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The Passion
The Passion
Author: Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson’s novels have established her as one of the most important young writers in world literature.The Passion is perhaps her most highly acclaimed work, a modern classic that confirms her special claim on the novel. — Set during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars,The Passion intertwines the...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780679724377
ISBN-10: 0679724370
Publication Date: 3/17/1990
Pages: 160
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 31

3.8 stars, based on 31 ratings
Publisher: Vintage
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

althea avatar reviewed The Passion on + 774 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I picked this up because I'd read Winterson's 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' years ago, and really liked it. But, while that was an autobiographically-inclined novel, this was quite different. A historical novel, it tells the story of a young French man who becomes Napoleon's cook, and a wild Venetian girl with a penchant for cross-dressing. These two unlikely characters' lives eventually intertwine, with hefty doses of the surreal and magical realism. Winterson is an extremely talented writer, but I found the experience to be a bit uneven at times - perhaps just because I liked the parts featuring Villanelle (the girl) much more than those with Henri. The book is vividly and poetically written; it is also philosophical and sad.
reviewed The Passion on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Strange, interesting and full of beautiful imagery.
bookaddict avatar reviewed The Passion on
Helpful Score: 1
From the back of the book: "The Passion intertwines the destinies of two remarkable people: the soldier Henri, for eight years the faithful cook who follows Napoleon from the glory of Empure to Russian ruin, and Villanelle, the red-haired daughter of a Venetian boatman.... In Venice, both meet their singular destiny in a combustion of love and politics."

That sounds kind of puffed-up, when I read it over. So I will add my two cents: this is a tautly written story, in the crispest of prose, with a fast-moving plot.
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lucibee avatar reviewed The Passion on + 63 more book reviews
This was not one of my favorite books but it was one of the most unique and interesting books that I've ever read. Some how I got the idea that the author was very young and as I was reading it I kept wondering how she got so wise so young. Well worth the read, people, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
reviewed The Passion on + 5 more book reviews
Jeanette Winterson's exquisitely poetic prose made this book a fascinating read, but I was a little bit put off by the lesbian subplot (just not my preferred reading material).


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