much.
As it happens, I need not have bothered.
This book hooked me from the very first page where Kitty is caught in the bedroom with her lover and it kept me interested right the way through. From the delving into Kitty's recent past and her mother's insistence that she marry as soon as possible, to Kitty's relationship with an intelligent and shy man who genuinely loves her but she cannot love back, to the middle of a cholera epidemic that challenges Kitty's views on life and love. Her character development is astounding; how she goes from being an annoyingly fickle and selfish young women, to one who sees the world in a new light and gains a certain wisdom that is only achieved through facing and overcoming hardship.
Much about this story reminds me of (though, thankfully, not the length). It's the same idea of an immature and self-centred young woman being unable to appreciate the love of the man by their side until it's too late. They would prefer to fawn over a married man who will never treat them seriously, and yet they are so shocked to discover that their beauty cannot get them everything they want. Both Kitty and Scarlet are extremely spoiled and vain, so used to getting what they want that they are unprepared when life suddenly treats them unkindly. But they do both manage to change and grow stronger as well.
It's also a very sad novel. I find it sad how Walter was willing to overlook the fact that Kitty didn't like him at all just so he could have the chance to love her. He was so sweet and kind. The ending (well, the bit just before) is also sad, but necessary in order for Kitty to become the person she does.
I think Kitty's state of mind at the end is an important statement about women at this pivotal point in history. Women have got the vote, but still very few options in life. Here, Kitty learns an important lesson-- that it is far more beneficial for everyone if girls are raised to be open-minded and independent human beings, instead of just men's wives. Overall, this is a very interesting exploration of people and the relationships between men and women - it definitely won't be the last I read by .
| | | |
, first published in 1925, is now considered a classic. That fact - combined with the cover, description and the reviews - had me switching into classic-reading mode. I tend to approach classics with a different frame of mind and a greater tolerance for slow-moving plots, complex language, and characters I cannot relate to that much.
As it happens, I need not have bothered.
This book hooked me from the very first page where Kitty is caught in the bedroom with her lover and it kept me interested right the way through. From the delving into Kitty's recent past and her mother's insistence that she marry as soon as possible, to Kitty's relationship with an intelligent and shy man who genuinely loves her but she cannot love back, to the middle of a cholera epidemic that challenges Kitty's views on life and love. Her character development is astounding; how she goes from being an annoyingly fickle and selfish young women, to one who sees the world in a new light and gains a certain wisdom that is only achieved through facing and overcoming hardship.
Much about this story reminds me of (though, thankfully, not the length). It's the same idea of an immature and self-centred young woman being unable to appreciate the love of the man by their side until it's too late. They would prefer to fawn over a married man who will never treat them seriously, and yet they are so shocked to discover that their beauty cannot get them everything they want. Both Kitty and Scarlet are extremely spoiled and vain, so used to getting what they want that they are unprepared when life suddenly treats them unkindly. But they do both manage to change and grow stronger as well.
It's also a very sad novel. I find it sad how Walter was willing to overlook the fact that Kitty didn't like him at all just so he could have the chance to love her. He was so sweet and kind. The ending (well, the bit just before) is also sad, but necessary in order for Kitty to become the person she does.
I think Kitty's state of mind at the end is an important statement about women at this pivotal point in history. Women have got the vote, but still very few options in life. Here, Kitty learns an important lesson-- that it is far more beneficial for everyone if girls are raised to be open-minded and independent human beings, instead of just men's wives. Overall, this is a very interesting exploration of people and the relationships between men and women - it definitely won't be the last I read by .
| | | |
February 12, 2020
鈥漈hey saw the white china knob of the handle slowly turn. They had heard no one walk along the verandah. It was terrifying to see that silent motion. A minute passed and there was no sound. Then, with the ghastliness of the supernatural, in the same stealthy, noiseless, and horrifying manner, they saw the white china knob of the handle at the window turn also. Kitty, her nerves failing her, opened her mouth to scream; but, seeing what she was going to do, he swiftly put his hand over it and her cry was smothered in his fingers.鈥�
When Kitty accepts the marriage proposal of Dr. Walter Fane, it sets off a chain of events that land them both in the middle of a cholera epidemic in Mei-Tan-Fu, China. Kitty is quickly leaving behind her debuttante years and is fast approaching an old maid status. It isn鈥檛 for lack of marriage proposals. She has plenty. She just enjoys being the center of attention for all men, rather than being confined to the servitude of one. When her younger sister, the much less attractive sister, lands a baronet, the pressure on her to be married becomes very real.
Dr. Walter Fane is not a fool, but he is a complete fool when it comes to his love of this beautiful bobble of girl who has never had to have a serious thought in her life. Even intelligent people can be blind in the ways of love. He knows Kitty doesn鈥檛 love him. He knows why she is desperately marrying him, and yet he must have believed that, given time, he can convince her that he is worth loving.
Kitty can not respect his love for her. Infatuation has always come easily for her. She has smoldering eyes and a lithe figure that drives men to distraction. 鈥漌hat was it in the human heart that made you despise a man because he loved you?鈥� That has been a question that has been asked for hundreds of years, if not thousands. What I have ascertained from the minefield of women that I鈥檝e known is that a woman must not like herself very much to despise a man who loves her. It is sad that she considers him to be a fool to marry such a woman as she.
Kitty accepts his proposal impulsively. She despises his fawning attentions. She has therefore never invested any emotion or even thought into the relationship. He takes her to Hong Kong where he works as a bacteriologist. There she meets Charlie Townsend, who intuitively senses the vulnerability in their relationship. He is charming, fit, and knows the right string of words to whisper in a silly, unhappy girl鈥檚 ear. Kitty is a fool, and she can鈥檛 for the life of her understand why Walter can鈥檛 see it.
The resulting scandal, which starts with the turning of the white china knob on the door, turns out to be an embarrassing affair for all parties involved, as these things tend to do. Walter gives Kitty a choice, but as it turns out, she has only one choice, which is to follow him to Mei-Tan-Fu. 鈥滻t means death. Absolutely certain death.鈥�
Whenever I pick up a W. Somerset Maugham book, I know I am in for a whirlwind ride fraught with betrayal, emotional upheaval, human frailty, selfishness, and aspects of malice. He explores the dark corners of our lives that are whispered about in alcoves at parties, and in shadowed doorways off of street corners. Those things about us that we hope no one knows, but we have a fearful inclination, spurred by our own guilt that everyone knows. The best solution to any scandal, in my opinion, is to brazen it out and wait for another scandal to come along to move your problems from the front page to the back page of the gossip mill. One must screw up occasionally so that everyone else feels better about themselves. It would be rather rude to be perfectly good all the time.
A masterpiece exploring the frivolous ways in which lives can be ruined.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
When Kitty accepts the marriage proposal of Dr. Walter Fane, it sets off a chain of events that land them both in the middle of a cholera epidemic in Mei-Tan-Fu, China. Kitty is quickly leaving behind her debuttante years and is fast approaching an old maid status. It isn鈥檛 for lack of marriage proposals. She has plenty. She just enjoys being the center of attention for all men, rather than being confined to the servitude of one. When her younger sister, the much less attractive sister, lands a baronet, the pressure on her to be married becomes very real.
Dr. Walter Fane is not a fool, but he is a complete fool when it comes to his love of this beautiful bobble of girl who has never had to have a serious thought in her life. Even intelligent people can be blind in the ways of love. He knows Kitty doesn鈥檛 love him. He knows why she is desperately marrying him, and yet he must have believed that, given time, he can convince her that he is worth loving.
Kitty can not respect his love for her. Infatuation has always come easily for her. She has smoldering eyes and a lithe figure that drives men to distraction. 鈥漌hat was it in the human heart that made you despise a man because he loved you?鈥� That has been a question that has been asked for hundreds of years, if not thousands. What I have ascertained from the minefield of women that I鈥檝e known is that a woman must not like herself very much to despise a man who loves her. It is sad that she considers him to be a fool to marry such a woman as she.
Kitty accepts his proposal impulsively. She despises his fawning attentions. She has therefore never invested any emotion or even thought into the relationship. He takes her to Hong Kong where he works as a bacteriologist. There she meets Charlie Townsend, who intuitively senses the vulnerability in their relationship. He is charming, fit, and knows the right string of words to whisper in a silly, unhappy girl鈥檚 ear. Kitty is a fool, and she can鈥檛 for the life of her understand why Walter can鈥檛 see it.
The resulting scandal, which starts with the turning of the white china knob on the door, turns out to be an embarrassing affair for all parties involved, as these things tend to do. Walter gives Kitty a choice, but as it turns out, she has only one choice, which is to follow him to Mei-Tan-Fu. 鈥滻t means death. Absolutely certain death.鈥�
Whenever I pick up a W. Somerset Maugham book, I know I am in for a whirlwind ride fraught with betrayal, emotional upheaval, human frailty, selfishness, and aspects of malice. He explores the dark corners of our lives that are whispered about in alcoves at parties, and in shadowed doorways off of street corners. Those things about us that we hope no one knows, but we have a fearful inclination, spurred by our own guilt that everyone knows. The best solution to any scandal, in my opinion, is to brazen it out and wait for another scandal to come along to move your problems from the front page to the back page of the gossip mill. One must screw up occasionally so that everyone else feels better about themselves. It would be rather rude to be perfectly good all the time.
A masterpiece exploring the frivolous ways in which lives can be ruined.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
January 9, 2016
The original was deleted by GR. This book is about the time when society women didn鈥檛 work, especially not in the hot and fetid colonies, and this was set in Hong Kong. They sat at home and painted their nails and dreamed of love in the afternoon and sometimes they did it too. Kitty did, she had an affair and her husband found out. He was a good man, as she was to find out, but once crossed, his soul was dark with thoughts of the ultimate revenge 鈥� death, either socially or in reality.
He gave his wife a choice, divorce, which would mean the end of her career as a socialite with pretty party dresses, passionate lovers and invitations to all the best balls in town. Or, if she could persuade her married lover to divorce his wife, he would allow that. But the married lover, typical of the species ditched the paramour and kept the wife. So it was either the social ignominy of divorce or she could go with him, a doctor, to sort out a cholera epidemic on mainland China where she might catch and die of the disease herself. She went.
And eventually, her character grew and her soul was transformed as she found a higher calling in nursing children and admiration for her well-respected if unlovable husband. Pregnant, she told him she didn鈥檛 know if it was his or her lover鈥檚 but it mattered not, because the husband got written out at this point in a touching deathbed scene.
She returns to Hong Kong, now lodging with her previous paramour and his wife, a heroine and tragic widow, but blots her copy book briefly by one more go-round with the ex-lover. Disgusted with herself she returns to the UK and finding her mother has died, sets herself up to support her father and accompanies him to the Caribbean island where he is to become the resident Chief Justice.
There she will dedicate herself to her father and to bringing up the as-yet unborn child. And that鈥檚 where the book ends.
What the book doesn鈥檛 say is that the ex-pat society in the Caribbean is every bit as entertaining as Hong Kong and there is a great deal less poverty and sickness. Less white women gives rarity value even unto the sullied, and in any case, less attention to social mores is paid in tropical climes. I鈥檓 sure she got back up on that social roundabout again, but that鈥檚 for our imagination.
A good book, an odd book for its time giving a lot of power and play to women鈥檚 sexuality, but dividing both the men and women into good/celibate (more or less) and sexually active (bad, bad bad). I haven鈥檛 seen the film of it, but it鈥檚 ideal for a modern remake with a hot young star and plenty of sex scenes.
He gave his wife a choice, divorce, which would mean the end of her career as a socialite with pretty party dresses, passionate lovers and invitations to all the best balls in town. Or, if she could persuade her married lover to divorce his wife, he would allow that. But the married lover, typical of the species ditched the paramour and kept the wife. So it was either the social ignominy of divorce or she could go with him, a doctor, to sort out a cholera epidemic on mainland China where she might catch and die of the disease herself. She went.
And eventually, her character grew and her soul was transformed as she found a higher calling in nursing children and admiration for her well-respected if unlovable husband. Pregnant, she told him she didn鈥檛 know if it was his or her lover鈥檚 but it mattered not, because the husband got written out at this point in a touching deathbed scene.
She returns to Hong Kong, now lodging with her previous paramour and his wife, a heroine and tragic widow, but blots her copy book briefly by one more go-round with the ex-lover. Disgusted with herself she returns to the UK and finding her mother has died, sets herself up to support her father and accompanies him to the Caribbean island where he is to become the resident Chief Justice.
There she will dedicate herself to her father and to bringing up the as-yet unborn child. And that鈥檚 where the book ends.
What the book doesn鈥檛 say is that the ex-pat society in the Caribbean is every bit as entertaining as Hong Kong and there is a great deal less poverty and sickness. Less white women gives rarity value even unto the sullied, and in any case, less attention to social mores is paid in tropical climes. I鈥檓 sure she got back up on that social roundabout again, but that鈥檚 for our imagination.
A good book, an odd book for its time giving a lot of power and play to women鈥檚 sexuality, but dividing both the men and women into good/celibate (more or less) and sexually active (bad, bad bad). I haven鈥檛 seen the film of it, but it鈥檚 ideal for a modern remake with a hot young star and plenty of sex scenes.
January 13, 2019
Resentment's Presentiment
The time will come / When you'll be blue / Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
Hank Williams, 1952
You'll look for me but baby I'll be gone.
This is all I gotta say to you woman: Your time is gonna come
Led Zeppelin, 1969
The English word "resent" or "resentment" comes from the Old French resentir, meaning to "feel again, feel in turn" (13c.) That is, to replay, feeling again and again, thoughts and emotions arising from a past negative event. For example, wife learns husband was unfaithful, then envisions hubs and his lover in bed doing really naughty things, and laughing at and ridiculing her, visions she projects in her mind's eye, each time with sensational new variations, daily over the following months so that these scenes transform into a warped and sickening reality to her.
The Painted Veil is Somerset Maugham's calamitous case study on the travesties begotten by a faithless, heartless wife who is--frankly--gullible to the charms of a cocksure cad, and indifferent to her caring cuckold's emotional pain and, at least at first, to his poisonous resentment.
Kitty Fane ruthlessly ridicules her husband, Dr. Walter Fane, to her lover as she dreams of marrying this cad she can't see is playing her. Though the husband Walter loves Kitty still, after he finds out of the affair, his jaundiced need to get even goads him into taking her on his mission to rural China, into the heart of the cholera epidemic.
Prior to departing for China, he asks her:
Maugham couldn't have found a more perfect setting for exploring the most disastrous of tragedies to a living marriage. Maugham sets up a plethora of symbols on the after-effects of infidelity to contrast with society's notions of a husband and wife.
A super potent novel.
The time will come / When you'll be blue / Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.
Hank Williams, 1952
You'll look for me but baby I'll be gone.
This is all I gotta say to you woman: Your time is gonna come
Led Zeppelin, 1969
The English word "resent" or "resentment" comes from the Old French resentir, meaning to "feel again, feel in turn" (13c.) That is, to replay, feeling again and again, thoughts and emotions arising from a past negative event. For example, wife learns husband was unfaithful, then envisions hubs and his lover in bed doing really naughty things, and laughing at and ridiculing her, visions she projects in her mind's eye, each time with sensational new variations, daily over the following months so that these scenes transform into a warped and sickening reality to her.
The Painted Veil is Somerset Maugham's calamitous case study on the travesties begotten by a faithless, heartless wife who is--frankly--gullible to the charms of a cocksure cad, and indifferent to her caring cuckold's emotional pain and, at least at first, to his poisonous resentment.
The worst, the least curable hatred is that which has superseded deep love. Euripides
Kitty Fane ruthlessly ridicules her husband, Dr. Walter Fane, to her lover as she dreams of marrying this cad she can't see is playing her. Though the husband Walter loves Kitty still, after he finds out of the affair, his jaundiced need to get even goads him into taking her on his mission to rural China, into the heart of the cholera epidemic.
Prior to departing for China, he asks her:
"How can I be reasonable? To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. It is not very pleasant to realize that to you it was only an episode."Nonetheless, off they go. Dr. Fane works selflessly around the clock to save the cholera-afflicted. Kitty awakens late to the fallacy of the fornical fantasia and to the spinelessness of her muscled lover, who (check it...) was only interested in getting a lil sompin sompin. She undergoes a personal transformation among all the sickness surrounding her in this foreign land, finding her moral compass, and seeking forgiveness from her husband, as resentment consumes him.
