The book is weakened by the melodrama of its final pages. Complexity of relationships the focus in painted veil movie. This subtle reference on his death bed serves as a further suggestion that walter seems to have intended to harm kitty by bringing her to meitanfu. Ive asked myself if youre both here to commit suicide.
March 6, 20 april 21st, 2016 no comments marriage can be challenging, not unlike an outpost in the cholera infested jungles of mei tan fu, china. In an act of revenge, walter accepts a post to the dangerous city of mei tan fu, beseiged by a severe cholera epidemic. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. Walter, a great bridge player, makes an unexpected move and volunteers his medical services in the choleraridden meitanfu district. The nuns, waddington, and the manchu woman who loved him, were fantastic characters in a masque.
Nonetheless, walters initiative to head to mei tan fu cannot be more vindictive. Somerset maughams novel and adapted by john meehan, salka viertel and edith fitzgerald. The painted veil is directed by john curran we dont live here anymore based on w. Amazon prime members may the painted veil online at. Upon their arrival in meitanfu, she is distressed to discover they will. Kitty finds a friend in waddington, the deputy commissioner of customs in mei tan fu, a short and rather ugly little man who is humorous, kind, and insightful. He does not confront the two lovers, but he later forces kitty to either leave hong kong with him for the remote, cholera ridden town of mei tan fu or convince her lover to marry otherwise he will file for divorce. In an act of revenge, walter accepts a post to the dangerous city of meitanfu, beseiged by a severe cholera epidemic. The book is set in the 1920s in the fictional chinese village of meitanfu. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life the novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan november 1924 march 1925. Beginning in may 1925, it was serialised in the united kingdom in eight. Dec 20, 2006 first published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms.
Jun 07, 2007 however i think she starts painting another veil for herself at mei tan fu. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest. The painted veil provides gorgeous photography and music, and watts and norton are wonderful in creating the very believable tones and. The painted veil is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young english couple, walter, a middle class doctor and kitty, an upperclass woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. Read the referenced literature to get maughams meaning. The cholera epidemic in the city is severe, and scenes of death are all around. The painted veil can be justly tagged a love story, but its not quite a usual one. The novel was first published in serialised form in five issues of cosmopolitan november 1924 march 1925. The painted veil intelligent scripting, solid thesping and eyecatching location shooting arent enough to make a compelling modern film of the painted veil, w.
It seems that he has volunteered to serve in a region called meitanfu, where a cholera epidemic is raging. Find this book at your local library this book has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year now. The painted veil chapters 7280 summary and analysis. The painted veil is a 2006 american drama film directed by john curran. Scandal, plague, love and redemption in the painted veil posted by tv eskimo on 01. This is a story about love with the heroine, kitty garstin, sacrificing her life with death risk caused by cholera in the deep forest of china, trying to dig her heart to be given to her husband. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead.
In describing the destination in china mei tan fu with its crenellated walls was like the painted canvas placed on the stage in an old play to represent a city. Charles breezily invites her to have some cocktails, and she recalls the body of the dead beggar in meitanfu. Meitanfu is a chinese province that is afflicted with a cholera epidemic that has claimed the lives of a large percentage of the residents. Scandal, plague, love and redemption in the painted veil. It took me two days to locate the book, which i immediately read then followed up with a second viewing of the movie. However i think she starts painting another veil for herself at meitanfu. The painted veil chapters 7280 summary and analysis gradesaver. Walter, a great bridge player, makes an unexpected move and volunteers his medical services in the choleraridden mei tan fu district. The painted veil of the novel suggests the appearance of daily life. Among the consequences of this action, townsend will be named correspondent, and his career in the. She comes to her revelation late in the painted veil, the latest screen translation of somerset maughams 1925 novel.
