Furthermore, i think the emotional distance between kitty and walter seems as big as an ocean in. Only yesterday i borrowed the book again because i. And also, how kitty went back and slept with charles again. I didnt like how, in the book, walter and kitty never ended up falling in love. Her philosophical journey is about half a mile from not caring for anyone but herself to believing she can raise her own daughter differently. The painted veil differences between the book and the film. In the painted veil, love is not always a good thing.
The painted veil is one of the most emotionally honest books ive ever read. When her husband learns she has had an affair, he volunteers to fight a cholera epidemic in chinas wartorn interior. Summary set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. Mar 14, 2019 set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane.
The painted veil quotes and analysis kitty smiled with affectionate irony. The painted veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive. The painted veil book vs movie janet cheng in literature on 12 march, 2020. The painted veil vintage classics kindle edition by maugham, w. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the painted veil by w. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is. I also want to comment that after watching two of his pieces, curran has something going on with streets in last scenes. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Later freud rectified and supplemented his earlier theory and proposed the idea of personality. Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. First published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms.
Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful, but lovestarved kitty fane. The painted veil is a 1925 novel by british author w. Kitty never comes to love her husband walter, but she does find admirable qualities in him and wishes to be his friend. In this essay the supposed divergence of kitty s behavior and attitude shall be explored, and abolished as a mere illusion. Kitty is disappointing in the book, but i love maughams writing and i suppose i can forgive him for not letting kitty grow a bit more. I love the authors descriptive style and the book gives a more detailed look at the main character kitty and why she chose the path she did. Underpinning the entire plot is kittys manipulative, socialclimbing mother, who is essential despite occupying relatively little of the novel. It was silly of us to look for qualities in each other that we never had. Kitty values social appearance and artifice, and was trained by her mother to make a brilliant marriage. Story and summary the story revolves around kitty garstin, an outgoing upper middle class socialite and walter fane, an introvert bacteriologist and physician.
But i quickly got pulled into the story of kitty fane, a spoiled and. He has an affair with kitty fane, and reacts indifferently when her husband finds out. Edward norton, naomi watts, toby jones, anthony wong chau sang and liev schreiber appear in the leading roles this is the third film adaptation of the maugham book, following the samenamed 1934 film starring greta garbo and. Maugham uses a thirdpersonlimited point of view in this story, where kitty garstin is the focal character. Aug 18, 2017 the painted veil is the story of kitty fane, a beautiful, but thoughtless, shallow, and selfcentered woman.
This is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young english couple, walter fane edward norton, a middle class doctor and kitty naomi watts, an upperclass woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. The painted veil has the ingredients of a great film, including cinematography alternatively lush and parched and highcaliber actors. Kitty heard groans and loud cries and sounds as though beings not human were in pain. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the painted veil vintage classics. The painted veil by somerset maugham james reads books. Dec 20, 2006 first published in 1925, the painted veil recounts the moral awakening of a vain, careless young woman, kitty ms. Somerset maugham 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. The painted veil is the story of the beautiful, but lovestarved kitty fane. Sep 28, 2015 this is the meanest book ive read in a long time. Click download or read online button to get painted veil book now. 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 awakening. Kittys awakening in the painted veil masters thesis.
The 2006 movie adaptation of the painted veil, a novel written by somerset mangham in 1925, romanticises the resolution of the marriage of walter fane and kitty, an english frivolous socialite. The painted veil beautifully presents the story of a young society woman named kitty and her redemption from a shallow and selfcentered life through her growing ability to love. Relationships in the painted veil kittys problematic characterization. Only when it is too late does dymovs wife olga like kitty realize her husbands moral worth and see that he is a far finer man than she had realized. The book had already been published when the incident arose and was recalled. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. May 04, 20 however, one crucial point is that in the book there is no romantic journey completed by walter and kitty, as happens in the movie. The novel also inspired a 2006 drama movie of the same name starring edward norton and naomi watts. 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 meitanfu or convince her lover to marry otherwise he will file for divorce causing a great scandal. The painted veil is a 2006 american drama film directed by john curran. It is kittys love for her unborn child that pushes her to become a better person. Character analysis and comparison with book and drama and focused essay and period piece the painted veil nathan 5. W somerset maugham set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
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. 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. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany. When no acceptable suitor was forthcoming, she deigned to marry water fane, an introverted scientist.
Throughout the novel kitty was developed significantly and she. Kitty fane is a shallow, materialistic daughter of a shallow, materialistic mother who henpecked kittys father, always seeking to improve their lot. I think by tomorrow i will have forgotten most of the plot of the painted veil. Kittys love for charles is said to have degraded her pg. Set in the late 19th century, the novels action takes place in both england and primarily china which the british had invaded at the time. Kitty, much to the chagrin of her mother, has declined marriage proposal from quite a few prospective gentlemen.