***
"I know that you're selfish, selfish beyond words, and I know that you haven't the nerve of a rabbit, I know you're a liar and a humbug, I know that you're utterly contemptible. And the tragic part is'--her face was on a sudden distraught with pain--'the tragic part is that notwithstanding I love you with all my heart."
Maugham couldn't have found a more perfect setting for exploring the most disastrous of tragedies to a living marriage. Maugham sets up a plethora of symbols on the after-effects of infidelity to contrast with society's notions of a husband and wife.
A super potent novel.
August 28, 2021
SUL FILO DEL RASOIO
Kitty e Walter Fane nel primo adattamento cinematografico del 1934 hanno il volto di Greta Garbo e Herbert Marshall. Ilregista 猫 Richard Boleslawski. Le riprese, come di consueto all鈥檈poca, sono essenzialmente in teatro di posa, e quindi, scenografie tutte ricostruite in studio.
Maugham aveva fama di cattivissimo, di cinico, la sua biografa Selina Hastings lo defin矛 鈥渧iolento come un tumore maligno鈥�: si narra che il ritratto che gli fece il pittore Graham Sutherland lo abbia messo cos矛 a disagio da nascondere l鈥檕pera, tenerla privata e non mostrarla a nessuno.
Magari era solo invidia per il fatto che coi suoi libri era diventato molto, molto ricco.
La divina Garbo 猫 la prima Kitty. Il romanzo era uscito nel 1925.
In questa bella storia mi pare che abbia per貌 lasciato da parte ogni forma di cinismo: il ritratto di Kitty 猫 struggente, un personaggio bellissimo con la sua fragilit脿, la sua frivolezza e leggerezza, la sua schiavit霉 alle regole della 鈥榗onvenienza鈥�, che nel procedere del racconto, di fronte all鈥檌mprovvisa situazione di pericolo cui il marito la sottopone, trova un magnifico riscatto e solleva quel velo dipinto 鈥渃he i viventi chiamano Vita鈥� (il riferimento 猫 alla poesia Lift Not the Painted Veil di Shelley che regala il titolo al romanzo, il cui verso principale 猫 riportato in epigrafe).
La seconda versione cinematografica 猫 diretta da Ronald Neame. Alla regia collabor貌 anche Vincent Minnelli che per貌 non compare nei crediti. Kitty 猫 Eleanor Parker.
L鈥檌ntera trama prende spunto da un altro celebre riferimento letterario: da quella Pia de鈥� Tolomei che Dante incontra nel Purgatorio. Questi i versi del poeta fiorentino:
Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia;
Siena mi f茅, disfecemi Maremma;
salsi colui che 'nnanellata pria
disposando m'avea con la sua gemma.
Ecco, invece, come li racconta Maugham:
Ersilia mi disse che Pia era una gentildonna senese; il marito, sospettandola di adulterio e non osando metterla a morte per timore dei familiari, la port貌 in un suo castello in Maremma nella speranza che i mefitici vapori del luogo provvedessero alla bisogna; ma poich茅 ella tardava a morire si spazient矛 e la fece gettare dalla finestra.
Il secondo adattamento cinematografico 猫 del 1957 e ha il titolo di 鈥淚l settimo peccato鈥�. Walter 猫 interpretato da Bill Travers e l鈥檃zione 猫 spostata al secondo dopoguerra.
Maugham entra subito nel vivo e poi ci ricapitola gli antecedenti. Si comincia con la scena d鈥檃dulterio, Kitty sta incontrando il suo amante, Charlie Townsend, un funzionario statale inglese, quando sente che qualcuno sta tentando di aprire la porta della sua stanza da letto e teme che sia suo marito Walter.
Poi apprendiamo che Kitty, bella e attraente, per timore di restare senza marito, visto che anche sua sorella minore s鈥檈ra gi脿 sposata, accetta la proposta di un uomo che non ama, Walter Fane, un medico batteriologo di carattere freddo e apparentemente insensibile.
Il terzo adattamento 猫 del 2006e recupera il titolo originale. In regia John Curran.
Lo stesso Walter mi pare abbia un percorso che lo rende molto pi霉 interessante di quello che lo stereotipo del medico tutto dedito al lavoro, freddo imperscrutabile insensibile: per quanto ossessionato dal decoro, quando scopre la storia tra sua moglie e Townsend 猫 disposto a divorziare se l鈥檃mante 猫 pronto a fare altrettanto per poi sposarsi con Kitty 鈥� in alternativa le impone di seguirlo nell鈥檌nterno del paese, da Hong Kong a Mei-Tan-Fu, a combattere un鈥檈pidemia di colera. Non un posto per una signora, ma l鈥檕ccasione di fare una grande esperienza umana.
Esperienza che infatti induce il cambiamento radicale di Kitty.
Certo, si pu貌 interpretare la cosa come forma di vendetta diretta a fare di Kitty una nuova Pia de鈥� Tolomei. Ma io preferisco la prima ipotesi.
Kitty e Walter sono Naomi Watts e Edward Norton. Il film 猫 effettivamente girato in Cina.
Townsend, ovviamente, si tiene stretto il suo matrimonio e non 猫 affatto disposto a mettere tutto in discussione per dare seguito 鈥榣egale鈥� alla sua scappatella con Kitty.
Quando Kitty rientra a Hong Kong dopo la scioccante esperienza di Mei-Tan-Fu e rincontra l鈥檃mante lo apostrofa:
Per favore vattene - singhiozz貌 - Questa 猫 l'unica cosa che puoi fare per me adesso. Ti odio e ti disprezzo. Walter valeva dieci volte pi霉 di te e io ero troppo stupida per accorgermene. Va' via. Va' via.
Non ha imparato ad amare suo marito 鈥� come invece Hollywood preferisce farci credere 鈥� ma ha imparato a stimarlo e rispettarlo. E ha comunque vissuto una grandiosa esperienza umana. Ed 猫 pronta a dedicare la sua vita a far s矛 che quella della figlia sia meno vuota e superficiale di quello che 猫 stata la sua di prima.
Kitty e Walter Fane nel primo adattamento cinematografico del 1934 hanno il volto di Greta Garbo e Herbert Marshall. Ilregista 猫 Richard Boleslawski. Le riprese, come di consueto all鈥檈poca, sono essenzialmente in teatro di posa, e quindi, scenografie tutte ricostruite in studio.
Maugham aveva fama di cattivissimo, di cinico, la sua biografa Selina Hastings lo defin矛 鈥渧iolento come un tumore maligno鈥�: si narra che il ritratto che gli fece il pittore Graham Sutherland lo abbia messo cos矛 a disagio da nascondere l鈥檕pera, tenerla privata e non mostrarla a nessuno.
Magari era solo invidia per il fatto che coi suoi libri era diventato molto, molto ricco.
La divina Garbo 猫 la prima Kitty. Il romanzo era uscito nel 1925.
In questa bella storia mi pare che abbia per貌 lasciato da parte ogni forma di cinismo: il ritratto di Kitty 猫 struggente, un personaggio bellissimo con la sua fragilit脿, la sua frivolezza e leggerezza, la sua schiavit霉 alle regole della 鈥榗onvenienza鈥�, che nel procedere del racconto, di fronte all鈥檌mprovvisa situazione di pericolo cui il marito la sottopone, trova un magnifico riscatto e solleva quel velo dipinto 鈥渃he i viventi chiamano Vita鈥� (il riferimento 猫 alla poesia Lift Not the Painted Veil di Shelley che regala il titolo al romanzo, il cui verso principale 猫 riportato in epigrafe).
La seconda versione cinematografica 猫 diretta da Ronald Neame. Alla regia collabor貌 anche Vincent Minnelli che per貌 non compare nei crediti. Kitty 猫 Eleanor Parker.
L鈥檌ntera trama prende spunto da un altro celebre riferimento letterario: da quella Pia de鈥� Tolomei che Dante incontra nel Purgatorio. Questi i versi del poeta fiorentino:
Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia;
Siena mi f茅, disfecemi Maremma;
salsi colui che 'nnanellata pria
disposando m'avea con la sua gemma.
Ecco, invece, come li racconta Maugham:
Ersilia mi disse che Pia era una gentildonna senese; il marito, sospettandola di adulterio e non osando metterla a morte per timore dei familiari, la port貌 in un suo castello in Maremma nella speranza che i mefitici vapori del luogo provvedessero alla bisogna; ma poich茅 ella tardava a morire si spazient矛 e la fece gettare dalla finestra.
Il secondo adattamento cinematografico 猫 del 1957 e ha il titolo di 鈥淚l settimo peccato鈥�. Walter 猫 interpretato da Bill Travers e l鈥檃zione 猫 spostata al secondo dopoguerra.
Maugham entra subito nel vivo e poi ci ricapitola gli antecedenti. Si comincia con la scena d鈥檃dulterio, Kitty sta incontrando il suo amante, Charlie Townsend, un funzionario statale inglese, quando sente che qualcuno sta tentando di aprire la porta della sua stanza da letto e teme che sia suo marito Walter.
Poi apprendiamo che Kitty, bella e attraente, per timore di restare senza marito, visto che anche sua sorella minore s鈥檈ra gi脿 sposata, accetta la proposta di un uomo che non ama, Walter Fane, un medico batteriologo di carattere freddo e apparentemente insensibile.
Il terzo adattamento 猫 del 2006e recupera il titolo originale. In regia John Curran.
Lo stesso Walter mi pare abbia un percorso che lo rende molto pi霉 interessante di quello che lo stereotipo del medico tutto dedito al lavoro, freddo imperscrutabile insensibile: per quanto ossessionato dal decoro, quando scopre la storia tra sua moglie e Townsend 猫 disposto a divorziare se l鈥檃mante 猫 pronto a fare altrettanto per poi sposarsi con Kitty 鈥� in alternativa le impone di seguirlo nell鈥檌nterno del paese, da Hong Kong a Mei-Tan-Fu, a combattere un鈥檈pidemia di colera. Non un posto per una signora, ma l鈥檕ccasione di fare una grande esperienza umana.
Esperienza che infatti induce il cambiamento radicale di Kitty.
Certo, si pu貌 interpretare la cosa come forma di vendetta diretta a fare di Kitty una nuova Pia de鈥� Tolomei. Ma io preferisco la prima ipotesi.
Kitty e Walter sono Naomi Watts e Edward Norton. Il film 猫 effettivamente girato in Cina.
Townsend, ovviamente, si tiene stretto il suo matrimonio e non 猫 affatto disposto a mettere tutto in discussione per dare seguito 鈥榣egale鈥� alla sua scappatella con Kitty.
Quando Kitty rientra a Hong Kong dopo la scioccante esperienza di Mei-Tan-Fu e rincontra l鈥檃mante lo apostrofa:
Per favore vattene - singhiozz貌 - Questa 猫 l'unica cosa che puoi fare per me adesso. Ti odio e ti disprezzo. Walter valeva dieci volte pi霉 di te e io ero troppo stupida per accorgermene. Va' via. Va' via.
Non ha imparato ad amare suo marito 鈥� come invece Hollywood preferisce farci credere 鈥� ma ha imparato a stimarlo e rispettarlo. E ha comunque vissuto una grandiosa esperienza umana. Ed 猫 pronta a dedicare la sua vita a far s矛 che quella della figlia sia meno vuota e superficiale di quello che 猫 stata la sua di prima.
February 6, 2023
The film "The Painted Veil", taken from the novel, was a dazzling one, and to prolong the magic, I threw myself into the story from the last frame. At this point, conquered by the film, the quality of the images, the beauty of the landscapes, and the interpretation of a rare sensitivity by Naomi Watts and Edward Norton (Ah, this unforgettable scene where the disunited couple finally meet again and find their way back to life. matrimonial bed), not to mention the exceptional music of Alexandre Desplat. In short, I had set the bar very high for the novel, and I did not hide a slight, minimal disappointment.
But the novel brings another dimension to the state of mind of the two heroes. And even if the third, namely the lover (beautiful interpretation of Liev Schreiber), the bottom of their nature, and all the elements that very gradually, in this hostile context, will bring them to understand each other, finally, talk to each other, find each other.
But the novel brings another dimension to the state of mind of the two heroes. And even if the third, namely the lover (beautiful interpretation of Liev Schreiber), the bottom of their nature, and all the elements that very gradually, in this hostile context, will bring them to understand each other, finally, talk to each other, find each other.
May 13, 2025
丕賱禺賷丕賳丞 匕賳亘 孬賯賷賱 賱丕 賷胤賴乇賴丕 丕賱丕 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱噩賲丕毓賶 賵 丕賳賰丕乇 丕賱匕丕鬲 賵 賲爻丕毓丿丞 丕賱睾賷乇 丨鬲賶 賱賵 賰丕賳 賮賶 兀乇囟 丕賱賵亘丕亍 丨賷孬 賳鬲胤賴乇 賲賳 匕賳賵亘賳丕 亘賵囟毓 兀乇賵丕丨賳丕 毓賱賶 賰賮 丕賱乇丨賲賳
01
丕賱亘毓囟 賲賳丕 賷亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱胤乇賷賯 賮賷 丕賱兀賮賷賵賳 賵 丕賱亘毓囟 賮賷 丕賱賱賴. 丕賱亘毓囟 賲賳丕 賮賷 丕賱賵賷爻賰賷 賵 丕賱亘毓囟 賮賷 丕賱丨亘.
02
賰丕賳 兀賱賲賴丕 毓馗賷賲丕 賱丿乇噩丞 兀賳賴丕 賰丕賳鬲 鬲氐乇禺 亘毓賱賵 氐賵鬲賴丕. 賱賲 鬲賰賳 鬲毓乇賮 兀亘丿丕 兀賳 丕賱賲乇亍 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 賷毓丕賳賷 丕賱賰孬賷乇. 賵 爻兀賱鬲 賳賮爻賴丕 亘卮丿丞: 賲丕匕丕 賮毓賱鬲 賱兀爻鬲丨賯 賰賱 匕賱賰責
03
賯丕賱鬲 賰賷鬲賷 亘丕亘鬲爻丕賲丞: 廿賳賴 賱爻賵亍 丨馗 賰亘賷乇 兀賳 賷賰賵賳 賱丿賷賰 賯賱亘!
04
賯胤乇鬲丕賳 氐睾賷乇鬲丕賳 賮賷 匕賱賰 丕賱賳賴乇 丕賱匕賷 鬲丿賮賯 亘氐賲鬲 賳丨賵 丕賱賲噩賴賵賱. 賯胤乇鬲丕賳 氐睾賷乇鬲丕賳 賰丕賳鬲丕 賱賴賲丕 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱鬲賮乇丿 賵 賱賰賳賴賲丕 賮賷 丕賱賵賯鬲 賳賮爻賴 賰丕賳丕 噩夭亍丕 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 鬲賲賷賷夭賴 賲賳 丕賱賲丕亍.
August 17, 2024
Ce se 卯nt卯mpl膬 c卯nd v膬lul vie葲ii, frumos zugr膬vit, este 卯ndep膬rtat printr-un gest decis? Adev膬rul din spatele lui te poate strivi sau te poate salva. Maugham alege a doua consecin葲膬.
脦n numai 3 luni, o femeie frivol膬 devine un monument de cumin葲enie 葯i virtute. Metamorfoza frumoasei Kitty Garstin se petrece mult prea repede ca s膬 fie 卯ntru totul conving膬toare. Nimeni nu se modific膬 radical 卯ntr-un trimestru (sic!), chiar dac膬 munce葯te 卯ntr-o m膬n膬stire de c膬lug膬ri葲e misionare, venite din Marsilia, 卯ntr-un ora葯 b卯ntuit de molim膬, iar so葲ul ei, doctorul Waler Fane - la care oricum nu 葲ine, fiindc膬 nu-l 卯n葲elege -, moare eroic de holer膬.
Maugham a fost sincer c卯nd a spus despre el 卯nsu葯i (卯n 叠颈濒补苍葲) c膬 nu are cine 葯tie ce talent literar 葯i nu se pricepe la compara葲ii 葯i metafore. Sinceritatea lui mi l-a f膬cut simpatic 葯i am dus romanul p卯n膬 la cap膬t.
Dar nu po葲i s膬 nu z卯mbe葯ti citind aceste fraze:
鈥濧cum lacrimile 卯i 艧iroiau pe fa牛a ei bun膬, de casnic膬鈥� (p.198). S膬 ne uit膬m 葯i 卯n original: 鈥濶ow the tears were pouring down her kind, homely face鈥�.