In describing the destination in china meitanfu with its crenellated walls was like the painted canvas placed on the stage in an old play to represent a city. Jun 07, 2012 the painted veil william somerset maugham this is a book to get lost in, not just in the usual way of books, but in a way that is haunting and will have you musing for days and days, long after you have turned the final page. In meitanfu, kitty comes to see the change in walter and recognises his greatness. Upon discovery, walter turns into a revengeful monster and brought kitty to mei tan fu, an imaginary cholerainfected village along the. Jan 18, 2015 at the end of the poem, the man recovers from his bite and it was the dog that died. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. The average viewer who rated the painted veil at rotten tomatoes tends to agree with me. Meanwhile, walter has volunteered to go to the remote village of meitanfu where a doctor is desperately needed to deal with a cholera epidemic. Books the painted veil by somerset maugham john crace. We are drawn the very question of when it is best for one to lift up her painted veil, a tainted disguise of purity and innocence epitomised by kittys seamless fit into the upperclass london society. Walter approaches kitty to tell her of his intentions to leave shanghai to go the village of meitanfu, which is experiencing the worst of the cholera epidemic. Somerset maugham tells a complex story that addresses sex, infidelity, marriage, personal growth, and life lessons.
The painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. Given no other choice, kitty faces meitanfu and almost certain death. Narrated in the third person pov but mostly of kittys, is pretty much a morality tale but is actually more complex. I wouldnt normally see a movie like that, but it was based on the book by maugham, so i bent my rules and watched it. The turmoil of two mismatched lovers is set against the backdrop of social unrest in the latest cinematic adaptation of w. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Around the world in 80 books group reads discussions. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year now. Upon their arrival in meitanfu, she is distressed to discover they will be living in nearsqualor, far removed from. A narrowly focused, scathing look at the shallowness of middleclass and upper middleclass english society. Meitanfu is a chinese province that is afflicted with a.
The balance of power shifts, however, when walter discovers kittys infidelity and forces her to lift the veil and also face some hard truths. March 6, 20 april 21st, 2016 no comments marriage can be challenging, not unlike an outpost in the cholera infested jungles of meitanfu, china. It is 1925, and british doctor walter fane, convinced of his wife kittys infidelity, accepts a post in the remote chinese village of meitanfu during a deadly cholera outbreak. The section in meitanfu reminded me of thomas manns death in venice. Stripped of the british society of her youth and the small but effective society she fought so hard to attain in hong kong, she is compelled by her. Early on in somerset maughams novel, the painted veil, one of the more interesting but peripheral characters, a district commissioner named waddington, stationed upcountry from british colonial hong kong at meitan fu, an outpost plagued by cholera intones. In the painted veil, we can see evidence of this idea of the white mans burden in walter fanes trip to meitanfu, where he helps to battle a cholera outbreak. When i first started reading the painted veil, i thought it was a story about love. Kitty understands that dorothy must have decided to invite her of her own accord, and charles agreed an odd choice. The painted veil is the third screen adaptation of maughams bestselling novel of the same name. Jan 05, 2007 the turmoil of two mismatched lovers is set against the backdrop of social unrest in the latest cinematic adaptation of w. The painted veil begins with a very interesting preface, when maugham complained a bit about how the claim of libel from the assistance colonial secretary of hong kong at the time had forced him to replace hong kong with tchingyen in the story, leaving behind around sixty copies of books that have already gone into print with hong kong as the.
Charles breezily invites her to have some cocktails, and she recalls the body of the dead beggar in mei tan fu. Jul 28, 2019 somerset maugham created kitty fane to be a selfish, unloyal wife that goes on an enlightening journey in cholera stricken mei tan fu, and changes into a caring, loving wife that rues her infidelity and selfindulgence, and who becomes almost pitiful in her attempt to reconciliate with walter. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet, which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. Mei tan fu is a chinese province that is afflicted with a cholera epidemic that has claimed the lives of a. In fact, it was closer to the novel than the movie. Over the next hundred or so pages, kittys husband, serious bacteriologist walter fane, develops a plan to sever kittys relationship with townsend and take her away with him to meitanfu, a cholera. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic.