After basically ruining her marriage with an affair, kitty accompanies her husband, walter, to meitanfu, a chinese province afflicted with a cholera epidemic. All of kittys warts are on full display in this book and nothing is. Painted veil download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Ultimately, with all the things it covers, the painted veil is a beautiful story about love found, as in discovered.
The screenplay by ron nyswaner is based on the 1925 eponymous novel by w. 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. Walter and kitty barely spoke as they travelled by chair through the inscrutable chinese hinterland. This one phrase completely epitomizes kitty fanes abject, egocentric nature in the painted veil.
Walter fane, a bacteriologist living in china who falls madly in love with her. The painted veil opens with a husband arriving home early to find his wife, kitty, the main character, in bed with his boss. The painted veil william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. The painted veil is a novel written by w somerset maugham in 1925. Somerset maugham im pretty sure i have never read a book so depressing and yet so interesting as this book.
Popular videos the painted veil the painted veil topic. Jun 19, 2012 the painted veil opens with kitty and walter standing in the chinese countryside, waiting for their escort to arrive and take them to the village, so walter can begin treating the cholera outbreak. Dec 04, 2019 the painted veil is a novel written by w somerset maugham in 1925. It is a story of love, betrayal, hatred, revenge and redemption. Walter fane, a bacteriologist living in china who falls madly. Most probably know of this book due to the 2006 adaptation of it starring naomi watts and edward norton ive seen parts of the movie, so i knew the basic plot, but not the details. Disgusted with this marriage, kitty has an affair with the handsome charles townsend.
Kitty believes that townsend is madly in love with her and prepared to divorce his. Somerset maugham was one of the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. Jun 07, 2007 i finished reading the painted veil and felt a little let down. One of the few occasions where i prefer the movie over the book. I didnt even know who was playing kitty till the credits rolled, but i was impressed with naomi watts, too. She showed kitty the dormitories and then they passed a door on which was painted the word infirmerie.
There are many changes, but both the book and the film are exquisite. I admired the potraiture of people as people complex. Love and character in the painted veil friday, aug 22 2008. Like god, in the painted veil walters anger turns from his wife. This was nowhere to be found in the painted veil, a work that almost seemed to have been written by a different person. When her younger sister announces her own engagement to a prosperous duke, kitty panics and accepts the proposal of the very quiet, very shy, dr. These are some of the profound questions that somerset maughams the painted veil raises. They do not come out of it in the end reunited by love but parted by death. Watts, who has been raised for a life of abject uselessness. The painted veil as a parable of gods love centre for. Set in england and hong kong in the 1920s, the painted veil is the story of the beautiful but lovestarved kitty fane. Somerset maugham, which was first serialized in cosmopolitan and nashs magazine.
The book of hosea ends with the prophet pleading with the israelites to seek forgiveness. The title is taken from percy bysshe shelleys sonnet which begins lift not the painted veil which those who live call life. Jan 12, 20 from the motion picture the painted veil 2006. The painted veil vintage classics kindle edition by. Somerset maugham published by vintage international on february 10, 2004 originally published april 1925 series.
Sigmund freud was the founding father of psychoanalysis. The painted veil is the story of kitty fane, a beautiful, but thoughtless, shallow, and selfcentered woman. The biographer richard cordell notes that the book was influenced by maughams study of science and his work as a houseman at st thomas hospital. In the movie the painted veil, which is a story surrounded with love and romance, there are three very different yet interesting couple relationships.
It focuses on a young debutante named kitty garstin, who, after rejecting dozens of marriage proposals, finds herself marrying an eccentric doctor named walter fane. I had anticipated the leisurely, late victorian style of mrs. The book filled in many of the characters personality quirks, clarifies kitty s home life. The painted veil essays are academic essays for citation. I love the 2006 adaptation of the movie, and i read the book for the first time last year. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the painted veil by w.
At the beginning of the movie, kitty was a self centered woman. Kitty fane naomi watts is a frivolous young english woman who longs for romance and excitement, trapped in a loveless marriage to a staid shanghai researcher. She also eventually overcomes her love for charles, which was vain and oppressed her. I think the painted veil is the first movie in which ive seen her. Around the world in 80 books share book recommendations. The painted veil vintage international and millions of other books are. Edward norton, naomi watts, toby jones, anthony wong chau sang and liev schreiber appear in the leading roles. Aug 20, 2009 i happened to see the literary adaptation by john curran made in 2006 over the weekend and was deeply moved by the experience. The novel opens when walter discovers his wifes infidelity. Obviously then, i wasted no time in buying somerset maughams the painted veil to see how differently the filmmakers had interpreted the story. Not that it was extremely boring though it kinda was, i just.
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