鈥濳itty 艧ezu o vreme tot pe marginea patului, ghemuit膬 toat膬, ca o nebun膬. Avea un gol 卯n creier. O str膬b膬tu un fior鈥� (p.209). 脦n engleza lui Maugham: 鈥濳itty sat for a while, still on the edge of the bed, hunched up like an imbecile. Her mind was vacant. A shudder passed through her鈥�.
Din p膬cate, diferen葲a dintre original 葯i traducere e considerabil膬...
脦n numai 3 luni, o femeie frivol膬 devine un monument de cumin葲enie 葯i virtute. Metamorfoza frumoasei Kitty Garstin se petrece mult prea repede ca s膬 fie 卯ntru totul conving膬toare. Nimeni nu se modific膬 radical 卯ntr-un trimestru (sic!), chiar dac膬 munce葯te 卯ntr-o m膬n膬stire de c膬lug膬ri葲e misionare, venite din Marsilia, 卯ntr-un ora葯 b卯ntuit de molim膬, iar so葲ul ei, doctorul Waler Fane - la care oricum nu 葲ine, fiindc膬 nu-l 卯n葲elege -, moare eroic de holer膬.
Maugham a fost sincer c卯nd a spus despre el 卯nsu葯i (卯n 叠颈濒补苍葲) c膬 nu are cine 葯tie ce talent literar 葯i nu se pricepe la compara葲ii 葯i metafore. Sinceritatea lui mi l-a f膬cut simpatic 葯i am dus romanul p卯n膬 la cap膬t.
Dar nu po葲i s膬 nu z卯mbe葯ti citind aceste fraze:
鈥濧cum lacrimile 卯i 艧iroiau pe fa牛a ei bun膬, de casnic膬鈥� (p.198). S膬 ne uit膬m 葯i 卯n original: 鈥濶ow the tears were pouring down her kind, homely face鈥�.
鈥濳itty 艧ezu o vreme tot pe marginea patului, ghemuit膬 toat膬, ca o nebun膬. Avea un gol 卯n creier. O str膬b膬tu un fior鈥� (p.209). 脦n engleza lui Maugham: 鈥濳itty sat for a while, still on the edge of the bed, hunched up like an imbecile. Her mind was vacant. A shudder passed through her鈥�.
Din p膬cate, diferen葲a dintre original 葯i traducere e considerabil膬...
December 12, 2022
Sometimes we find the film adaptation of the book first. That's what happened to me, with W. Somerset Maugham's story of an ill-fated marriage, The Painted Veil. I saw the film many moons ago.
So in chapter one, when Kitty, a married woman, and Charlie, her lover, fearfully watch the (locked) doorknob to her bedroom turn, this image came to mind:
And later, I waited for this beautiful moment of recognition between estranged husband and wife, in cholera-infested China:
I waited, but didn't quite get that, though. Turns out, surprise-surprise, the film adaptation is much more "Hollywood" than Maugham's book. Which isn't a bad thing for the film, actually, especially if you happen to have a crush on Edward Norton, as I do.
What I learned in the reading of this wonderful short novel is that the film version is much more about the couple's relationship, whereas the book is much more about Kitty's coming of age.
Kitty marries Walter not out of love but necessity. He's a bacteriologist, a sensitive and serious man. Kitty, a silly society girl, is bored by him, and is unfaithful. Maugham does a splendid job of drawing us into the story and of showing us the three points of the love triangle. He also shows us how love, when damaged, can quickly twist into something else altogether. The story shoots out of the bedroom into a terrifying, deadly pandemic.
It's been decades since I read Maugham last, and I was astonished at how modern this almost 100 year old story reads. The chapters are short and inviting; the writing is a pleasure to dive into. I noticed how his work isn't particularly stylized like other writers of his time (he often begins a chapter with the word "but"). However, his ability to write compelling, flawed characters, and present us with searing intimate moments kept me glued to the page.
So, read the book, to watch a girl become a mature woman. And watch the film, if not for Edward Norton, for a gorgeous, tragic love story.
So in chapter one, when Kitty, a married woman, and Charlie, her lover, fearfully watch the (locked) doorknob to her bedroom turn, this image came to mind:
And later, I waited for this beautiful moment of recognition between estranged husband and wife, in cholera-infested China:
I waited, but didn't quite get that, though. Turns out, surprise-surprise, the film adaptation is much more "Hollywood" than Maugham's book. Which isn't a bad thing for the film, actually, especially if you happen to have a crush on Edward Norton, as I do.
What I learned in the reading of this wonderful short novel is that the film version is much more about the couple's relationship, whereas the book is much more about Kitty's coming of age.
Kitty marries Walter not out of love but necessity. He's a bacteriologist, a sensitive and serious man. Kitty, a silly society girl, is bored by him, and is unfaithful. Maugham does a splendid job of drawing us into the story and of showing us the three points of the love triangle. He also shows us how love, when damaged, can quickly twist into something else altogether. The story shoots out of the bedroom into a terrifying, deadly pandemic.
It's been decades since I read Maugham last, and I was astonished at how modern this almost 100 year old story reads. The chapters are short and inviting; the writing is a pleasure to dive into. I noticed how his work isn't particularly stylized like other writers of his time (he often begins a chapter with the word "but"). However, his ability to write compelling, flawed characters, and present us with searing intimate moments kept me glued to the page.
So, read the book, to watch a girl become a mature woman. And watch the film, if not for Edward Norton, for a gorgeous, tragic love story.
August 18, 2018
The Painted Veil is W. Somerset Maugham on speed dial. Published in 1925, it falls between two masterworks I've read from the prolific British novelist and playwright: Of Human Bondage in 1915 and The Razor's Edge in 1944, and while providing snapshots of well-developed characters and a compelling story that spans the globe, it's a triumph of telling over showing and in many ways feels more like the treatment for a movie than it does a complete novel. But Maugham in a slower gear is more compelling than ninety-five percent of fiction out there.
The story gets off to an exciting start in the city of Hong Kong, where a British national named Kitty Fane is interrupted from post-coital afternoon bliss with a charismatic Assistant Colonial Secretary named Charlie Townsend when she hears someone in her house. Incredulous that it could be Kitty's husband, who is supposed to be at work, the couple watch as the white china knobs of the windows slowly turn from someone trying to get in. Townsend reassures Kitty that it was probably a servant, but she is alarmed when her lover tells her that he left his topee downstairs. Questioning her boy servant, Kitty learns that her husband Walter was indeed in the house.
Moving back in time two years to London, Kitty Garstin is a footloose bachelorette in South Kensington. Her father is a solicitor of moderate ambition while her mother is an unabashed social climber dripping with it. Kitty has inherited the beauty and charm that her younger sister Doris lacks and rather than accept her numerous marriage proposals, takes her time in choosing her future. At twenty-five, she is stunned when eighteen-year-old Doris becomes engaged to a prosperous surgeon. In a panic, Kitty agrees to marry Walter Fane, also a doctor, but a painfully shy, inhibited one Kitty is vaguely familiar with socially, despite the fact that he seems to be in love with her.
He was not her type at all. He was short, but not thick-set, slight rather and thin; dark and clean-shaven, with very regular, clean-cut features. His eyes were almost black, but not large, they were not very mobile and they rested on objects with a singular persistence; they were curious, but not very pleasant eyes. With his straight, delicate nose, his fine brow, and well-shaped mouth he ought to have been good-looking. But surprisingly enough he was not. When Kitty began to think of him at all she was surprised that he should have such good features when you took them one by one. His expression was slightly sarcastic and now that Kitty knew him better she realized that she was not quite at ease with him. He had no gaiety.
Walter is a bacteriologist who has a job in Hong Kong he's leaving for in the autumn. Kitty has little idea what that means, but knows that with Doris marrying in November, Kitty could be on her way to the Far East while her sister's lavish wedding is taking place. Two years later, Kitty is pleased by Walter's doting on her with gifts or attention, but also bemused, with few if any other husbands she observes deferring so politely to their wives. Walter shuns social events and has few friends. Kitty is bored in Hong Kong until she meets Charlie Townsend at a tea party and is instantly charmed by the tall, dark, handsome and married politician.
Scheduling their trysts upstairs of a curio shop, Kitty ultimately invites Charlie into her own bed while Walter should be at work. Charlie reassures her that even if Walter suspects infidelity, the doctor will be too cowardly to admit it. He pledges to stand by Kitty. Unable to take the guilt much longer, she's finally summoned by her husband for a talk. He announces that he's accepted a job at Mei-tan-fu, on a tributary of the Western River, where a cholera outbreak has left the town without a foreign doctor. Walter expects Kitty to accompany him and if she refuses, intends to file his petition for divorce, believing only a humiliation would compel Charlie Townsend to leave his wife and marry Kitty.
Walter agrees to consent to Kitty's wish for a divorce if Mrs. Townsend assures him that she'll divorce Charlie and that he'll marry Kitty within two weeks. Kitty runs to Charlie and implores him to leave his wife, but with his reputation at stake, he's in favor of her traveling with Walter, declaring that if she takes precautions, the cholera epidemic can be survived. Certain her husband intends for her to die, Kitty is transported to Mei-tan-fu with him overland on chairs. Arriving at the town, Kitty befriends the boyishly droll British customs agent Waddington and ultimately, the graceful Mother Superior in charge of the convent where the orphaned and sick are cared for.
Kitty, impressed she hardly knew why, observed the grave lady who asked her these amiable questions. She was dressed in white and the only color on her habit was the red heart that burned on her breast. She was a woman of middle age, she might have been forty or fifty, it was impossible to say, for there were few wrinkles on her smooth, pale face, and you received the impression that she was far from young chiefly from the dignity of her bearing, her assurance, and the emaciation of her strong and beautiful hands. The face was long, with a large mouth and large, even teeth; the nose, though not small, was delicate and sensitive; but it was the eyes, under their thin black brows, which gave her face its intense and tragic character. They were very large, black, and though not exactly cold, by their calm steadiness strangely compelling. Your first thought when you looked at the Mother Superior was that as a girl she must have been beautiful, but in a moment you realized that this was a woman whose beauty, depending on character, had grown with advancing years. Her voice was deep, low, and controlled, and whether she spoke in English or in French she spoke slowly. But the most striking thing about her was the air she had of authority tempered by Christian charity; you felt in her the habit of command. To be obeyed was natural to her, but she accepted obedience with humility. You could not fail to see that was deeply conscious of the authority of the church which upheld her. But Kitty ha da surmise that notwithstanding her austere demeanor she had for human frailty a human tolerance; and it was impossible to look at her grave smile when she listened to Waddington, unabashed, talking nonsense, without being sure that she had a lively sense of the ridiculous.
While reading The Painted Veil I was reminded of a charcoal sketch by a great artist, stripped of color or tone and focusing on something much more specific than the vibrant paintings I've enjoyed by that same artist. Maugham is remarkably skilled at unraveling stories that carry his characters across vast distances while never losing sight that the inner journey is what's important. Here, he explores the education of a bride who having never learned what integrity, honor or love are has to learn them when she leaves home. The characters are well-developed and both the language and dialogue Maugham uses to reveal them are a pleasure.
The first time she was alone with Waddington she brought the conversation around to Charlie. Waddington had spoken of him on the evening of their arrival. She pretended that he was no more than an acquaintance of her husband.
"I never cared for him," said Waddington. "I've always thought him a bore."
"You must be very hard to please," returned Kitty, in the bright, chaffing way she could assume so easily. "I suppose he's far and away the most popular man in Hong Kong."
"I know. That is his stock in trade. He's made a science of popularity. He has a gift of making every one he meets feel that he is the one person in the world he wants to see. He's always ready to do a service that isn't any trouble to himself, and even if he doesn't do what you want he manages to give you the impression that it's only because it's not humanly possible."
"That is surely an attractive trait."
"Charm and nothing but charm at last grows a little tiresome, I think. It's a relief then to deal with a man who isn't quite so delightful but a little more sincere. I've known Charlie Townsend for a good many years and once or twice I've caught him with the mask off--you see, I never mattered, just a subordinate official in the Customs--and I know that he doesn't in his heart give damn for any one in the world but himself."
Kitty, lounging easily in her chair, looked at him with smiling eyes. She turned her wedding-ring round and round her finger.
"Of course, he'll get on. He knows all the official ropes. Before I die I have every belief that I shall address him as Your Excellency and stand up when he enters the room."
"Most people think he deserves to get on. He's generally supposed to have a great deal of ability."
"Ability? What nonsense! He's a very stupid man. He gives you the impression that he dashes off his work and gets it through from sheer brilliancy. Nothing of the kind. He's as industrious as a Eurasian clerk."
"How has he got the reputation for being so clever?"
"There are many foolish people in the world and when a man in a rather high position puts on no frills, slaps them on the back, and tells them he'll do anything in the world for them, they are very likely to think him clever. And then of course, there's his wife. There's an able woman if you like. She has a good sound head and her advice is always worth taking. As long as Charlie Townsend's got her to depend on he's pretty safe never to do a foolish thing, and that's the first thing necessary for a man to get on in Government service. They don't want clever men; clever men have ideas, and ideas cause trouble; they want men who have charm and tact and who can be counted on never to make a blunder. Oh, yes, Charlie Townsend will get to the top of the tree all right."
"I wonder why you dislike him."
"I don't dislike him."
"But you like his wife better?" smiled Kitty.
"I'm an old-fashioned man and I like a well-bred woman."
"I wish she were well-dressed as well as well-bred."
"Doesn't she dress well? I never noticed."
"I've always heard that they were a devoted couple," said Kitty, watching him through her eyelashes.
"He's very fond of her. I will give him that credit. I think that is the most decent thing about him."
"Cold praise."
"He has his little flirtations, but they're not serious. He's much too cunning to let them go to such lengths as might cause him inconvenience. And of course he isn't a passionate man; he's only a vain one. He likes admiration. He's fat and forty now, he does himself too well, but he was very good-looking when he first came to the Colony. I've often heard his wife chaff him about his conquests."
"She doesn't take his flirtations very seriously?"
"Oh, no, she knows they don't go very far. She says she'd like to be able to make friends of the poor little things who fall to Charlie; but they're always so common. She says it's really not very flattering to her that the women who fall in love with her husband are so uncommonly second-rate."
What holds The Painted Veil back from being perfect is how slight a volume it is. Maugham, who wrote twenty novels and twenty-five plays, almost teases the reader with how lush and epic a story he could've written before rushing through it with a great deal of telling whether than showing. It's never very clear what Walter's work is or his relationship with the Chinese military, who have the town under marital law. Another way of looking at the novel is that the author is more focused on the inner journey of the characters, not travelogue, and gives the reader enough keys to unlock those doors themselves.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) has had his work translated to film almost as many times as Stephen King going back to 1917 and The Painted Veil has been filmed twice. In 1934, MGM made it a vehicle for Greta Garbo, who played an Austrian rather than British bride named Katrin Koerber Fane. In 2006, a sensual and haunting adaptation starred Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane, Edward Norton as Walter Fane, Liev Schreiber as Charlie Townsend, Toby Jones as Waddington and Diana Rigg as Mother Superior. The screenplay by Ron Nyswaner took greater effort to explore both China and the Kitty-Walter relationship than even Maugham had. It's a very overlooked movie.
The story gets off to an exciting start in the city of Hong Kong, where a British national named Kitty Fane is interrupted from post-coital afternoon bliss with a charismatic Assistant Colonial Secretary named Charlie Townsend when she hears someone in her house. Incredulous that it could be Kitty's husband, who is supposed to be at work, the couple watch as the white china knobs of the windows slowly turn from someone trying to get in. Townsend reassures Kitty that it was probably a servant, but she is alarmed when her lover tells her that he left his topee downstairs. Questioning her boy servant, Kitty learns that her husband Walter was indeed in the house.
Moving back in time two years to London, Kitty Garstin is a footloose bachelorette in South Kensington. Her father is a solicitor of moderate ambition while her mother is an unabashed social climber dripping with it. Kitty has inherited the beauty and charm that her younger sister Doris lacks and rather than accept her numerous marriage proposals, takes her time in choosing her future. At twenty-five, she is stunned when eighteen-year-old Doris becomes engaged to a prosperous surgeon. In a panic, Kitty agrees to marry Walter Fane, also a doctor, but a painfully shy, inhibited one Kitty is vaguely familiar with socially, despite the fact that he seems to be in love with her.