The painted veil by somerset maugham james reads books. Somerset maugham created kitty fane to be a selfish, unloyal wife that goes on an enlightening journey in cholera stricken meitan fu, and changes into a caring, loving wife that rues her infidelity and selfindulgence, and who becomes almost pitiful in her attempt to reconciliate with walter. Dec 14, 2006 the painted veil intelligent scripting, solid thesping and eyecatching location shooting arent enough to make a compelling modern film of the painted veil, w. Apr 17, 2020 the book is set in the 1920s in the fictional chinese village of meitanfu. After basically ruining her marriage with an affair, kitty accompanies her husband, walter, to mei tan fu, a chinese province afflicted with a cholera epidemic. The painted veil opens as kitty is deplorably caught in the act with her lover, the handsome, shallow government official, charles townsend. It comes from the poem by percy bysshe shelley, which describes the unreality of the world and the perhaps unsuccessful quest of a seeker to find some truth in it. Watts, who has been raised for a life of abject uselessness. The tale being introduced in this literary work focuses on the primary female character, kitty garstin, and her husband, walter fane. Early on in somerset maughams novel, the painted veil, one of the more interesting but peripheral characters, a district commissioner named waddington, stationed upcountry from british colonial hong kong at mei tan fu, an outpost plagued by cholera intones. Kitty can do nothing else but accompany him to what she thinks will be her death. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the painted veil by w.
In the painted veil, walter is the metaphorical dog and kitty is the man. However, after staying in mei tan fu for a while, slight changes started to happen to them. Charles refuses to divorce his wife dorothy, and kitty, heartbroken, agrees to go with walter to mei tan fu. Kitty and walter make the long journey to meitanfu on chairs and riverboats, speaking to each other little.
The radio show was different in minor ways but, again, apart from updating the female role to fit modern demands, it wasnt that far off from the book. Love despite the self in the painted veil by johnderuiter. A timely read, it is set in the 1920s in the fictional chinese village of meitanfu, where a cholera epidemic has broken out. This study guide consists of approximately 34 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the painted veil. I watched the painted veil, the movie starring edward norton and naomi watts, one night when huzzybuns was out of either town or country or both, and then tore through my house looking for the book. The painted veil william somerset maugham my book affair. I dont remember exactly why i grabbed it other than knowing that the author is someone wellknown and a person that wellread readers read. Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life, poet percy shelley writes. Kitty, with the help and encouragement of mother superior, started to notice the soft side of. Though this may sound like a relatively benevolent motivation, it in fact caused enormous damage to native cultures by undermining traditional systems of law, agriculture. Nov 14, 2008 books the painted veil by somerset maugham john crace. I hadnt read the painted veil before i saw the movie with ed norton and naomi watts.
The painted veil goodreads meet your next favorite book. Complexity of relationships the focus in painted veil. Meanwhile, walter has volunteered to go to the remote village of mei tan fu where a doctor is desperately needed to deal with a cholera epidemic. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is. Otherwise, you must come up country with me to meifantu where ive offered to take charge of the cholera epidemic. She misses his affection when it is gone and his tenderness. This is going to be an extremely casual set of thoughts. The painted veil opens with a husband arriving home early to find his wife, kitty, the main character, in bed with his boss. In the movie the painted veil, which is a story surrounded with love and romance, there are three very different yet interesting couple relationships. First published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms. Apr 18, 2020 the book is set in the 1920s in the fictional chinese village of meitanfu. But the more i read, the more i felt as though it ran deeper.
If you identify an incorrectly combined book please separate it and combine it with the correct work. The painted veil is one book i return to time and again. This is the third film adaptation of the maugham book, following a 1934 film starring greta garbo and herbert. The painted veil was mistakenly combined with the narrow corner and thus the nonenglish titles may be incorrectly combined. But kittys relationship to the mother superior in mei tan fu somehow gave kitty something that her own mother didnt provide and it improved her relationship with men slightly, but at least towards the end of the novel she knows what she wants in life.
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