The painted veil, by W. Somerset Maugham

When Kitty Garstin impulsively marries the bacteriologist Walter Fane to escape spinsterhood, she envisions a life of leisure and luxury in Hong Kong. But when her affair with a charming diplomat is discovered, Walter forces her to accompany him to a cholera-ravaged village deep in the Chinese interior. Amid death and devastation, the couple is forced into a reckoning—with each other, with their past choices, and with themselves. Set against a lush yet perilous backdrop, The Painted Veil is a powerful exploration of betrayal, redemption, and the quiet transformation of the human spirit.

W. Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 in Paris and raised in England. Trained as a physician, he turned to writing after the success of his first novel and became one of the most prolific and popular British authors of the 20th century. Known for his keen psychological insight and spare, elegant prose, Maugham wrote novels, short stories, and plays, including Of Human Bondage, The Razor’s Edge, and The Moon and Sixpence. His works often explore the complexities of human desire and the moral ambiguities of life. He died in 1965 in the South of France.

Book discussion: ‘The painted veil’, by W. Somerset Maugham

When: May 31st, 2025, at 18:00 (6pm, Madrid local time)

Where:

El Paraíso del Desierto

C. del Dr. Esquerdo, 140, 28007 Madrid

https://goo.gl/maps/3cQPsHcEfRvjNTGe9

Language: English (we’ll debate in English)

Organizer: Colleen

Contact: +34 668853320

Mandatory: Read the book

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

It’s not necessary to book in advance anymore, just show up at the designated place on the day and time of the discussion and we’ll be there. We’re usually 14-15 people for the famous books, and around 9-10 people for the less known ones.