He was not her type at all. He was short, but not thick-set, slight rather and thin; dark and clean-shaven, with very regular, clean-cut features. His eyes were almost black, but not large, they were not very mobile and they rested on objects with a singular persistence; they were curious, but not very pleasant eyes. With his straight, delicate nose, his fine brow, and well-shaped mouth he ought to have been good-looking. But surprisingly enough he was not. When Kitty began to think of him at all she was surprised that he should have such good features when you took them one by one. His expression was slightly sarcastic and now that Kitty knew him better she realized that she was not quite at ease with him. He had no gaiety.
Walter is a bacteriologist who has a job in Hong Kong he's leaving for in the autumn. Kitty has little idea what that means, but knows that with Doris marrying in November, Kitty could be on her way to the Far East while her sister's lavish wedding is taking place. Two years later, Kitty is pleased by Walter's doting on her with gifts or attention, but also bemused, with few if any other husbands she observes deferring so politely to their wives. Walter shuns social events and has few friends. Kitty is bored in Hong Kong until she meets Charlie Townsend at a tea party and is instantly charmed by the tall, dark, handsome and married politician.
Scheduling their trysts upstairs of a curio shop, Kitty ultimately invites Charlie into her own bed while Walter should be at work. Charlie reassures her that even if Walter suspects infidelity, the doctor will be too cowardly to admit it. He pledges to stand by Kitty. Unable to take the guilt much longer, she's finally summoned by her husband for a talk. He announces that he's accepted a job at Mei-tan-fu, on a tributary of the Western River, where a cholera outbreak has left the town without a foreign doctor. Walter expects Kitty to accompany him and if she refuses, intends to file his petition for divorce, believing only a humiliation would compel Charlie Townsend to leave his wife and marry Kitty.
Walter agrees to consent to Kitty's wish for a divorce if Mrs. Townsend assures him that she'll divorce Charlie and that he'll marry Kitty within two weeks. Kitty runs to Charlie and implores him to leave his wife, but with his reputation at stake, he's in favor of her traveling with Walter, declaring that if she takes precautions, the cholera epidemic can be survived. Certain her husband intends for her to die, Kitty is transported to Mei-tan-fu with him overland on chairs. Arriving at the town, Kitty befriends the boyishly droll British customs agent Waddington and ultimately, the graceful Mother Superior in charge of the convent where the orphaned and sick are cared for.
Kitty, impressed she hardly knew why, observed the grave lady who asked her these amiable questions. She was dressed in white and the only color on her habit was the red heart that burned on her breast. She was a woman of middle age, she might have been forty or fifty, it was impossible to say, for there were few wrinkles on her smooth, pale face, and you received the impression that she was far from young chiefly from the dignity of her bearing, her assurance, and the emaciation of her strong and beautiful hands. The face was long, with a large mouth and large, even teeth; the nose, though not small, was delicate and sensitive; but it was the eyes, under their thin black brows, which gave her face its intense and tragic character. They were very large, black, and though not exactly cold, by their calm steadiness strangely compelling. Your first thought when you looked at the Mother Superior was that as a girl she must have been beautiful, but in a moment you realized that this was a woman whose beauty, depending on character, had grown with advancing years. Her voice was deep, low, and controlled, and whether she spoke in English or in French she spoke slowly. But the most striking thing about her was the air she had of authority tempered by Christian charity; you felt in her the habit of command. To be obeyed was natural to her, but she accepted obedience with humility. You could not fail to see that was deeply conscious of the authority of the church which upheld her. But Kitty ha da surmise that notwithstanding her austere demeanor she had for human frailty a human tolerance; and it was impossible to look at her grave smile when she listened to Waddington, unabashed, talking nonsense, without being sure that she had a lively sense of the ridiculous.
While reading The Painted Veil I was reminded of a charcoal sketch by a great artist, stripped of color or tone and focusing on something much more specific than the vibrant paintings I've enjoyed by that same artist. Maugham is remarkably skilled at unraveling stories that carry his characters across vast distances while never losing sight that the inner journey is what's important. Here, he explores the education of a bride who having never learned what integrity, honor or love are has to learn them when she leaves home. The characters are well-developed and both the language and dialogue Maugham uses to reveal them are a pleasure.
The first time she was alone with Waddington she brought the conversation around to Charlie. Waddington had spoken of him on the evening of their arrival. She pretended that he was no more than an acquaintance of her husband.
"I never cared for him," said Waddington. "I've always thought him a bore."
"You must be very hard to please," returned Kitty, in the bright, chaffing way she could assume so easily. "I suppose he's far and away the most popular man in Hong Kong."
"I know. That is his stock in trade. He's made a science of popularity. He has a gift of making every one he meets feel that he is the one person in the world he wants to see. He's always ready to do a service that isn't any trouble to himself, and even if he doesn't do what you want he manages to give you the impression that it's only because it's not humanly possible."
"That is surely an attractive trait."
"Charm and nothing but charm at last grows a little tiresome, I think. It's a relief then to deal with a man who isn't quite so delightful but a little more sincere. I've known Charlie Townsend for a good many years and once or twice I've caught him with the mask off--you see, I never mattered, just a subordinate official in the Customs--and I know that he doesn't in his heart give damn for any one in the world but himself."
Kitty, lounging easily in her chair, looked at him with smiling eyes. She turned her wedding-ring round and round her finger.
"Of course, he'll get on. He knows all the official ropes. Before I die I have every belief that I shall address him as Your Excellency and stand up when he enters the room."
"Most people think he deserves to get on. He's generally supposed to have a great deal of ability."
"Ability? What nonsense! He's a very stupid man. He gives you the impression that he dashes off his work and gets it through from sheer brilliancy. Nothing of the kind. He's as industrious as a Eurasian clerk."
"How has he got the reputation for being so clever?"
"There are many foolish people in the world and when a man in a rather high position puts on no frills, slaps them on the back, and tells them he'll do anything in the world for them, they are very likely to think him clever. And then of course, there's his wife. There's an able woman if you like. She has a good sound head and her advice is always worth taking. As long as Charlie Townsend's got her to depend on he's pretty safe never to do a foolish thing, and that's the first thing necessary for a man to get on in Government service. They don't want clever men; clever men have ideas, and ideas cause trouble; they want men who have charm and tact and who can be counted on never to make a blunder. Oh, yes, Charlie Townsend will get to the top of the tree all right."
"I wonder why you dislike him."
"I don't dislike him."
"But you like his wife better?" smiled Kitty.
"I'm an old-fashioned man and I like a well-bred woman."
"I wish she were well-dressed as well as well-bred."
"Doesn't she dress well? I never noticed."
"I've always heard that they were a devoted couple," said Kitty, watching him through her eyelashes.
"He's very fond of her. I will give him that credit. I think that is the most decent thing about him."
"Cold praise."
"He has his little flirtations, but they're not serious. He's much too cunning to let them go to such lengths as might cause him inconvenience. And of course he isn't a passionate man; he's only a vain one. He likes admiration. He's fat and forty now, he does himself too well, but he was very good-looking when he first came to the Colony. I've often heard his wife chaff him about his conquests."
"She doesn't take his flirtations very seriously?"
"Oh, no, she knows they don't go very far. She says she'd like to be able to make friends of the poor little things who fall to Charlie; but they're always so common. She says it's really not very flattering to her that the women who fall in love with her husband are so uncommonly second-rate."
What holds The Painted Veil back from being perfect is how slight a volume it is. Maugham, who wrote twenty novels and twenty-five plays, almost teases the reader with how lush and epic a story he could've written before rushing through it with a great deal of telling whether than showing. It's never very clear what Walter's work is or his relationship with the Chinese military, who have the town under marital law. Another way of looking at the novel is that the author is more focused on the inner journey of the characters, not travelogue, and gives the reader enough keys to unlock those doors themselves.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) has had his work translated to film almost as many times as Stephen King going back to 1917 and The Painted Veil has been filmed twice. In 1934, MGM made it a vehicle for Greta Garbo, who played an Austrian rather than British bride named Katrin Koerber Fane. In 2006, a sensual and haunting adaptation starred Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane, Edward Norton as Walter Fane, Liev Schreiber as Charlie Townsend, Toby Jones as Waddington and Diana Rigg as Mother Superior. The screenplay by Ron Nyswaner took greater effort to explore both China and the Kitty-Walter relationship than even Maugham had. It's a very overlooked movie.
November 3, 2024
It is amazing how W. Somerset Maugham takes a rather banal and straightforward story and masterfully makes a deep exploration of human weakness and moral growth out of it.
Not many people have a chance to confront their own flaws in a cholera-striken village surrounded by beautiful foreign landscape, but this story resonates with many if not all the people who read it. Through Kitty's experiences it speaks about the transformative power of suffering, forgiveness, self-discovery and finding a meaning amid mistakes - all the powerful processes we cannot avoid in life and which make us better human beings finally at peace with ourselves.
Not many people have a chance to confront their own flaws in a cholera-striken village surrounded by beautiful foreign landscape, but this story resonates with many if not all the people who read it. Through Kitty's experiences it speaks about the transformative power of suffering, forgiveness, self-discovery and finding a meaning amid mistakes - all the powerful processes we cannot avoid in life and which make us better human beings finally at peace with ourselves.
January 22, 2021
So, let me summarize it now, in 2021 - a clever, passionate man falls in love with a pretty but fickle woman who, he knows, will never understand him or appreciate his worth, then he basically buys her, because she has to be supported somehow, and there are no other takers. And then, when she takes a lover who she is actually attracted to, he forces her to go to the cholera-ridden country so that they both will die.
There is still some interesting character development in Kitty, but I am not as enamored of this book as I used to be. It is much messier than I remember, and all the colonialist, xenophobic stuff is off-putting.
I think I'd definitely prefer the movie version now.
_______
There is something infinitely fascinating to me about stories like this - a clever, passionate man falling in love with a pretty but fickle woman who, he knows, will never understand and appreciate his worth, and yet, he can't resist.
I still can't decide if I like the novel or the latest movie adaptation more.
The movie gives food to my romantic what-could-have-been fantasies.
鈥淚 want a girl because I want to bring her up so that she shan't make the mistakes I've made. When I look back upon the girl I was I hate myself. But I never had a chance. I'm going to bring up my daughter so that she's free and can stand on her own feet. I麓m not going to bring a child into the world, and love her, and bring her up, just so that some man may want to sleep with her so much that he's willing to provide her with board and lodging for the rest of her life.鈥�
There is still some interesting character development in Kitty, but I am not as enamored of this book as I used to be. It is much messier than I remember, and all the colonialist, xenophobic stuff is off-putting.
I think I'd definitely prefer the movie version now.
_______
There is something infinitely fascinating to me about stories like this - a clever, passionate man falling in love with a pretty but fickle woman who, he knows, will never understand and appreciate his worth, and yet, he can't resist.
I still can't decide if I like the novel or the latest movie adaptation more.
The movie gives food to my romantic what-could-have-been fantasies.
鈥淚 want a girl because I want to bring her up so that she shan't make the mistakes I've made. When I look back upon the girl I was I hate myself. But I never had a chance. I'm going to bring up my daughter so that she's free and can stand on her own feet. I麓m not going to bring a child into the world, and love her, and bring her up, just so that some man may want to sleep with her so much that he's willing to provide her with board and lodging for the rest of her life.鈥�
December 9, 2020
Jedna od meni najdra啪ih Momovih knjiga... Potpuno zanemarena kod doma膰ih izdava膷a... Po ovom romanu snimljen je i divan film... Poku拧avala sam godinama da animiram srpske izdava膷e da ga objavljuju, ali oni su jurili samo hitove sa bestseler lista... Ali ne gubim nadu... :)
Potrajalo je... Obezbe膽en su prava za srpsko izdanje kod uglednog izdava膷a... knjiga je data na prevod maestru Aleksandru Milaji膰u... Objavljivanje dogodine... :)
Mogu sam da dodam, posle zavr拧enog uredni膷kog 膷itanja, da je prevod sjajan, da sam u啪ivala i da po prvi put 膷itam Moma u prevodu a da zvu膷i kao Mom u originalu... Bravo za Milaji膰a! Nadam se, i potrudi膰u se, da u啪ivamo u jo拧 nekom njegovom prevodu Moma... :)
Potrajalo je... Obezbe膽en su prava za srpsko izdanje kod uglednog izdava膷a... knjiga je data na prevod maestru Aleksandru Milaji膰u... Objavljivanje dogodine... :)
Mogu sam da dodam, posle zavr拧enog uredni膷kog 膷itanja, da je prevod sjajan, da sam u啪ivala i da po prvi put 膷itam Moma u prevodu a da zvu膷i kao Mom u originalu... Bravo za Milaji膰a! Nadam se, i potrudi膰u se, da u啪ivamo u jo拧 nekom njegovom prevodu Moma... :)
October 1, 2019
The anatomy and consequences of an affair.
First published in 1925, this documents the sad and short marriage of Kitty and Walter and how Kitty鈥檚 affair with Charles Townsend changed all of their lives dramatically.
Maugham鈥檚 ability to convey emotion and the intricacies of relationship dynamics borders on the uncanny. The characterization is three dimensional and his omnipresent narration, describing minute thoughts and responses, is superb.
Kitty was a promising debutante at 18 but an increasing embarrassment at 25, causing her match making and ambitious mother great frustration and when younger sister gets engaged, she is close to desperation. Never hurting for suitors, just never the right one, she chooses Walter, a young biologist stationed in Hong Kong, as this seems the perfect solution to her dilemma.
Once in Hong Kong she meets Townsend, a married colonial official, and their torrid love affair commences.
Maugham鈥檚 portrayal of Kitty and her anguishing journey towards self-realization and atonement is hypnotic. We follow her from self-absorbed young girl, to selfish and delusional adulteress, to guilt ridden and forgiveness seeking wife. Never one for the overly simplistic, Maugham mixes in complications and complexities to Kitty鈥檚 emotional state to make this more realistic. In Townsend, Maugham has created a truly despicable villain, but also very believable.
This also explores the themes of duty and family. What allegiances do we owe to family and when personal aspirations conflict with what society expects, what do we do? Maugham not only works this out between Kitty and Walter but also between Kitty and her parents, and the scene between her and her father is particularly poignant.
A very good read.
First published in 1925, this documents the sad and short marriage of Kitty and Walter and how Kitty鈥檚 affair with Charles Townsend changed all of their lives dramatically.
Maugham鈥檚 ability to convey emotion and the intricacies of relationship dynamics borders on the uncanny. The characterization is three dimensional and his omnipresent narration, describing minute thoughts and responses, is superb.
Kitty was a promising debutante at 18 but an increasing embarrassment at 25, causing her match making and ambitious mother great frustration and when younger sister gets engaged, she is close to desperation. Never hurting for suitors, just never the right one, she chooses Walter, a young biologist stationed in Hong Kong, as this seems the perfect solution to her dilemma.
Once in Hong Kong she meets Townsend, a married colonial official, and their torrid love affair commences.
Maugham鈥檚 portrayal of Kitty and her anguishing journey towards self-realization and atonement is hypnotic. We follow her from self-absorbed young girl, to selfish and delusional adulteress, to guilt ridden and forgiveness seeking wife. Never one for the overly simplistic, Maugham mixes in complications and complexities to Kitty鈥檚 emotional state to make this more realistic. In Townsend, Maugham has created a truly despicable villain, but also very believable.
This also explores the themes of duty and family. What allegiances do we owe to family and when personal aspirations conflict with what society expects, what do we do? Maugham not only works this out between Kitty and Walter but also between Kitty and her parents, and the scene between her and her father is particularly poignant.
A very good read.
January 4, 2021
袣芯谐邪褌芯 锌械褌懈褌械 薪邪 褍写邪胁薪懈泻邪 写芯泻芯褋薪邪褌 锌褟褋褗褔薪芯褌芯 写褗薪芯, 褌芯泄 薪械懈褋褌芯胁芯 褋械 斜芯褉懈 写邪 写芯褋褌懈谐薪械 芯褌薪芯胁芯 锌芯胁褗褉褏薪芯褋褌褌邪. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 锌褉械写 褌械斜 薪褟屑邪 锌褗褌, 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪褕 写邪 褋械 芯谐谢械卸写邪褕 蟹邪 锌褗褌 锌芯-褌褉械褋泻邪胁芯 芯褌 胁褋褟泻芯谐邪. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 褋懈 写芯褋褌懈谐薪邪谢 写芯 泻褉邪褟, 褋械 蟹邪胁褉褗褖邪褕 泻褗屑 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯.
