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The English Patient

michael ondaatje

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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.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1,1992
Literary awards
booker prize, governor generals literary awards / prix littéraires du gouverneur général, commonwealth writers prize, trillium book award, golden man booker prize, 
Places
italy, north africa, sahara desert, tuscany, cairo, florence tuscany, 

This edition

Format
320 pages, Hardcover
Published
April 18, 2006 by McClelland \u0026 Stewart
ISBN
9780771068713
ASIN
0771068719
Language
English
Characters More characters

More editions

About the author

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michael ondaatje

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Philip Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, and essayist, renowned for his contributions to both poetry and prose. He was born in Colombo in 1943, to a family of Tamil and Burgher descent. Ondaatje emigrated to Canada in 1962, where he pursued his education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts from Queen's University.
Ondaatje's literary career began in 1967 with his poetry collection The Dainty Monsters, followed by his celebrated The Collected Works of Billy the Kid in 1970. His poetry earned him numerous accolades, including the Governor General's Award for his collection There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1973–1978 in 1979. He published 13 books of poetry, exploring diverse themes and poetic forms.
In 1992, Ondaatje gained international fame with the publication of his novel The English Patient, which won the Booker Prize and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. His other notable works include In the Skin of a Lion (1987), Anil's Ghost (2000), and Divisadero (2007), which won the Governor General's Award. Ondaatje's novel Warlight (2018) was longlisted for the Booker Prize.
Aside from his writing, Ondaatje has been influential in fostering Canadian literature. He served as an editor at Coach House Books, contributing to the promotion of new Canadian voices. He also co-edited Brick, A Literary Journal, and worked as a founding trustee of the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry.
Ondaatje's work spans various forms, including plays, documentaries, and essays. His 2002 book The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film earned him critical acclaim and won several awards. His plays have been adapted from his novels, including The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and Coming Through Slaughter.
Over his career, Ondaatje has been honored with several prestigious awards. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988, upgraded to Companion in 2016, and received the Sri Lanka Ratna in 2005. In 2016, a new species of spider, Brignolia ondaatjei, was named in his honor.
Ondaatje's personal life is also intertwined with his literary pursuits. He has been married to novelist Linda Spalding, and the couple co-edits Brick. He has two children from his first marriage and is the brother of philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje. He was also involved in a public stand against the PEN American Center's decision to honor Charlie Hebdo in 2015, citing concerns about the publication's anti-Islamic content.
Ondaatje's enduring influence on literature and his ability to blend personal history with universal themes in his writing continue to shape Canadian and world literature.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 98 votes)
5 stars
30(31%)
4 stars
35(36%)
3 stars
33(34%)
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98 reviews All reviews
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jackky1998
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Sublime, elegante, poético, profundo. These words describe a state of being, a quality that is rare and precious.

Something that is sublime has a grandeur and magnificence that takes our breath away. It elevates our spirits and makes us feel small in the face of its awesomeness.

The elegant is characterized by grace, refinement, and style. It is a thing of beauty that is pleasing to the eye and the senses.

The poetic is filled with the power of language, the ability to express emotions and ideas in a way that touches our hearts and souls.

And the profound is deep, meaningful, and significant. It makes us think, question, and explore the mysteries of life.

Together, these qualities create a sense of wonder and inspiration that enriches our lives and makes us better human beings.
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Caroline_Hamel
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I have always carried a vast ocean of knowledge within me. I am one of those people who, when left alone in a house, will径直 go to the bookshelves, pick up a volume and devour it insatiably. In this way, history penetrates into us.

She desires only the bright beauty, the theater of expressions. She wants the tiny and mysterious gaze between them, the narrowest visual ray, the differences between them placed side by side, like two pages glued together in a closed book.

Knowledge is like a precious treasure that enriches our souls. It allows us to explore different eras, cultures, and ideas. When we read, we embark on a journey of discovery, opening doors to new worlds and expanding our horizons.

The power of a gaze can be profound. It can convey emotions, intentions, and a depth of connection that words may sometimes fail to express. That tiny, mysterious gaze holds the potential to reveal the hidden essence of a relationship.

Just as two pages glued together in a closed book form a unique bond, the differences between people can bring them closer, creating a beautiful harmony when they are placed side by side.
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dinokyu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A good winner indeed! I was truly captivated by the beautiful and poetic prose, as well as the fascinating lives of the four main characters.

Hana, a Canadian nurse with psychological scars, takes care of the English Patient, a terminally burnt man slowly dying in an abandoned villa in Florence.

Kip Singh, a courageous Indian sapper, risks his life every day to disarm booby traps. And then there's Carravaigo, a thumbless thief addicted to morphine and a friend of Hana's from Canada.

The story unfolds, revealing how the English Patient was burnt, saved by nomads, and the mystery that shrouds him. His tragic love affair, the archaeological expeditions in the Libyan desert, and the Herodotus book he saved from the fire all add depth to his character and have a profound influence on him and the others in the villa.

