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Cover of The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

The Painted Veil

by W. Somerset Maugham

A damaged marriage travels into inland China during a cholera epidemic.

Published
1925
Setting
China
Shelf rating
4.4

The story, briefly

Spoiler-free

After discovering his wife’s affair, a British bacteriologist takes her into inland China, where illness and distance strip away their assumptions.

Why we recommend it

  1. A damaged marriage far from home

    Travel, adultery, illness, resentment, and isolation make it a close companion to The Sheltering Sky.

What this book explores

Book editions

Paperback edition cover
Paperback
ISBN-13
9780307277770

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References

References

The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document The Painted Veil, its publication, and its place in literary history.

  1. 1The Painted Veil — Open Library ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Open Library, Internet Archive
    Used for

    Open Library ISBN catalogue used to verify the title, ISBN, and publication metadata.

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  2. 2The Painted Veil — Google Books edition record

    Official record
    Google Books
    Used for

    Google Books catalogue record used to cross-check the title and edition metadata.

    View source

  1. 3The Painted Veil — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Internet Archive
    Used for

    Internet Archive ISBN catalogue used to cross-check the edition and its availability in library holdings.

    View source

  2. 4The Painted Veil — Library of Congress books catalogue

    Official record
    Library of Congress
    Used for

    Library of Congress books catalogue used to cross-check the bibliographic record by ISBN.

    View source
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Why these sources are here

The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.

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