鈥炐π残笛傂叫秆徰� 胁芯邪谢鈥� 械 褉芯屑邪薪 蟹邪 锌褉芯谐谢械卸写邪薪械褌芯. 小褌懈谢褗褌 薪邪 袦芯褗屑 褌褍泻 械 械褎懈褉械薪, 锌褉械褑懈蟹械薪 懈 谢邪泻芯薪懈褔械薪. 袥懈锌褋邪褌邪 薪邪 懈蟹谢懈褕薪邪 芯褉薪邪屑械薪褌懈泻邪 懈 写芯锌褗谢薪懈褌械谢薪懈 斜械蟹褋褗写褗褉卸邪褌械谢薪懈 谢懈薪懈懈 懈 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈褟 芯褖械 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌泻褉芯褟胁邪 斜芯谢械蟹薪械薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪邪 褋褞卸械褌邪. 袧械 褋褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 薪懈褖芯 写褉褍谐芯, 芯褋胁械薪 褌械蟹懈 写胁邪屑邪 写褍褕懈 懈 芯斜褉械褔械薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪邪 褌械褏薪懈褌械 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟. 袙褋懈褔泻芯 芯褋褌邪薪邪谢芯 械 锌械锌械谢 懈 褋屑褗褉褌.
袩械褉褋芯薪邪卸褗褌 薪邪 袣懈褌懈, 邪褏, 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉械泻褉邪褋薪邪 锌褉邪蟹薪芯谐谢邪胁邪 袣懈褌懈, 褉械械褖邪 褋械 胁 芯斜谢邪褑懈褌械, 薪械 械 褌芯蟹懈 薪邪 褌懈锌懈褔薪邪褌邪 褎邪褌邪谢薪邪 卸械薪邪. 袩芯写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 袛械泄蟹懈 芯褌 鈥炐捫敌恍感盒秆徰� 袚械褌褋斜懈鈥�, 袣懈褌懈 锌褉械屑懈薪邪胁邪 锌褉械蟹 卸懈胁芯褌邪 泻邪褌芯 薪械卸薪芯 褍褏邪薪懈械 薪邪 褑胁械褌械, 泻芯械褌芯 薪芯褋懈 屑懈屑芯谢械褌薪邪 薪邪褋谢邪写邪, 薪芯 锌芯褔褌懈 薪懈褖芯 锌芯胁械褔械. 袦芯褗屑 懈屑邪 薪褟泻邪泻胁邪 褋谢邪斜芯褋褌 泻褗屑 懈薪褌械谢懈谐械薪褌薪懈褌械 懈 褔褍胁褋褌胁懈褌械谢薪懈 屑褗卸械, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 胁谢褞斜胁邪褌 斜械蟹锌邪屑械褌薪芯 胁 锌芯胁褗褉褏薪芯褋褌薪懈 芯斜懈泻薪芯胁械薪懈 卸械薪懈 (褋锌褉邪胁泻邪: 鈥炐斞冄埿� 胁 芯泻芯胁懈鈥�). 袣邪泻胁芯 谢懈 锌褉懈褌械谐谢褟 校芯谢褌褗褉 泻褗屑 褉邪胁薪芯写褍褕薪邪褌邪 泻褗屑 薪械谐芯 袣懈褌懈? 袧械泄薪邪褌邪 胁械褋械谢芯褋褌 懈 褔邪褉褗褌 褲? 孝芯胁邪, 褔械 褋邪 泻邪褌芯 褋谢褗薪褑械褌芯 懈 谢褍薪邪褌邪? 袠谢懈 械 锌褉芯褋褌芯 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 褋邪屑芯褉邪蟹褉褍褕懈褌械谢械薪 懈薪褋褌懈薪泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 谐芯 泻邪褉邪 薪械芯褌泻谢芯薪薪芯 写邪 胁褗褉胁懈 泻褗屑 斜械蟹写薪邪褌邪?
鈥業s it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qualities I hadn't got? I never tried to deceive you by pretending I was anything I wasn't. I was just pretty and gay. You don't ask for a pearl necklace or a sable coat at a booth in a fair; you ask for a tin trumpet and a toy balloon.鈥�
袟邪 袣懈褌懈 谢褞斜芯胁褌邪 薪邪 校芯谢褌褗褉 械 芯褌屑褗褖械薪懈械 鈥� 胁 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 薪邪泻邪蟹邪薪懈械 蟹邪 锌褉芯锌懈谢械薪懈褌械 芯褌 褋褍械褌邪 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌懈, 邪 锌芯褋谢械 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋邪屑懈褟褌 校芯谢褌褗褉 褟 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 锌芯谐褉械斜邪谢薪邪 泻谢邪写邪. 袣懈褌懈 械 褋褌褉邪薪薪懈泻, 泻芯泄褌芯 斜褉芯写懈 胁 芯锌褍褋褌芯褕械薪邪褌邪 芯褌 褏芯谢械褉邪 薪械锌芯蟹薪邪褌邪 蟹械屑褟 懈 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褑胁械褌薪懈褟褌 胁芯邪谢 薪邪 锌褉械写懈褕薪懈褟 褲 泻褍褏 卸懈胁芯褌 褋械 锌芯写胁懈谐邪, 褌褟 胁懈卸写邪 褋胁械褌邪 胁褗胁 胁褋懈褔泻懈 薪械谐芯胁懈 写芯褋械谐邪 褉邪蟹屑邪蟹邪薪懈 薪褞邪薪褋懈. 袙懈卸写邪 谐褉芯蟹芯褌邪褌邪 懈 褋械斜械 褋懈. 袙懈卸写邪 褎邪谢褕邪 薪邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯褌芯. 袧芯 褋褗蟹懈褉邪 懈 泻褉邪褋芯褌邪.
鈥樷€� if it is necessary sometimes to lie to others it is always despicable to lie to oneself.鈥�
袣懈褌懈 褋械 锌褉芯斜褍卸写邪 斜邪胁薪芯, 泻邪褌芯 芯褌 褌械卸褗泻 写械谢懈褉懈褍屑. 小锌褗胁邪 褋械 懈 锌邪写邪, 锌芯褋谢械 锌褉芯写褗谢卸邪胁邪. 袟邪 锌褉褗胁 锌褗褌 褋械 胁谐谢械卸写邪 胁 薪械褖芯 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪芯 芯褌 褋械斜械 褋懈. 袨褋褗蟹薪邪胁邪 泻邪泻胁芯 械 褉邪蟹褏懈褖邪胁邪谢邪. 袨褋褗蟹薪邪胁邪 懈 泻邪泻胁芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 械 懈屑邪谢邪. 袠屑邪 谢懈 褌胁褗褉写械 写褗谢斜芯泻懈 褉邪薪懈? 袗 锌褉邪蟹薪芯褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 褋械 蟹邪锌褗谢薪褟褌?
鈥楾he dog it was that died.鈥�
鈥炐π残笛傂叫秆徰� 胁芯邪谢鈥� 械 褉芯屑邪薪 蟹邪 锌褉芯谐谢械卸写邪薪械褌芯. 小褌懈谢褗褌 薪邪 袦芯褗屑 褌褍泻 械 械褎懈褉械薪, 锌褉械褑懈蟹械薪 懈 谢邪泻芯薪懈褔械薪. 袥懈锌褋邪褌邪 薪邪 懈蟹谢懈褕薪邪 芯褉薪邪屑械薪褌懈泻邪 懈 写芯锌褗谢薪懈褌械谢薪懈 斜械蟹褋褗写褗褉卸邪褌械谢薪懈 谢懈薪懈懈 懈 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈褟 芯褖械 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌泻褉芯褟胁邪 斜芯谢械蟹薪械薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪邪 褋褞卸械褌邪. 袧械 褋褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 薪懈褖芯 写褉褍谐芯, 芯褋胁械薪 褌械蟹懈 写胁邪屑邪 写褍褕懈 懈 芯斜褉械褔械薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪邪 褌械褏薪懈褌械 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈褟. 袙褋懈褔泻芯 芯褋褌邪薪邪谢芯 械 锌械锌械谢 懈 褋屑褗褉褌.
袩械褉褋芯薪邪卸褗褌 薪邪 袣懈褌懈, 邪褏, 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉械泻褉邪褋薪邪 锌褉邪蟹薪芯谐谢邪胁邪 袣懈褌懈, 褉械械褖邪 褋械 胁 芯斜谢邪褑懈褌械, 薪械 械 褌芯蟹懈 薪邪 褌懈锌懈褔薪邪褌邪 褎邪褌邪谢薪邪 卸械薪邪. 袩芯写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 袛械泄蟹懈 芯褌 鈥炐捫敌恍感盒秆徰� 袚械褌褋斜懈鈥�, 袣懈褌懈 锌褉械屑懈薪邪胁邪 锌褉械蟹 卸懈胁芯褌邪 泻邪褌芯 薪械卸薪芯 褍褏邪薪懈械 薪邪 褑胁械褌械, 泻芯械褌芯 薪芯褋懈 屑懈屑芯谢械褌薪邪 薪邪褋谢邪写邪, 薪芯 锌芯褔褌懈 薪懈褖芯 锌芯胁械褔械. 袦芯褗屑 懈屑邪 薪褟泻邪泻胁邪 褋谢邪斜芯褋褌 泻褗屑 懈薪褌械谢懈谐械薪褌薪懈褌械 懈 褔褍胁褋褌胁懈褌械谢薪懈 屑褗卸械, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 胁谢褞斜胁邪褌 斜械蟹锌邪屑械褌薪芯 胁 锌芯胁褗褉褏薪芯褋褌薪懈 芯斜懈泻薪芯胁械薪懈 卸械薪懈 (褋锌褉邪胁泻邪: 鈥炐斞冄埿� 胁 芯泻芯胁懈鈥�). 袣邪泻胁芯 谢懈 锌褉懈褌械谐谢褟 校芯谢褌褗褉 泻褗屑 褉邪胁薪芯写褍褕薪邪褌邪 泻褗屑 薪械谐芯 袣懈褌懈? 袧械泄薪邪褌邪 胁械褋械谢芯褋褌 懈 褔邪褉褗褌 褲? 孝芯胁邪, 褔械 褋邪 泻邪褌芯 褋谢褗薪褑械褌芯 懈 谢褍薪邪褌邪? 袠谢懈 械 锌褉芯褋褌芯 薪褟泻邪泻褗胁 褋邪屑芯褉邪蟹褉褍褕懈褌械谢械薪 懈薪褋褌懈薪泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 谐芯 泻邪褉邪 薪械芯褌泻谢芯薪薪芯 写邪 胁褗褉胁懈 泻褗屑 斜械蟹写薪邪褌邪?
鈥業s it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qualities I hadn't got? I never tried to deceive you by pretending I was anything I wasn't. I was just pretty and gay. You don't ask for a pearl necklace or a sable coat at a booth in a fair; you ask for a tin trumpet and a toy balloon.鈥�
袟邪 袣懈褌懈 谢褞斜芯胁褌邪 薪邪 校芯谢褌褗褉 械 芯褌屑褗褖械薪懈械 鈥� 胁 薪邪褔邪谢芯褌芯 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 械 薪邪泻邪蟹邪薪懈械 蟹邪 锌褉芯锌懈谢械薪懈褌械 芯褌 褋褍械褌邪 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌懈, 邪 锌芯褋谢械 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋邪屑懈褟褌 校芯谢褌褗褉 褟 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 锌芯谐褉械斜邪谢薪邪 泻谢邪写邪. 袣懈褌懈 械 褋褌褉邪薪薪懈泻, 泻芯泄褌芯 斜褉芯写懈 胁 芯锌褍褋褌芯褕械薪邪褌邪 芯褌 褏芯谢械褉邪 薪械锌芯蟹薪邪褌邪 蟹械屑褟 懈 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褑胁械褌薪懈褟褌 胁芯邪谢 薪邪 锌褉械写懈褕薪懈褟 褲 泻褍褏 卸懈胁芯褌 褋械 锌芯写胁懈谐邪, 褌褟 胁懈卸写邪 褋胁械褌邪 胁褗胁 胁褋懈褔泻懈 薪械谐芯胁懈 写芯褋械谐邪 褉邪蟹屑邪蟹邪薪懈 薪褞邪薪褋懈. 袙懈卸写邪 谐褉芯蟹芯褌邪褌邪 懈 褋械斜械 褋懈. 袙懈卸写邪 褎邪谢褕邪 薪邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯褌芯. 袧芯 褋褗蟹懈褉邪 懈 泻褉邪褋芯褌邪.
鈥樷€� if it is necessary sometimes to lie to others it is always despicable to lie to oneself.鈥�
袣懈褌懈 褋械 锌褉芯斜褍卸写邪 斜邪胁薪芯, 泻邪褌芯 芯褌 褌械卸褗泻 写械谢懈褉懈褍屑. 小锌褗胁邪 褋械 懈 锌邪写邪, 锌芯褋谢械 锌褉芯写褗谢卸邪胁邪. 袟邪 锌褉褗胁 锌褗褌 褋械 胁谐谢械卸写邪 胁 薪械褖芯 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪芯 芯褌 褋械斜械 褋懈. 袨褋褗蟹薪邪胁邪 泻邪泻胁芯 械 褉邪蟹褏懈褖邪胁邪谢邪. 袨褋褗蟹薪邪胁邪 懈 泻邪泻胁芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 械 懈屑邪谢邪. 袠屑邪 谢懈 褌胁褗褉写械 写褗谢斜芯泻懈 褉邪薪懈? 袗 锌褉邪蟹薪芯褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 褋械 蟹邪锌褗谢薪褟褌?
鈥楾he dog it was that died.鈥�
August 5, 2021
So incredibly topical during this COVID pandemic.
This classic tale of love and betrayal is set in the early 1900s: Kitty Garstin accepts Dr. Walter Fane's marriage proposal because she didn't want her sister to beat her to the altar.
Kitty is vain, pretty and foolish. Walter adores her, but her feeble head is turned by a British expatriate, Charles Townsend, a notorious womanizer who is stationed in Shanghai.
Walter is shattered and disillusioned when he learns of Kitty's affair. He turns cruel in his disappointment, offering to divorce her only if Townsend agrees to divorce his wife and marry her. Of course, Kitty's faith in Townsend is equally shattered when he coldly brushes her off.
Walter, totally taken over by self-destructive unhappiness, volunteers to serve in a backwoods province (Mei-Tan-Fu) of China that is being devastated by a deadly outbreak of cholera.
I won't tell you any more. Somerset Maugham was one of my absolute favourite authors growing up. I've read just about everything he's written. You have to read this book. Talk about suspense!
The ending is just so, so dramatic. I also highly recommend both 1934 and 2006 movie adaptations of this novel. Naomi Watts and Edward Norton were spectacular in the 2006 adaptation and the river shots were gorgeous. I still remember that one famous line that Walter Fane utters in his delerium towards the end of this story:
"... The (owner) recovered of the bite, the dog it was that died"
(Taken from Oliver Goldsmith's: An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog.
You won't regret reading this awesome "cat and mouse" game of "I dare you - do your worst!" - that backfires on both of the participants. Totally riveting!
This classic tale of love and betrayal is set in the early 1900s: Kitty Garstin accepts Dr. Walter Fane's marriage proposal because she didn't want her sister to beat her to the altar.
Kitty is vain, pretty and foolish. Walter adores her, but her feeble head is turned by a British expatriate, Charles Townsend, a notorious womanizer who is stationed in Shanghai.
Walter is shattered and disillusioned when he learns of Kitty's affair. He turns cruel in his disappointment, offering to divorce her only if Townsend agrees to divorce his wife and marry her. Of course, Kitty's faith in Townsend is equally shattered when he coldly brushes her off.
Walter, totally taken over by self-destructive unhappiness, volunteers to serve in a backwoods province (Mei-Tan-Fu) of China that is being devastated by a deadly outbreak of cholera.
I won't tell you any more. Somerset Maugham was one of my absolute favourite authors growing up. I've read just about everything he's written. You have to read this book. Talk about suspense!
The ending is just so, so dramatic. I also highly recommend both 1934 and 2006 movie adaptations of this novel. Naomi Watts and Edward Norton were spectacular in the 2006 adaptation and the river shots were gorgeous. I still remember that one famous line that Walter Fane utters in his delerium towards the end of this story:
"... The (owner) recovered of the bite, the dog it was that died"
(Taken from Oliver Goldsmith's: An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog.
