# The Painted Veil — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham.

- [Epigraph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/epigraph.md): The epigraph presents a single line from Percy Bysshe Shelley's sonnet, introducing the central metaphor of the painted veil that obscures the true nature of life.
- [The Painted Veil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/the-painted-veil.md): Kitty Fane, a young woman from a socially ambitious family, marries the reserved bacteriologist Walter Fane to escape her mother's pressure and to avoid being outshone by her younger sister. She soon enters a passionate 
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/i.md): Kitty Fane and her lover, Charles Townsend, are startled by someone trying the door of her bedroom during an afternoon tryst. They fear it is her husband, Walter, but after a tense wait, they find no one there. Townsend 
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/ii.md): Kitty and Charlie Townsend wait anxiously after suspecting someone may have seen them together. Charlie reassures Kitty that even if it was Walter, he would likely ignore the affair to avoid scandal. They share a passion
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/iii.md): Kitty reflects on her affair with Charles Townsend, recalling their secret meetings in a sordid curio dealer's shop in Hong Kong. She contrasts her lover's charm with his wife Dorothy's cold, proper demeanor, feeling bot

> 78 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_painted_veil_se_818kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/iv.md)
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/v.md)
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/vi.md)
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/vii.md)
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/viii.md)
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/ix.md)
- [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/x.md)
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xi.md)
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xii.md)
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xiii.md)
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xiv.md)
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xv.md)
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xvi.md)
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xvii.md)
- [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xviii.md)
- [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xix.md)
- [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xx.md)
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxi.md)
- [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxii.md)
- [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxiii.md)
- [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxiv.md)
- [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxv.md)
- [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxvi.md)
- [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxvii.md)
- [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxviii.md)
- [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxix.md)
- [Arrival at Mei-tan-fu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxx.md)
- [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxi.md)
- [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxii.md)
- [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxiii.md)
- [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxiv.md)
- [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxv.md)
- [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxvi.md)
- [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxvii.md)
- [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxviii.md)
- [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxix.md)
- [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xl.md)
- [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xli.md)
- [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlii.md)
- [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xliii.md)
- [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xliv.md)
- [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlv.md)
- [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlvi.md)
- [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlvii.md)
- [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlviii.md)
- [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlix.md)
- [L](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/l.md)
- [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/li.md)
- [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lii.md)
- [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/liii.md)
- [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/liv.md)
- [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lv.md)
- [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lvi.md)
- [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lvii.md)
- [LVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lviii.md)
- [LIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lix.md)
- [LX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lx.md)
- [LXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxi.md)
- [LXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxii.md)
- [LXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxiii.md)
- [LXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxiv.md)
- [LXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxv.md)
- [LXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxvi.md)
- [LXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxvii.md)
- [LXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxviii.md)
- [LXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxix.md)
- [LXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxx.md)
- [LXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxi.md)
- [LXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxii.md)
- [LXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxiii.md)
- [LXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxiv.md)
- [LXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxv.md)
- [LXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxvi.md)
- [LXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxvii.md)
- [LXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxviii.md)
- [LXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxix.md)
- [LXXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxx.md)
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/endnotes.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters