Book Review: The English Patient

Cirkine Sherry 1/12/13 AP Lit. Book Review: The English Patient The English Patient written by Michael Ondaatje, winner of the Booker McConnell Prize in 1992, is one of Ondaatje’s best-known novels. Michael Ondaatje was born on September 12, 1943 in Colombo, Ceylon. After his parents divorce, he moved with his mother to England. After living in England for sometime and going to school, he moved to Canada where he lives to this day. Michael Ondaatje is mainly a poet and novelist. He has received many awards for his writing such as the Canadian Governor-General’s Award for Literature in 1971 and 1980. Because of his background as a poet, there are many poetic descriptions in his novel, The English Patient. This book is one filled with love stories, a little mystery and many descriptions contributing to the artistry of the book. I would definitely recommend this book. The English Patient is set in a partially destroyed Italian villa north of Florence at the end of World War two. The story is about four characters who are living in the villa. The first is a young woman named Hana. Hana is a nurse whose job is to care for soldiers during the war. She has seen a lot of death in her lifetime and feels as if all of her loved ones die. Next there is Kip, an Indian sapper who was trained in England to defuse bombs and now works in Italy defusing mines set by the retreating Nazi’s. Along with those two, there is Caravaggio, a thief and spy whose thumbs have been cut off. Finally, there is the English patient; a man who has been burned beyond recognition and who throughout the book tries to remember his past. The only thing in his possession is a book, Herodotus’ Histories, in which he has added his own additions making Herodotus a scrapbook full of things from his forgotten past. As the novel progresses, the English patient slowly remembers what happened before the plane he was flying crashed, and he was save by a tribe in the African desert. This book is a mystery because of the English patients’ unknown past, but it is also a love story. As the English patient slowly begins to remember his past, we learn about an affair he had with a woman named Katharine. The other romance that occurs in the book is between Hana and Kip. One thing that makes this book such a great read is the love stories and how they are described. The love stories were my favorite parts of the book. I also enjoyed the ongoing story of the English patients’ past and slowly uncovering who he really is. I would recommend this book for everyone to read. The writing style is poetic, and the author does a great job of describing scenes, allowing you to get lost in the story. However, the beginning is a little choppy. There was a lot of description, but the characters and story didn’t really seem to be developed. As the novel progressed, I enjoyed it much more. The love stories capture your attention, and the unraveling of the English patient’s past keeps you entertained. If you can just get through the very beginning, you will love the rest. Over all, I really enjoyed The English Patient. I thought that besides the very beginning, the novel was great. Michael Ondaatje did a wonderful job writing it, and I enjoyed the way he can describe a scene so well, I felt like I was there. The English Patient is a book I highly recommend.