Although I haven't seen the film yet, I'm now extremely curious to do so and find out if it differs significantly from the book. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5. The ending, while satisfying, was a little too happy for my taste. The way Kip and Hana survived seemed almost implausible, and Kip's reaction to the atomic bombs felt a bit exaggerated. Nevertheless, it's still a worthy winner that has left a lasting impression on me.
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Sayali567
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Even though it was many years ago that I saw it, I truly wish I had read the book before watching the movie adaptation of The English Patient.

Most likely, it would have led to my despising the movie. However, having seen the movie first, my attention was drawn to certain aspects, and I failed to notice other elements until it was too late.

Note: The remainder of this review has been removed due to the alterations in Goodreads' policy and enforcement. You can find out the reason for my decision here.

In the meantime, you can access the complete review at Smorgasbook.
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yellowbarber
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje


The English Patient is a remarkable 1992 novel penned by Michael Ondaatje, a Sri Lankan-born Canadian who wears many hats as a poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. The story unfolds during the Italian Campaign of World War II and revolves around four distinct individuals who find themselves brought together at an Italian villa. These four main characters include an unidentifiable burned man, the eponymous patient, presumed to be English, his Canadian Army nurse, a Sikh British Army sapper, and a Canadian thief.


The narrative takes place during the North African Campaign and focuses on the gradual revelations of the patient's actions prior to his injuries and the profound emotional effects these revelations have on the other characters. As the story progresses, we are drawn into a web of mystery and intrigue. The burned man's identity remains a secret until the end, due to the severity of his injuries and the psychological shock of the incident. The events of the story occur after the "English Patient" enters a monastery in Tuscany, Italy, and is hospitalized there. A young nurse takes on the responsibility of caring for the burned and injured pilot in that hospital.


The war is in full swing, and the nurse has to deal with countless patients. She tries to do her best for each one, thinking thoughts like "This one I will get right; his death will not be my fault." These words echo in her mind as she moves from one place to another during the war, from Arbinu, Angiari, Monterchi, to Florence, and a little further away to the coast of Pisa. Every day, these thoughts pass through her mind. She first meets the "English Patient" in the hospital in Pisa. He is a faceless man, his skin burned to a deep ebony color. All his papers have been burned in the fire. On the burned parts of his face and body, a mazew of jewels has been placed to make the protective cells of the skin stronger. A thick layer of "wool dugeon" has also been placed around his eyes. There is no sign on his face for anyone to recognize him.

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ShojoPrincess
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I am right in the middle on this one and awarding it three stars. I truly appreciated the beautiful utilization of the English language and the charming descriptions. There were certain parts of the story that I really liked, for example, the chapters related to Kip. However, there were also parts where, despite my best efforts, I simply could not make any real sense of what was happening. Maybe there was actually nothing going on, I'm not sure. Additionally, I did not care for the love affair. It seemed to be extremely brief and it ended in a very harsh manner. And I have always preferred books where the ending provides a sense of closure. This particular one left me with a lot of unanswered questions, constantly asking myself "but what about.........?"

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SimpleHufflepuff
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The cast of characters in The English Patient is presented in a very clear manner. However, I have come across reviews that describe them as being shell shocked. Are these characters truly mad? I am referring to the fictional personas within the story, not the reviewers. Do they consider themselves normal? Surely they do. I was aware from the start that I might not understand every sentence. But there is one particular part that left me completely mystified. It began with the phrase "Her foot pressed down harder onto the boy's neck...".

The book makes several references to other books and quite a few songs as well. I wonder why a specific song like La Marseillaise was chosen. It is very interesting. Was Madox perhaps influenced by the Russian classic Anna Karenina? His fate is tragic, of course. Even more so because he seemed healthy and righteous. But his role is relatively small. I am surprised by the significant role that Kip plays. In the movie (which I don't recall in great detail), he was just a minor character. In the book, he almost has equal importance as the English Patient. His part had to be large due to his role as a bomb disarming agent, a sapper. The vocabulary of this book is excellent. Words like schottische and pollard are very appropriate, relevant, and precise.

There are two types of books: those that provide clarity and illumination, and those that require more effort to understand. Did Hana love Almasy because of the contradiction in his character? Because he is elusive, not possessive at all, yet at the same time he has to admit that he lost the love of his life. He has a closed-off expression - I am speaking metaphorically, as his face has been severely burned - but still has the air of a man who has been in love. If, as readers, we could understand why Hana stayed in Florence to take care of the English Patient, we would have our own interpretation of the book. I just wish I could have witnessed his death. It would have provided some sense of closure.

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yourfavoriteeva
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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12/26/17 audio reread

This book! Oh, this book, this book, this book! It tells such an unfortunate and unforgettable love story.

As I listened to the audio, I couldn't help but compare it to the print version. In my opinion, I have a stronger preference for the print version.

The reason is that the narrator of the audio didn't quite capture the essence and emotions of the story for me. Maybe it was the tone, the pacing, or something else.

However, that doesn't mean the story itself is any less captivating. The love story is still full of twists and turns, heartaches and joys.

Despite my slight disappointment with the audio, I will definitely be rereading this book in print to fully immerse myself in the beautiful and tragic world it creates.
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