You won't regret reading this awesome "cat and mouse" game of "I dare you - do your worst!" - that backfires on both of the participants. Totally riveting!
November 22, 2021
[4.5] How wonderful to be in the hands of a masterful writer! I was fascinated by Kitty - a shallow, racist, self-absorbed young woman who makes a series of mistakes, gradually gaining more insight into herself and others. But the process of change is rocky and her transformation isn't a simple trajectory. At the novel's end, I had the feeling that she would continue to stumble. I loved the setting, first in Hong Kong, then a remote area of China afflicted with the cholera epidemic. I listened to the terrific audiobook narrated by Kate Reading and couldn't wait to come back to it each time I stopped.
August 2, 2018
A rare instance when the movie is a lot better than the book. The movie is lovely. The book was just okay.
August 29, 2017
The Painted Veil is a remarkable golden oldie. Published in 1925 for the first time, it had slightly different approach to stories in the sense that the author punched a good story into 246 pages and said more with his economy of words, than 1000+-page novels.
FROM THE BLURB:
Kitty was vain, loved to laugh and play, and found her new husband boring and sometimes disgusting. It wasn't long before she started an affair, fell head over heels in love and believed that she has found the real meaning of love.
When Walter confronted her, he gave her an ultimatum. Either to go with him to Meitan-fu, a cholera region where an epidemic broke out, the worst one in fifty years, or he files for a divorce. The condition was that Charles Townsend, her lover should confirm in writing that he would divorce his wife and marry Kitty, with Charles's wife confirming in writing that she will divorce Charles. If Walter's conditions were not met, Kitty would have to accompany him on his journey to avoid a scandal.
That was as far as the plot was based on the fith canto of the Inferno. The title was derived from an unfinished sonnet of Shelley: Lift not the painted veil which those who live call Life
W. Somerset Maugham's story had a twist to it, which resulted in Kitty growing up, discover the meaning of life and love and repent for everything she did that caused her and everyone around her harm. Her greatest victory was to call Charles the most vain and fatuous ass that was her bad luck to ever come across. But to reach that point, she had to learn from four French nuns in a convent for orphans, what love really meant. And she got to know her gentle, kind husband, who were admired by everyone except her.
The denouement is not what you think. This is a lovestory and not a lovestory. It's about love and all its definitions. And for me, it was a tribute to the role of different kind of men playing a role in a woman's life.
The ending was sad, darnit, I was beyond grieving, but accepted the realism of it. And it was positive.
Quite an unusual story. A beautiful one, really.
FROM THE BLURB:
Less known than his masterpiece Of Human Bondage, this 1925 Somerset Maugham novel rips at your emotions with its portrayal of an adulterous wife. When the bacteriologist husband of Kitty Fane learns of her infidelity, he forces her to accompany him into the festering center of a Chinese cholera epidemic.The author explained in the foreword that the book was based on a story, rather than characters. While living in Italy and receiving Italian lessons, his tutor, Ersilia, introduced him to the fifth canto of the inferno.
La Pia: Ante-Purgatory, Purgatorio 5W. Somerset Maugham used this story to plot his own novel, playing itself out in England and Hong Kong. The main character is the love-starved, spoiled young woman, Kitty Fane. Forced into marriage by circumstances, she lands up going to China with her new husband, Dr. Walter Fane, a bacteriologist, who was stationed in Hong-Kong.
"Siena made me, Maremma unmade me" (5.134). This chillingly concise phrase tells us that the speaker here is Pia Tolomei: born to a noble family of Siena, this woman was allegedly killed in 1295 on the orders of her husband, Paganello de' Pannocchieschi. "Nello," a Tuscan leader of the guelphs, owned a castle in the Maremma (the coastal region near Siena). While some say the murder took place with such secrecy that its manner was never known, others claim Nello ordered a servant to take Pia by the feet and drop her from the castle window. A motive for the murder may have been Nello's desire to marry his neighbor, a widowed countess. Pia's concern for Dante's well being and her request to be remembered perhaps recall the courtesy displayed by another woman, Francesca, in the fifth canto of the Inferno.
Kitty was vain, loved to laugh and play, and found her new husband boring and sometimes disgusting. It wasn't long before she started an affair, fell head over heels in love and believed that she has found the real meaning of love.
When Walter confronted her, he gave her an ultimatum. Either to go with him to Meitan-fu, a cholera region where an epidemic broke out, the worst one in fifty years, or he files for a divorce. The condition was that Charles Townsend, her lover should confirm in writing that he would divorce his wife and marry Kitty, with Charles's wife confirming in writing that she will divorce Charles. If Walter's conditions were not met, Kitty would have to accompany him on his journey to avoid a scandal.
Walter: 'I鈥檓 afraid you鈥檝e thought me a bigger fool than I am.鈥� She did not quite know what to say. She was undecided whether indignantly to assert her innocence or to break out into angry reproaches. He seemed to read her thoughts...The implication was that Walter would not kill her, as in the Purgatorio of Dante, but take her to a region where she might die of a terrible disease. By stating the conditions, he knew Kitty was to learn a few lessons she would never forget.
...'I had no illusions about you,鈥� he said. 鈥業 knew you were silly and frivolous and empty-headed. But I loved you. I knew that your aims and ideals were vulgar and common-place. But I loved you. I knew that you were second-rate. But I loved you. It鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檇 only married me for convenience. I loved you so much, I didn鈥檛 care. Most people, as far as I can see, when they鈥檙e in love with some one and the love isn鈥檛 returned feel that they have a grievance. They grow angry and bitter. I wasn鈥檛 like that. I never expected you to love me, I didn鈥檛 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 thought you were pleased with me or when I noticed in your eyes a gleam of good-humoured affection. I tried not to bore you with my love; I know 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.'
That was as far as the plot was based on the fith canto of the Inferno. The title was derived from an unfinished sonnet of Shelley: Lift not the painted veil which those who live call Life
W. Somerset Maugham's story had a twist to it, which resulted in Kitty growing up, discover the meaning of life and love and repent for everything she did that caused her and everyone around her harm. Her greatest victory was to call Charles the most vain and fatuous ass that was her bad luck to ever come across. But to reach that point, she had to learn from four French nuns in a convent for orphans, what love really meant. And she got to know her gentle, kind husband, who were admired by everyone except her.
The denouement is not what you think. This is a lovestory and not a lovestory. It's about love and all its definitions. And for me, it was a tribute to the role of different kind of men playing a role in a woman's life.
The ending was sad, darnit, I was beyond grieving, but accepted the realism of it. And it was positive.
Quite an unusual story. A beautiful one, really.
February 21, 2024
Lift not the painted veil which those who live
Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe
With colours idly spread,-behind, lurk Fear
And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave
Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.
I knew one who had lifted it-he sought,
For his lost heart was tender, things to love,
But found them not, alas! nor was there aught
The world contains, the which he could approve.
Through the unheeding many he did move,
A splendour among shadows, a bright blot
Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove
For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
One cannot find peace in work or in pleasure, in the world or in a convent, but only in one鈥檚 soul.
He is serious, dull, shy, restrained, cold and self-possessed. He has no sense of humour. He is interested in nothing and nobody but his scientific experiments.
She is frivolous, empty-headed, silly, supercilious and vulgar and under pressure by her mother to marry someone prosperous.
Walter and Kitty don鈥檛 have anything in common, but they marry each other because he is deeply in love with her and she has to get married before her younger sister does.
But a marriage in which one party is in love and the other not, is hardly going to endure.
And when the bored Kitty meets the charismatic Charlie who is also a married man, she falls in love with him and they become lovers.
But as they say, nothing stays secret forever.
Walter finds out about the affair.
There was the weariness of death in his voice.
But what would he do? Would he confront the lovers? Would he divorce Kitty? Or would he make a deal with her; a deal which if accepted, may well be a death warrant for one or both of them.
I don鈥檛 understand anything. Life is so strange. I feel like some one who鈥檚 lived all his life by a duck-pond and suddenly is shown the sea. It makes me a little breathless, and yet it fills me with elation. I don鈥檛 want to die, I want to live.
This is not a love story nor a tragedy, but a study of one鈥檚 evolution and of one鈥檚 change of outlook; it is a study of life and death; a study of values; seeking what matters and shunning the trivial.
I鈥檓 looking for something and I don鈥檛 quite know what it is. But I know that it鈥檚 very important for me to know it, and if I did it would make all the difference.
Thank you Chris for reading and discussing this book with me! 馃槉
I have an idea that the only thing which makes it possible to regard this world we live in without disgust is the beauty which now and then men create out of the chaos. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. That is the perfect work of art.
Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe
With colours idly spread,-behind, lurk Fear
And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave
Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.
I knew one who had lifted it-he sought,
For his lost heart was tender, things to love,
But found them not, alas! nor was there aught
The world contains, the which he could approve.
Through the unheeding many he did move,
A splendour among shadows, a bright blot
Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove
For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
One cannot find peace in work or in pleasure, in the world or in a convent, but only in one鈥檚 soul.
He is serious, dull, shy, restrained, cold and self-possessed. He has no sense of humour. He is interested in nothing and nobody but his scientific experiments.
She is frivolous, empty-headed, silly, supercilious and vulgar and under pressure by her mother to marry someone prosperous.
Walter and Kitty don鈥檛 have anything in common, but they marry each other because he is deeply in love with her and she has to get married before her younger sister does.
But a marriage in which one party is in love and the other not, is hardly going to endure.
And when the bored Kitty meets the charismatic Charlie who is also a married man, she falls in love with him and they become lovers.
But as they say, nothing stays secret forever.
Walter finds out about the affair.
There was the weariness of death in his voice.
But what would he do? Would he confront the lovers? Would he divorce Kitty? Or would he make a deal with her; a deal which if accepted, may well be a death warrant for one or both of them.
I don鈥檛 understand anything. Life is so strange. I feel like some one who鈥檚 lived all his life by a duck-pond and suddenly is shown the sea. It makes me a little breathless, and yet it fills me with elation. I don鈥檛 want to die, I want to live.
This is not a love story nor a tragedy, but a study of one鈥檚 evolution and of one鈥檚 change of outlook; it is a study of life and death; a study of values; seeking what matters and shunning the trivial.
I鈥檓 looking for something and I don鈥檛 quite know what it is. But I know that it鈥檚 very important for me to know it, and if I did it would make all the difference.
Thank you Chris for reading and discussing this book with me! 馃槉
I have an idea that the only thing which makes it possible to regard this world we live in without disgust is the beauty which now and then men create out of the chaos. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. That is the perfect work of art.
September 15, 2022
This book got under my skin- first because I totally disliked Kitty and then because I really wanted everything to turn out well for her. I had a love hate relationship with her right from the beginning. For Walter, her husband, I felt mostly pity. An introvert who just didn鈥檛 know how to express his feelings. If only鈥f only either could have changed just enough.
Walter says to Kitty:
鈥淚 never expected you to love me, I didn鈥檛 see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very lovable鈥�.What most husbands expected as a right, I was prepared to receive as a favour.鈥�
What a line- made my heart throb for Walter.
Women at this time (1920鈥檚) had to marry. They needed someone to support them. Kitty was definitely a product of her time. Maugham does seem to have a jaundiced view of marriage. There is betrayal; there is some redemption. Kitty is forced to reevaluate herself and her life. For me, there is so much in this book that is ripe for discussion.
I really don鈥檛 want to say too much of the plot- it is a short book after all and I think it is best discovered fresh.
There are two poetry references that should be looked up. At one point, Walter says, 鈥淭he dog it was that died.鈥� That is from a poem by Oliver Goldsmith, written in 1766- 鈥淎n Elegy on the death of a Mad Dog.鈥�
The second is the title. It comes from a poem by Shelley.
鈥淟ift not the painted veil
Which those who live call life.鈥�
The title would be confusing not knowing that it is from a poem.
I hadn鈥檛 read Maugham in a very long time. I am happy that my IRL classics group picked it as I loved this book. So much to delve into!
Walter says to Kitty:
鈥淚 never expected you to love me, I didn鈥檛 see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very lovable鈥�.What most husbands expected as a right, I was prepared to receive as a favour.鈥�
What a line- made my heart throb for Walter.
Women at this time (1920鈥檚) had to marry. They needed someone to support them. Kitty was definitely a product of her time. Maugham does seem to have a jaundiced view of marriage. There is betrayal; there is some redemption. Kitty is forced to reevaluate herself and her life. For me, there is so much in this book that is ripe for discussion.
I really don鈥檛 want to say too much of the plot- it is a short book after all and I think it is best discovered fresh.
There are two poetry references that should be looked up. At one point, Walter says, 鈥淭he dog it was that died.鈥� That is from a poem by Oliver Goldsmith, written in 1766- 鈥淎n Elegy on the death of a Mad Dog.鈥�
The second is the title. It comes from a poem by Shelley.
鈥淟ift not the painted veil
Which those who live call life.鈥�
The title would be confusing not knowing that it is from a poem.
I hadn鈥檛 read Maugham in a very long time. I am happy that my IRL classics group picked it as I loved this book. So much to delve into!
June 18, 2025
O V茅u de Entrelinhas
Que dizer sobre este livro?!...
Vou dedicar-lhe algumas linhas e - inspirada pelo t铆tulo - um v茅u de entrelinhas:
Aqui h谩 Ele, Ela e C贸lera!
C贸lera emocional e C贸lera real.
H谩 falso amor, paix茫o, trai莽茫o e vingan莽a.
E h谩 crescimento e um final irritante que castigo roubando-lhe uma estrela!
Mas enfim... admito que adorei! 馃憦
Nota: os mais curiosos, i.e. , os interessados em saber a que crescimento me refiro, podem passar 脿 pr贸xima Resenha.
Quanto aos restantes, sugiro que fiquem por aqui! 馃槈
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌�.
O Crescimento de Kitty
Ela 茅 fr铆vola, caprichosa, egoc锚ntrica...e algo mais que ainda n茫o sabe!
Ele 茅 carente, desastrado no amor, racional, inteligente e... qualquer coisa mais que tamb茅m n茫o sabe!
Casam-se sem compatibilizar diferen莽as.
Est茫o juntos e distantes!
Vivem num relacionamento frio! Sem fa铆sca!
Simplesmente est茫o! Num limbo! Parados! Vivos e Mortos!...
At茅 脿quele dia em que a Vida os abana, envolvendo-os numa situa莽茫o limite, em que a sobreviv锚ncia implica Crescimento鈥�
Que dizer sobre este livro?!...
Vou dedicar-lhe algumas linhas e - inspirada pelo t铆tulo - um v茅u de entrelinhas:
Aqui h谩 Ele, Ela e C贸lera!
C贸lera emocional e C贸lera real.
H谩 falso amor, paix茫o, trai莽茫o e vingan莽a.
E h谩 crescimento e um final irritante que castigo roubando-lhe uma estrela!
Mas enfim... admito que adorei! 馃憦
Nota: os mais curiosos, i.e. , os interessados em saber a que crescimento me refiro, podem passar 脿 pr贸xima Resenha.
Quanto aos restantes, sugiro que fiquem por aqui! 馃槈
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌�.
O Crescimento de Kitty
Ela 茅 fr铆vola, caprichosa, egoc锚ntrica...e algo mais que ainda n茫o sabe!
Ele 茅 carente, desastrado no amor, racional, inteligente e... qualquer coisa mais que tamb茅m n茫o sabe!
Casam-se sem compatibilizar diferen莽as.
Est茫o juntos e distantes!
Vivem num relacionamento frio! Sem fa铆sca!
Simplesmente est茫o! Num limbo! Parados! Vivos e Mortos!...
At茅 脿quele dia em que a Vida os abana, envolvendo-os numa situa莽茫o limite, em que a sobreviv锚ncia implica Crescimento鈥�
July 29, 2019
螤蟻蠈魏蔚喂蟿伪喂 纬喂伪 苇谓伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 苇蟻纬慰 蟿畏蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼
蠈蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 纬慰畏蟿蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 伪蟺位蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰 苇渭蠁蠀蟿慰 蟿伪位苇谓蟿慰 蟿畏蟼 蟺慰位蠀未喂维蟽蟿伪蟿畏蟼 纬蟻伪蠁萎蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪,
蟺慰蠀 蟿伪 魏维谓蔚喂 蠈位伪 谓伪 渭慰喂维味慰蠀谓 蠅蟻伪委伪 蟽伪谓 位维纬谓伪 蠄苇渭伪蟿伪, 伪谓伪蟽畏魏蠋谓蔚喂 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 魏伪喂 尉蔚蟽魏蔚蟺维味蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蠉蟺伪蟻尉畏 渭伪蟼.
