The Painted Veil (The collected edition of the works of W. Somerset Maugham) (Ulverscroft Large Print) (Vintage International)

by W Somerset Maugham

[jamiereadthis]

Maugham does his thing again, where it’s the first few chapters and you’ve got these people figured out, you’ve heard this story a hundred times before but that’s okay, it’s a pretty good story, but then whoa, out of nowhere, these are real, deep, complicated, surprising people— where did they come from? Out of nowhere! Except not out of nowhere, it was all right there on the page in front of you, just a few simple— too simple, suspiciously simple— turns of phrase flicked the lightswitch on for what was there all along.

And also: Walter. Walter, Walter. There was so much under that surface, Walter, and out of anyone, even Waddington, Walter, it’s you I wanted to sit down and have a good long talk with that complicated brain. I kind of loved you, Walter.

This was delightful.