But you simply MUST take me seriously. I have a KERCHIEF. And I am DOUR.
Maugham was one of the most popular novelists, playwrights, and man (men?)-about-towns of his time. He wasn't really lauded by critics because his work was simple, especially when compared to the run-on sentences being produced by Woolf and Faulkner at the time. Senor Moustache referred to himself as being "in the first row of the second raters." I mean, hey. At least he was honest about it. Not something we can ever expect Dan Brown to say, AMIRITE? I mean, when compared to the most popular writers of OUR time, this man is a veritable genius! A wordsmith of unforeseen gifts! He wrote The Painted Veil because he was inspired by a stanza of DANTE. Sigh. But we have sparkly vampires. That's something (IT'S NOT SOMETHING).
Anyway, superiority of popular authors of times gone by aside, let us talk The Painted Veil. Much to my bleehhh, I saw the movie first, so I'm sure that's colored my experience of the book. I will say that the movie is a fairly loyal interpretation in that some of the dialogue is word for word. But they CHANGED THE ENDING. If you're going to go through all the trouble of copying the talk talk bits, why would you change the ending?!
Here's why this is so irritating: the book is about Kitty Fane, a silly and vulgar girl who marries a serious man because she hates her mother. They move to China for spoiler-tastic reasons. Cholera happens. Kitty has various realizations, mostly that she is silly and vulgar. She tries to change, fails a bit, succeeds a bit, is very human. We are left hopeful that Kitty has learned how to not suck. In the movie, she is just MAGICALLY BETTER. I sorta feel like this is a betrayal of what Maugham was saying about the difficulty of forgiveness and authenticity and bettering oneself. But hey. Edward Norton makes you better, no?
Anywoot, I can see where Maugham isn't exactly a super genius. He's heavy on the cheese, and isn't exactly subtle. There are a few moments of perfectly clear, insightful, catch-your-breath TRUTH but there are also a lot of bits of lalala HERE'S MY SPIRITUAL MESSAGE IN CASE YOU'RE MISSING IT, READER PERSON. Like many popular writers, his work is easy to read, plot-alicious, and the characters are relatable. There's no experimental fireworks here, but it's nice and you may need a few tissues.
Three stars out of your mom.
I read this book also, and it is one of my favorites chiefly because the characters are relatable; however, you are entirely accurate in your assessment that his message lacks subtlety. Still, I enjoyed it, and there were some beautiful language moments. Guess I'm a sucker for characters and language.
ReplyDeleteI hate silly female characters that never learn, but I was not convinced. I kind of felt like Maugham heard what he wanted to and walked away, and who knows what she reverted to after the story ends. ;)
ReplyDeleteI also made the mistake of watching the movie first and was all Roooooooomance! when I picked up the book. I was tricked. But I still really liked the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Maugham's slightly lowbrow works, but I haven't yet read this one. I *gasp* saw the movie, though. I'm mad about The Razor's Edge....read it one too many times and still think the height of success is leaving it all behind. Probably not a good thought to have when you're in your 30s and a mother to four. Yeah, strike that.
ReplyDeleteTried watching the movie and got bored, although I do remember it being very pretty. CINEMATOGRAPHY. That's a word I know.
ReplyDeleteI've only read The Razor's Edge, and I was very meh about it. Glad to know he's not considered one of the leading authors of his heyday.
I've already watched the movie version so maybe i won't go for the book...Last year the same sort of thing happened to me with Oscar & Lucinda - the narration & the actors' lines were word for word from the book - and then the ending was COMPLETELY different. Set me back on my pins ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warning.
P.S. (I can see where Edward Norton would cure what ails you!)
Edward Norton...I'd watch that man watch paint dry :)
ReplyDeleteI think the movie deviated completely from this book. The novel is about duty, sacrifice, repentance; the movie is some Hollywood love story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, but it's a different animal.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this book (or watched the movie), but I did read "The Moon and Sixpence" by the same author, which blew me away; I think he makes the best use of his strengths in that book: psychologically credible characters, deep emotion and an irresistible intensity. Anyone?
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