螝维蟺慰蠀 蔚魏蔚委 伪谓伪魏伪位蠉蟺蟿慰蠀渭蔚 蟿伪 蠂蟻蠋渭伪蟿伪 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠀谓蔚喂未畏蟽喂伪魏蠋谓 渭伪蟼 伪谓伪纬魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂位苇纬慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 渭慰蟻蠁萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蟺慰委伪 胃伪 蟺伪蟻伪未慰胃慰蠉渭蔚 蟽蟿慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟻喂谓蠈 魏伪胃蔚蟽蟿蠋蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 渭伪蟼 蟺维谓蠅 蟽蟿畏 纬畏.
螚 蠁蠉蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽畏蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 蔚伪蠀蟿蠈 渭伪蟼,
慰 伪蠀蟿慰蟺蟻慰蟽未喂慰蟻喂蟽渭蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟻蠈位慰蠀 渭伪蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蟻维蟿蟽伪 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓, 畏 蠅蟻喂渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟺蠈谓慰 魏伪喂 胃蠀渭蠈 蠈蟺慰蠀 蔚渭蟺蔚喂蟻喂魏维 蟺位苇慰谓 伪蟺慰蟻蟻慰蠁维 魏维胃蔚 渭慰蟻蠁萎 蟽蠀纬蠂蠋蟻蔚蟽畏蟼, 伪谓蔚尉伪蟻蟿萎蟿蠅蟼 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚委伪蟼 魏伪喂 胃蔚蟻伪蟺蔚蠉蔚喂 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼, 魏伪蟻未喂苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 味畏蟿慰蠉谓 蔚魏未委魏畏蟽畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪尉喂蠋谓慰蠀谓 蔚蟺喂位慰纬苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼.
螘魏蔚委 蔚谓蟽蠅渭伪蟿蠋谓蔚蟽伪喂 魏伪喂 尾喂蠋谓蔚喂蟼 蟿慰 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂慰 蟿畏蟼 苇谓蠅蟽畏蟼 蟽慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓
渭伪蟿伪喂慰未慰尉委伪 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 维蟽魏慰蟺蔚蟼 伪谓蟿喂位萎蠄蔚喂蟼.
螚 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蟺慰蠀 尉蔚未喂蟺位蠋谓蔚蟿伪喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 魏蟻蠀蠁蠈蟼 胃蟻委伪渭尾慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓慰蠀 蟺谓蔚蠉渭伪蟿慰蟼.
螠慰喂维味蔚喂 蔚蟺喂蠁伪谓蔚喂伪魏萎 魏伪喂 魏慰喂谓蠈蟿慰蟺畏 渭伪 蔚渭蟺蔚蟻喂苇蠂蔚喂 渭畏谓蠉渭伪蟿伪 渭蔚 苇谓蟿慰谓畏 蟽伪蠁萎谓蔚喂伪 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺慰 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 胃维谓伪蟿慰.
危畏渭伪谓蟿喂魏蠈 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委慰 伪谓伪蟽魏蠈蟺畏蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿慰纬谓蠅蟽委伪蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 慰蟺慰委慰 魏维蟺慰喂慰蟼 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠅蟺委味蔚喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺位畏蟽喂苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰蠀蟼...
渭蔚 蟺蠈蟽畏 位伪蠂蟿维蟻伪 蟽蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维, 渭蔚 蟺蠈蟽伪 蟿蟻伪纬慰蠉未喂伪 蟺慰蠀 蠂伪蠆未蔚蠉慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 蠄蠀蠂萎 魏伪喂 伪谓伪魏慰蠀蠁委味慰蠀谓 蟺位畏纬苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 魏伪魏慰蠁蠈蟻渭喂蟽伪谓 魏伪喂 魏伪畏渭慰蠉蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇位喂蠅蟽伪谓 蟿伪 纬苇位喂慰 渭蔚 蟿伪 未维魏蟻蠀伪.
螚 味蠅萎 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蠂伪蟻委蟽蔚喂 蟽蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 蟿慰 苇蟺伪魏蟻慰 魏伪喂 蟿慰 伪魏蟻伪委慰 蟽蔚 慰位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 蔚魏蠁维谓蟽蔚喂蟼 渭伪 蠈蠂喂 尾维蟽蔚喂 蟿畏蟼 蔚魏渭蔚蟿维位位蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 维位位蠅谓.
螘魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟼 蠈蟿喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蟽蠀位位维尾蔚喂 伪蟽蠉位位畏蟺蟿伪 蟿伪 伪喂蟽胃萎渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃萎渭伪蟿伪 渭委伪蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉蔚蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟺维胃慰蟼, 蟺蟻慰未委未蔚喂 蠄蠀蠂苇蟼, 萎胃畏,伪蟻蠂苇蟼, 魏伪喂 蟺苇蠁蟿蔚喂 伪渭蔚蟿伪谓蠈畏蟿伪 蟽蟿畏谓 位伪纬谓蔚委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟺伪蟻维谓慰渭慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 魏蟻蠀蠁慰蠉.
危蟿慰 伪蟻蠂苇纬慰谓慰 苇谓蟽蟿喂魏蟿慰 蟺慰蠀 尉蠀蟺谓维蔚喂 蟿伪 味蠅蠋未畏 蟺维胃畏 蟿畏蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蟻蟽委蠅蟽畏蟼,蟿畏蟼 畏未慰谓萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟽伪蟻魏喂魏萎蟼 伪蟺蠈位伪蠀蟽畏蟼, 蟽蠀谓未蠀伪蟽蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀谓慰蠀蟽委伪 萎 伪谓蔚尉维蟻蟿畏蟿伪 伪蟺慰 伪蠀蟿萎谓.
螠蔚 魏伪蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 蔚喂蟻蠅谓蔚委伪 魏伪喂 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏蠈 蟽伪蟻魏伪蟽渭蠈 蟺委蟽蟿畏蟼 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蔚尉蠀蠁伪委谓蔚蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟿伪 蠂蟻蠋渭伪蟿伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓畏蟼 魏伪蟻未喂维蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟽伪位蔚渭苇谓畏蟼 慰未蠉谓畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻伪谓慰蠆魏萎蟼 畏未慰谓萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 渭慰喂蟻伪委伪蟼 伪纬维蟺畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏蟼 伪未喂伪位位伪尉委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏萎蟼 未慰渭萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 伪蟽蠀渭尾委尾伪蟽蟿畏蟼 苇魏蟿伪蟽畏蟼 蟿蠅谓 伪谓伪蟿慰位委蟿喂魏蠅谓 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚喂蠋谓, 蟿蠅谓 伪渭蠁喂蟽尾畏蟿慰蠉渭蔚谓蠅谓 蟽蠀谓胃畏魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 蔚蟺委魏伪喂蟻畏蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺蟻慰蟽未喂蠈蟻喂蟽蟿畏蟼 蠁畏渭慰位慰纬委伪蟼 纬喂伪 味蠅萎.
螣 螠慰渭 蟽蠀纬魏蔚谓蟿蟻蠋谓蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭维味伪 蟺蠈谓慰蠀 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺喂蟽蟿喂魏苇蟼 苇谓谓慰喂蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪谓伪蟺蟿蠉蟽蟽蔚喂
伪喂蟽胃萎蟽蔚喂蟼 伪尉委伪蟼 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏蠋谓 胃蔚渭维蟿蠅谓 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂委伪蟼
魏伪喂 伪蟺慰未慰蠂萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟿伪 蟽蠀谓未蠀维味蔚喂 伪蟽蟿伪渭维蟿畏蟿伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪蠀尉伪谓蠈渭蔚谓畏 魏伪蟿伪谓蠈畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 伪蟿慰渭喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎蟼 蔚位蔚蠀胃蔚蟻委伪蟼 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 蠅蟻喂渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏 纬伪位萎谓畏.
螠蔚 蠀蟺苇蟻慰蠂伪 魏慰渭蠄蠈 蟿蟻慰蟺慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蔚纬纬委味蔚喂 蔚魏蟿蠈蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎 伪谓蔚尉伪蟻蟿畏蟽委伪 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 伪蟺蠈蠄蔚喂蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿伪位伪谓委味慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟽蠉渭蟺伪谓 未喂伪蠂蟻慰谓喂魏维, 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓畏 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪.
螒蠀蟿萎 蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蟻委味蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 谓蠈渭喂渭蔚蟼 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏苇蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽蔚喂蟼 伪谓未蟻蠋谓 魏伪喂 纬蠀谓伪喂魏蠋谓 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 胃蔚蟽渭喂魏蠈 蟺位伪委蟽喂慰.
螚 蔚蟺蔚魏蟿伪蟿喂魏萎 慰渭慰蟻蠁喂维 蟿慰蠀 魏喂谓蔚味喂魏慰蠉 蟿慰蟺委慰蠀 蟽蔚 蠁蠈谓蟿慰 胃位喂尾蔚蟻蠈, 畏 蠁蟻喂魏喂伪蟽蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺喂未畏渭委伪 蟿畏蟼 蠂慰位苇蟻伪蟼 蟺伪蟻苇伪 渭蔚 魏维蟺慰喂慰谓 蔚渭蠁蠉位喂慰 蟺蠈位蔚渭慰 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺慰谓慰蔚委蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 魏伪位蠉蟺蟿蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂蠋蟼 魏维蟿蠅 伪蟺慰 蟿慰谓 蔚谓蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰谓蟿伪 魏委谓未蠀谓慰 蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位蔚喂 蟿伪 蟺维谓蟿伪.
(螠畏谓) 蟽畏魏蠋蟽蟿蔚 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蠈蟺慰蠀 伪蠀蟿慰委 蟺慰蠀 味慰蠀谓 伪蟺慰 魏维蟿蠅, 伪蟺慰魏伪位慰蠉谓 芦味蠅畏禄
渭伪蟼 位蔚蔚喂 魏伪喂 渭伪蟼 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠉蔚喂 渭蔚 渭喂伪 渭蔚蟿伪蠁蠀蟽喂魏萎. 蟺蟻蠈胃蔚蟽畏.
螠喂伪 伪蟺位萎 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蟽蠀味蠀纬喂魏萎蟼 蟽蟺伪蟿维位畏蟼 蟽蔚 蔚蟺委蟺蔚未慰 未喂伪蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈, 渭喂伪 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 伪蟻蟻蠋蟽蟿蔚喂伪 伪蟺喂蟽蟿委伪蟼 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺慰 魏维胃蔚 蟺委蟽蟿畏 魏伪喂 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委伪 蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽渭慰蠉.
韦蔚位喂魏维. 螔伪胃蠉蟿蔚蟻伪. 螘谓未蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 魏伪喂 蔚谓未慰蟽魏慰蟺喂魏维 蟿慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 胃伪 伪魏慰位慰蠀胃萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰蟻蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 位蠉蟿蟻蠅蟽畏蟼 渭苇蟽蠅 蟿畏蟼 胃蠀蟽委伪蟼, 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 渭蔚位慰未蟻伪渭伪蟿喂蟽渭慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭苇纬喂蟽蟿畏 苇谓蟿伪蟽畏.
铀ワ笍馃崚馃槇
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
蠈蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 纬慰畏蟿蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 伪蟺位蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰 苇渭蠁蠀蟿慰 蟿伪位苇谓蟿慰 蟿畏蟼 蟺慰位蠀未喂维蟽蟿伪蟿畏蟼 纬蟻伪蠁萎蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪,
蟺慰蠀 蟿伪 魏维谓蔚喂 蠈位伪 谓伪 渭慰喂维味慰蠀谓 蠅蟻伪委伪 蟽伪谓 位维纬谓伪 蠄苇渭伪蟿伪, 伪谓伪蟽畏魏蠋谓蔚喂 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 魏伪喂 尉蔚蟽魏蔚蟺维味蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蠉蟺伪蟻尉畏 渭伪蟼.
螝维蟺慰蠀 蔚魏蔚委 伪谓伪魏伪位蠉蟺蟿慰蠀渭蔚 蟿伪 蠂蟻蠋渭伪蟿伪 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠀谓蔚喂未畏蟽喂伪魏蠋谓 渭伪蟼 伪谓伪纬魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂位苇纬慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 渭慰蟻蠁萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蟺慰委伪 胃伪 蟺伪蟻伪未慰胃慰蠉渭蔚 蟽蟿慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟻喂谓蠈 魏伪胃蔚蟽蟿蠋蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 渭伪蟼 蟺维谓蠅 蟽蟿畏 纬畏.
螚 蠁蠉蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽畏蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 蔚伪蠀蟿蠈 渭伪蟼,
慰 伪蠀蟿慰蟺蟻慰蟽未喂慰蟻喂蟽渭蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟻蠈位慰蠀 渭伪蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蟻维蟿蟽伪 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓, 畏 蠅蟻喂渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟺蠈谓慰 魏伪喂 胃蠀渭蠈 蠈蟺慰蠀 蔚渭蟺蔚喂蟻喂魏维 蟺位苇慰谓 伪蟺慰蟻蟻慰蠁维 魏维胃蔚 渭慰蟻蠁萎 蟽蠀纬蠂蠋蟻蔚蟽畏蟼, 伪谓蔚尉伪蟻蟿萎蟿蠅蟼 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚委伪蟼 魏伪喂 胃蔚蟻伪蟺蔚蠉蔚喂 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼, 魏伪蟻未喂苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 味畏蟿慰蠉谓 蔚魏未委魏畏蟽畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪尉喂蠋谓慰蠀谓 蔚蟺喂位慰纬苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼.
螘魏蔚委 蔚谓蟽蠅渭伪蟿蠋谓蔚蟽伪喂 魏伪喂 尾喂蠋谓蔚喂蟼 蟿慰 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂慰 蟿畏蟼 苇谓蠅蟽畏蟼 蟽慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿畏谓
渭伪蟿伪喂慰未慰尉委伪 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 维蟽魏慰蟺蔚蟼 伪谓蟿喂位萎蠄蔚喂蟼.
螚 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蟺慰蠀 尉蔚未喂蟺位蠋谓蔚蟿伪喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 魏蟻蠀蠁蠈蟼 胃蟻委伪渭尾慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓慰蠀 蟺谓蔚蠉渭伪蟿慰蟼.
螠慰喂维味蔚喂 蔚蟺喂蠁伪谓蔚喂伪魏萎 魏伪喂 魏慰喂谓蠈蟿慰蟺畏 渭伪 蔚渭蟺蔚蟻喂苇蠂蔚喂 渭畏谓蠉渭伪蟿伪 渭蔚 苇谓蟿慰谓畏 蟽伪蠁萎谓蔚喂伪 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺慰 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 胃维谓伪蟿慰.
危畏渭伪谓蟿喂魏蠈 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委慰 伪谓伪蟽魏蠈蟺畏蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿慰纬谓蠅蟽委伪蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰蟼 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 慰蟺慰委慰 魏维蟺慰喂慰蟼 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠅蟺委味蔚喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺位畏蟽喂苇蟽蟿蔚蟻慰蠀蟼...
渭蔚 蟺蠈蟽畏 位伪蠂蟿维蟻伪 蟽蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维, 渭蔚 蟺蠈蟽伪 蟿蟻伪纬慰蠉未喂伪 蟺慰蠀 蠂伪蠆未蔚蠉慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 蠄蠀蠂萎 魏伪喂 伪谓伪魏慰蠀蠁委味慰蠀谓 蟺位畏纬苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 魏伪魏慰蠁蠈蟻渭喂蟽伪谓 魏伪喂 魏伪畏渭慰蠉蟼 蟺慰蠀 苇位喂蠅蟽伪谓 蟿伪 纬苇位喂慰 渭蔚 蟿伪 未维魏蟻蠀伪.
螚 味蠅萎 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蠂伪蟻委蟽蔚喂 蟽蟿慰谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰 蟿慰 苇蟺伪魏蟻慰 魏伪喂 蟿慰 伪魏蟻伪委慰 蟽蔚 慰位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 蔚魏蠁维谓蟽蔚喂蟼 渭伪 蠈蠂喂 尾维蟽蔚喂 蟿畏蟼 蔚魏渭蔚蟿维位位蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 维位位蠅谓.
