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The English Patient

By Michael Ondaatje

(143)

| Hardcover | 9780679416784

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Book Description

With ravishing beauty and unsettling intelligence, Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Hana, the exhausted nurse; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle Continue

With ravishing beauty and unsettling intelligence, Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Hana, the exhausted nurse; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle of the English patient, the nameless, burned man who lies in an upstairs room and whose memories of passion, betrayal,and rescue illuminates this book like flashes of heat lightening.

Critics

  • Ways of being a man

    Can a penis sleep like a sea horse? The question arrests us on the first page of The English Patient: You are not logged in If you have already registered please login here If you are a subscriber using the site for the first time please register her ... (read full critics)

    lrb published on Mon, 6 Sep 2010

  • Wraith’s Progress

    “The first sentence of every novel should be: ‘Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.’ Meander if you want to get to town.” This is Michael Ondaatje, adverting to his own craft in his novel In the Skin of a Lio ... (read full critics)

    nybooks published on Thu, 26 Aug 2010

6 Reviews

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  • 6 people find this helpful

    p.168
    'I just want you to know. I don't miss you yet.'
    His face awful to her, trying to smile. Her head sweeps away from him and hits the side of the gatepost. He sees it hurt her, notices the wince. But they have separated already into themselves now, they wall up at her insistence. Her jerk ... (continue)

    p.168
    'I just want you to know. I don't miss you yet.'
    His face awful to her, trying to smile. Her head sweeps away from him and hits the side of the gatepost. He sees it hurt her, notices the wince. But they have separated already into themselves now, they wall up at her insistence. Her jerk, her pain, is accidental, is intentional. Her hand is near her temple.
    'You will,' she says.

    p.172
    'Madox, what is the name of that hollow at the base of a woman's neck? At the front. Here. What is it, does it have an official name? That hollow about the size of an impress of you thumb?'
    Madox watches me for a moment through the noon glare.
    'Pull yourself together,' he mutters.

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    Artemisia said on Jun 6, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 2 people find this helpful

    "We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves."

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    garcia said on May 4, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Amazon.co.uk Review
    Haunting and harrowing, as beautiful as it is disturbing, The English Patient tells the story of the entanglement of four damaged lives in an Italian monastery as the second world war ends. The exhausted nurse, Hana; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each i ... (continue)

    Amazon.co.uk Review
    Haunting and harrowing, as beautiful as it is disturbing, The English Patient tells the story of the entanglement of four damaged lives in an Italian monastery as the second world war ends. The exhausted nurse, Hana; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle of the English patient, the nameless, burn victim who lies in an upstairs room and whose memories of passion, betrayal and rescue illuminate this book like flashes of sheet lightning. In lyrical prose informed by a poetic consciousness, Michael Ondaatje weaves these characters together, pulls them tight, then unravels the threads with unsettling acumen.

    A challenging read as sometimes the storyline was difficult to follow but I perservered. Worth doing so because I loved the author's portrayal of the main characters.

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    Lindyloumac said on Sep 27, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • I heart English Patient

    I don't read a lot of fictions as I find people's real life and stories can be lot more interesting at times. But I just love English Patient to pieces. I think I saw the movie first and then I picked up the book and read it in one sitting or something crazy like that.

    I cried watching the mo ... (continue)

    I don't read a lot of fictions as I find people's real life and stories can be lot more interesting at times. But I just love English Patient to pieces. I think I saw the movie first and then I picked up the book and read it in one sitting or something crazy like that.

    I cried watching the movie and I cried reading the book. OK, so I cry easily. (smile)

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    Kempton said on Jun 20, 2007 | Add your feedback

  • in love, there are no boundaries

    michael ondaatje at his lyrical best. the writing style takes a little getting used to here but don't give up! it's a poignant, romantic and mesmerising tour de force... sigh

    of course people who know me, know that this is my favourite movie of all time :) ondaatje and mingella (director and s ... (continue)

    michael ondaatje at his lyrical best. the writing style takes a little getting used to here but don't give up! it's a poignant, romantic and mesmerising tour de force... sigh

    of course people who know me, know that this is my favourite movie of all time :) ondaatje and mingella (director and screenwriter of the movie) are such geniuses to bring print to screen. sigh

    "in memory, love lives forever"... only true in novels and movies. there is no such thing as forever. things change and usually it's for the worse... especially true of the story in this book

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    fatfacefan said on Mar 26, 2006 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

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ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780679416784 Hardcover $29.95 $25.60 bn.com
$29.95 $22.26 The Book Depository
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