螘魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟼 蠈蟿喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蟽蠀位位维尾蔚喂 伪蟽蠉位位畏蟺蟿伪 蟿伪 伪喂蟽胃萎渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃萎渭伪蟿伪 渭委伪蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠅蟿蔚蠉蔚蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟺维胃慰蟼, 蟺蟻慰未委未蔚喂 蠄蠀蠂苇蟼, 萎胃畏,伪蟻蠂苇蟼, 魏伪喂 蟺苇蠁蟿蔚喂 伪渭蔚蟿伪谓蠈畏蟿伪 蟽蟿畏谓 位伪纬谓蔚委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟺伪蟻维谓慰渭慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 魏蟻蠀蠁慰蠉.
危蟿慰 伪蟻蠂苇纬慰谓慰 苇谓蟽蟿喂魏蟿慰 蟺慰蠀 尉蠀蟺谓维蔚喂 蟿伪 味蠅蠋未畏 蟺维胃畏 蟿畏蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蟻蟽委蠅蟽畏蟼,蟿畏蟼 畏未慰谓萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟽伪蟻魏喂魏萎蟼 伪蟺蠈位伪蠀蟽畏蟼, 蟽蠀谓未蠀伪蟽蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀谓慰蠀蟽委伪 萎 伪谓蔚尉维蟻蟿畏蟿伪 伪蟺慰 伪蠀蟿萎谓.
螠蔚 魏伪蠀蟽蟿喂魏萎 蔚喂蟻蠅谓蔚委伪 魏伪喂 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏蠈 蟽伪蟻魏伪蟽渭蠈 蟺委蟽蟿畏蟼 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蔚尉蠀蠁伪委谓蔚蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟿伪 蠂蟻蠋渭伪蟿伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟺伪蟽渭苇谓畏蟼 魏伪蟻未喂维蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟽伪位蔚渭苇谓畏蟼 慰未蠉谓畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻伪谓慰蠆魏萎蟼 畏未慰谓萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 渭慰喂蟻伪委伪蟼 伪纬维蟺畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏蟼 伪未喂伪位位伪尉委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏萎蟼 未慰渭萎蟼, 蟿畏蟼 伪蟽蠀渭尾委尾伪蟽蟿畏蟼 苇魏蟿伪蟽畏蟼 蟿蠅谓 伪谓伪蟿慰位委蟿喂魏蠅谓 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚喂蠋谓, 蟿蠅谓 伪渭蠁喂蟽尾畏蟿慰蠉渭蔚谓蠅谓 蟽蠀谓胃畏魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 蔚蟺委魏伪喂蟻畏蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺蟻慰蟽未喂蠈蟻喂蟽蟿畏蟼 蠁畏渭慰位慰纬委伪蟼 纬喂伪 味蠅萎.
螣 螠慰渭 蟽蠀纬魏蔚谓蟿蟻蠋谓蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭维味伪 蟺蠈谓慰蠀 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺喂蟽蟿喂魏苇蟼 苇谓谓慰喂蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪谓伪蟺蟿蠉蟽蟽蔚喂
伪喂蟽胃萎蟽蔚喂蟼 伪尉委伪蟼 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏蠋谓 胃蔚渭维蟿蠅谓 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂委伪蟼
魏伪喂 伪蟺慰未慰蠂萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟿伪 蟽蠀谓未蠀维味蔚喂 伪蟽蟿伪渭维蟿畏蟿伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪蠀尉伪谓蠈渭蔚谓畏 魏伪蟿伪谓蠈畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 伪蟿慰渭喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎蟼 蔚位蔚蠀胃蔚蟻委伪蟼 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 蠅蟻喂渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏 纬伪位萎谓畏.
螠蔚 蠀蟺苇蟻慰蠂伪 魏慰渭蠄蠈 蟿蟻慰蟺慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蔚纬纬委味蔚喂 蔚魏蟿蠈蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎 伪谓蔚尉伪蟻蟿畏蟽委伪 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 伪蟺蠈蠄蔚喂蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿伪位伪谓委味慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟽蠉渭蟺伪谓 未喂伪蠂蟻慰谓喂魏维, 蟽蠂蔚蟿喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺喂谓畏 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪.
螒蠀蟿萎 蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蟻委味蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 谓蠈渭喂渭蔚蟼 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏苇蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽蔚喂蟼 伪谓未蟻蠋谓 魏伪喂 纬蠀谓伪喂魏蠋谓 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 胃蔚蟽渭喂魏蠈 蟺位伪委蟽喂慰.
螚 蔚蟺蔚魏蟿伪蟿喂魏萎 慰渭慰蟻蠁喂维 蟿慰蠀 魏喂谓蔚味喂魏慰蠉 蟿慰蟺委慰蠀 蟽蔚 蠁蠈谓蟿慰 胃位喂尾蔚蟻蠈, 畏 蠁蟻喂魏喂伪蟽蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺喂未畏渭委伪 蟿畏蟼 蠂慰位苇蟻伪蟼 蟺伪蟻苇伪 渭蔚 魏维蟺慰喂慰谓 蔚渭蠁蠉位喂慰 蟺蠈位蔚渭慰 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺慰谓慰蔚委蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 魏伪位蠉蟺蟿蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂蠋蟼 魏维蟿蠅 伪蟺慰 蟿慰谓 蔚谓蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰谓蟿伪 魏委谓未蠀谓慰 蟺慰蠀 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位蔚喂 蟿伪 蟺维谓蟿伪.
(螠畏谓) 蟽畏魏蠋蟽蟿蔚 蟿慰 尾伪渭渭苇谓慰 蟺苇蟺位慰 蠈蟺慰蠀 伪蠀蟿慰委 蟺慰蠀 味慰蠀谓 伪蟺慰 魏维蟿蠅, 伪蟺慰魏伪位慰蠉谓 芦味蠅畏禄
渭伪蟼 位蔚蔚喂 魏伪喂 渭伪蟼 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠉蔚喂 渭蔚 渭喂伪 渭蔚蟿伪蠁蠀蟽喂魏萎. 蟺蟻蠈胃蔚蟽畏.
螠喂伪 伪蟺位萎 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蟽蠀味蠀纬喂魏萎蟼 蟽蟺伪蟿维位畏蟼 蟽蔚 蔚蟺委蟺蔚未慰 未喂伪蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈, 渭喂伪 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 伪蟻蟻蠋蟽蟿蔚喂伪 伪蟺喂蟽蟿委伪蟼 蟺苇蟻伪 伪蟺慰 魏维胃蔚 蟺委蟽蟿畏 魏伪喂 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委伪 蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽渭慰蠉.
韦蔚位喂魏维. 螔伪胃蠉蟿蔚蟻伪. 螘谓未蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 魏伪喂 蔚谓未慰蟽魏慰蟺喂魏维 蟿慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 胃伪 伪魏慰位慰蠀胃萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰蟻蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 位蠉蟿蟻蠅蟽畏蟼 渭苇蟽蠅 蟿畏蟼 胃蠀蟽委伪蟼, 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 渭蔚位慰未蟻伪渭伪蟿喂蟽渭慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭苇纬喂蟽蟿畏 苇谓蟿伪蟽畏.
铀ワ笍馃崚馃槇
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
September 30, 2021
The story should be a banality, really. Woman marries unsuited man to appease an unreasonably ambitiousand cold mother, then falls head over heals in love with the first good-for-nothing she comes across. The marriage is brutally broken and the story ends on vaguely defiant note.
Why does it feel so ... so ... much, then?
How does Somerset Maugham do it? Why do I see all these people so clearly, and understand them all in different ways? Why do they all make sense, and yet they fail?
Walter.
I know Walters. Those cold and passionate introverted and unforgiving correct people who will do everything right and remain impossible to belong to. If he had been different ... but he wasn't and that is the problem.
Charlie.
The Charlies of this world are grating on my nerves, but I have to admit Somerset Maugham nailed him. Vain, good-looking, brutally selfish and shallow, they come, they see, they conquer, they leave.
Kitty.
Well, Kitty! You have to keep your promise to your unborn daughter and make her a "free man":
"I'm going to bring up my daughter so that she's free and can stand on her own feet. I麓m not going to bring a child into the world, and love her, and bring her up, just so that some man may want to sleep with her so much that he's willing to provide her with board and lodging for the rest of her life."
Why does it feel so ... so ... much, then?
How does Somerset Maugham do it? Why do I see all these people so clearly, and understand them all in different ways? Why do they all make sense, and yet they fail?
Walter.
I know Walters. Those cold and passionate introverted and unforgiving correct people who will do everything right and remain impossible to belong to. If he had been different ... but he wasn't and that is the problem.
Charlie.
The Charlies of this world are grating on my nerves, but I have to admit Somerset Maugham nailed him. Vain, good-looking, brutally selfish and shallow, they come, they see, they conquer, they leave.
Kitty.
Well, Kitty! You have to keep your promise to your unborn daughter and make her a "free man":
"I'm going to bring up my daughter so that she's free and can stand on her own feet. I麓m not going to bring a child into the world, and love her, and bring her up, just so that some man may want to sleep with her so much that he's willing to provide her with board and lodging for the rest of her life."
February 1, 2020
Rating 4.5
Why did I wait so long to read this one? I've been wanting to read this for so long, but so many books. I had a copy of the movie version, but refused to watch it until I read the book. And so the book and movie sat for years. Recently I was sick in bed and wanted to watch a movie and finally gave in to to this one. At the end of the movie, I immediately went to my library online and grabbed the audio and started it the next day. Guess you always need some kind of motivation.
Kitty Fane is a spoiled brat who thinks nothing more than herself. One day she meets Walter Fane who is immediately taken with her and asks for her hand in marriage. Kitty agrees, not because she loves him, but for selfish reasons and saving face. They move from Britain to Hong Kong, where he's a bacteriologist. Kitty is more interested in parties and socializing, and it's here where she has an affair. The affair is with an absolute scoundrel who also thinks nothing more than himself. But Kitty is such a child and just wants to be loved by him. Walter discovers the affair and almost forces her to go with him to the heart of a cholera epidemic in China. Kitty has no love for her husband, but due to shame, and no where else to go, she follows Walter. Here is where Kitty really begins to grow up. Walter now loathes Kitty but he is starting to see her in another light. But he is so driven in helping the people affected with cholera and trying to save those who live there. I'll not say more to ruin the story.
The book and movie were pretty close, until the end. It's a tough one but the endings were quite different and I might have to go with the movie version ending. I picked this one up via audio and I so enjoyed the narration. I felt transported while listening to this one. I was so immersed in the story (even though I knew it from the movie) that at times I often forgot what I was doing. I still keep thinking of the beautiful writing, the story, and the characters. I do see myself revisiting this one again some day. And now, I'm off to try more from Maugham. A highly suggested read.
Why did I wait so long to read this one? I've been wanting to read this for so long, but so many books. I had a copy of the movie version, but refused to watch it until I read the book. And so the book and movie sat for years. Recently I was sick in bed and wanted to watch a movie and finally gave in to to this one. At the end of the movie, I immediately went to my library online and grabbed the audio and started it the next day. Guess you always need some kind of motivation.
Kitty Fane is a spoiled brat who thinks nothing more than herself. One day she meets Walter Fane who is immediately taken with her and asks for her hand in marriage. Kitty agrees, not because she loves him, but for selfish reasons and saving face. They move from Britain to Hong Kong, where he's a bacteriologist. Kitty is more interested in parties and socializing, and it's here where she has an affair. The affair is with an absolute scoundrel who also thinks nothing more than himself. But Kitty is such a child and just wants to be loved by him. Walter discovers the affair and almost forces her to go with him to the heart of a cholera epidemic in China. Kitty has no love for her husband, but due to shame, and no where else to go, she follows Walter. Here is where Kitty really begins to grow up. Walter now loathes Kitty but he is starting to see her in another light. But he is so driven in helping the people affected with cholera and trying to save those who live there. I'll not say more to ruin the story.
The book and movie were pretty close, until the end. It's a tough one but the endings were quite different and I might have to go with the movie version ending. I picked this one up via audio and I so enjoyed the narration. I felt transported while listening to this one. I was so immersed in the story (even though I knew it from the movie) that at times I often forgot what I was doing. I still keep thinking of the beautiful writing, the story, and the characters. I do see myself revisiting this one again some day. And now, I'm off to try more from Maugham. A highly suggested read.
August 10, 2019
Beautiful book, beautifully written. A gem.
I've been looking for more books of Somerset Maugham but I can't find them in the stores in the UK. Will order online then...
I've been looking for more books of Somerset Maugham but I can't find them in the stores in the UK. Will order online then...
September 8, 2020
So I assume you have read the book description and know approximately what the book is about. This description ends with the words: "The Painted Veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive." Well, I would say that this can certainly be debated! This is an ideal book for a book club; there is much that can be discussed. Views will differ.
Some people find this book a huge disappointment. Others like it very much. So how do you go about deciding whether to read it or not? For me the answer is simple. If you need to like the characters in a book, then I doubt this book will suit you. If you need characters to grow wiser, mature and improve themselves then your opinion will be up for grabs. If you want a book that draws realistic characters that do what a person with that personality would do, then yeah, I think you鈥檒l like this. This is why I liked it. This is my favorite by .
The author states in the short introduction that this is the only one of his books where he started with an idea for a plot and thereafter invented characters to fit the events. Usually he began in the opposite end, with a character or characters around which he constructed a plot. This worried me since character portrayal is more important to me than plot! Don't worry as I did. Every character is exceedingly well drawn. Just as with real, live people, no two are alike. Each one has a very specific and clear personality. Each one's actions and words and thoughts correspond perfectly with their different personalities. This is why I so liked the book. I repeatedly stopped and considered how would such a person behave? Always their actions rang true. OK, one may not like the actions, but what is delivered is how people really are. There are two nuns. They help balance the shallowness found in some, the anger and inability to forgive found in another. Most significantly, the characters are utterly real. Real because you understand them and because each is a mix of good and bad qualities.
Description of places occasionally took my breath away. Description of clothes, facial appearances and manners are astute. Superb dialogs. What I am saying is that the writing, the language used, is exceptionally good! Sometimes lyrical, most often precise.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joanna Ward, alias Kate Reading. Don鈥檛 read the paper book. Don鈥檛 listen to an audiobook narrated by another; Reading鈥檚 narration is so magnificently well done. Perfect - perfect speed, excellent clarity and exceptionally well interpreted intonations that reflect the respective characters鈥� personalities.
I never imagined I would enjoy this so very, very much. Honestly, there is nothing I can think of to complain about. Four stars correspond perfectly with my reaction to the book.
Other books I have read by Maugham with their respective ratings:
3 stars
2 stars
2 stars
Some people find this book a huge disappointment. Others like it very much. So how do you go about deciding whether to read it or not? For me the answer is simple. If you need to like the characters in a book, then I doubt this book will suit you. If you need characters to grow wiser, mature and improve themselves then your opinion will be up for grabs. If you want a book that draws realistic characters that do what a person with that personality would do, then yeah, I think you鈥檒l like this. This is why I liked it. This is my favorite by .
The author states in the short introduction that this is the only one of his books where he started with an idea for a plot and thereafter invented characters to fit the events. Usually he began in the opposite end, with a character or characters around which he constructed a plot. This worried me since character portrayal is more important to me than plot! Don't worry as I did. Every character is exceedingly well drawn. Just as with real, live people, no two are alike. Each one has a very specific and clear personality. Each one's actions and words and thoughts correspond perfectly with their different personalities. This is why I so liked the book. I repeatedly stopped and considered how would such a person behave? Always their actions rang true. OK, one may not like the actions, but what is delivered is how people really are. There are two nuns. They help balance the shallowness found in some, the anger and inability to forgive found in another. Most significantly, the characters are utterly real. Real because you understand them and because each is a mix of good and bad qualities.
Description of places occasionally took my breath away. Description of clothes, facial appearances and manners are astute. Superb dialogs. What I am saying is that the writing, the language used, is exceptionally good! Sometimes lyrical, most often precise.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joanna Ward, alias Kate Reading. Don鈥檛 read the paper book. Don鈥檛 listen to an audiobook narrated by another; Reading鈥檚 narration is so magnificently well done. Perfect - perfect speed, excellent clarity and exceptionally well interpreted intonations that reflect the respective characters鈥� personalities.
I never imagined I would enjoy this so very, very much. Honestly, there is nothing I can think of to complain about. Four stars correspond perfectly with my reaction to the book.
Other books I have read by Maugham with their respective ratings:
3 stars
2 stars
2 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,970 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.