I am a person. If left alone in one of their houses, I will head to the library, take out a volume and inhale it. In this way, history enters us.

Sound is the soul of the voice, rising up in the empty spaces.

The moments before sleep are the moments when you feel most alive. They skip through the parts of the day, bringing each moment to the bed, like a child with his school books and pens.

Words are more deceptive things than poisons.

If you have been poisoned and another person thinks that if you share the amount of poison with him, you can cure him, in reality, you are storing it inside you.

A person who is not of your blood cannot empathize with you more than a person of your blood. It's as if you fall before a stranger and discover the mirror of your choice.

This text presents a series of profound and thought-provoking ideas. It starts with the narrator's affinity for the library and how history enters through books. The concept of sound as the soul of the voice is then introduced, emphasizing its presence in empty spaces. The moments before sleep are described as being filled with a sense of aliveness, as if all the moments of the day are brought to the bed. The text also warns about the deceptiveness of words, comparing them to poisons. It further explores the idea of empathy, suggesting that those of the same blood are more likely to understand and empathize with us. Overall, these ideas offer a unique perspective on various aspects of life, inviting the reader to reflect on their own experiences and perceptions.

This has to be one of the most over-rated books I have ever read.

My initial reaction had been positive. The moment I started reading, I was captivated by the poetic and psychedelic writing style. It seemed as if the author was taking me on a unique literary journey.

However, as I delved deeper into the story, it all turned out to be a total let down. What I thought was going to be a profound and meaningful narrative ended up being a pointless blabber. There was no clear plot or character development to hold my interest.

In the end, this book is forgettable. It fails to leave a lasting impression and I can't recommend it to others.

I would rate it 2 stars out of 5. -gautam

You will be amazed at how quickly you read it and can finish it in a day or two without feeling it. The story is told in a wonderful way, pulling you in despite yourself to places, times, situations, scenes, and images! If there was a gap in the sequence of events, the whole novel would have exploded. But the delicate and gentle connection between the characters and the amazing ease of moving between times and places is a characteristic of this novel and one of the secrets of its success and strength....

You may wonder what the connection is between the four heroes and why the novel is named after one of them although they divided the events among them! The reason is simply that the patient was the source of the flow of the distorted information throughout the events of the novel. Without the mystery that his personality carried, starting from the burning of his disfigured face and not ending with his broad culture, knowledge, and strange reactions that surprised the heroes and the reader alike!

As for the connection between the heroes, it is simply that they are all victims of wars in one way or another. It is as if the author wants to shed light on the traumas that wars leave on the souls of the survivors, which are more painful than the traumas of the killed or the wounded. The message is that no one returns the same as before the war, whether they died or lived through the experience of war. The author's powerful expressions and his sharp, angry, and magical literary messages are recorded at the same time! His portrayal of the characters makes you travel through the depths of their personalities as if he is painting them with a brush. As for his writing style, it can only be compared to a six-dimensional picture, not just three or four-dimensional. Because between one paragraph and another, he can take you from Italy to the Libyan desert, to the streets of Cairo, to Lahore, to Japan, in different times and places, and at the same time make you descend, ascend, rise, laugh, return, cry, and return to tremble as if you are the one who pulled the strings of the puppets instead of the puppeteer. And perhaps because of the excessive integration, your eyes are blurred with fear! A really wonderful novel.

We die, yet within us lies a remarkable richness. There are the lovers who have touched our hearts, the tribes to which we have belonged, and the tastes we have savored and swallowed. Our bodies have been like vessels that have plunged into various experiences, emerging as if from rivers of wisdom. We have climbed into different characters as if they were trees, exploring their branches and finding new perspectives. And the fears that we have hidden away, they are like caves within us, holding secrets and shadows. Each of these elements, whether of love, belonging, experience, or fear, adds to the complex tapestry of our lives. They are the threads that weave together to create the unique story that is ours. And even in death, this richness remains, a testament to the journey we have taken and the person we have become.

I feel the desert, its arid expanse stretching out before me. The hot desert breeze caresses my lips, leaving a taste of dryness. I gaze at the strange patterns on those timeless sands, as if they hold the secrets of the ages. How I long for water, just a sip to moisten my parched lips. But it eludes me, teasing my thirst. I am there, amidst the dunes and among the Bedouins, a foreigner in this harsh land.

I startle when Kip bursts into the ruined villa with its beautiful frescoes on the walls, as Hanna plays the piano. My heart is in my mouth, for wherever and whenever Kip, the young Indian sapper, defuses bombs in the most unexpected places. A piano, a tree in the orchard, or immersed in a huge crater filled with mud and a freezing mixture. Bombs are all around, danger lurks everywhere. The German retreat from Sicily is one of the worst.

My father fought in this War, the Second World War, for the Allies. His loyalty towards them was unwavering, his love for them deep. Yes, deep down, I understand Kip's loyalty to the British Empire, just as I had heard my Father speak with such awe in his voice. But sadly, I also understand and weep at Kip's total disillusionment, the feeling of utter betrayal when the Allies drop Atom bombs on Hiroshima and then on Nagasaki.

We from the Orient may ‘understand’ the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, after all, it is War and there was no sign of surrender. But Nagasaki...? What was that all about? Can it be justified as just another day in a long drawn out war that never seems to end? Was it to teach those Japs a lesson? So an unjustified act of barbarity that killed thousands of innocent Japanese civilians?

Kip remembers his older brother who had once warned him ‘never ever trust your Western masters.’ Sadly, he arrives at the same conclusion, ‘the West can never reconcile with the East.’ However, what drives Kip insane is that America did not do something so horrific to a White population, the Caucasians. How he would like revenge, to kill the English Patient lingering with his sightless eyes and charred body. A knife stab, maybe the sightless man would have welcomed it. But no, Kip desists from stabbing the English Patient, showing the Caucasians that he is a better man with qualities of forgiveness and self restraint.

This is a story of four people, living in a bombed out beautiful villa in Sicily. The English Patient, Almásy, a Hungarian Count whose life is entwined with that of the spy Eppler, from the ‘Key to Rebecca’. Almásy, with his immense knowledge of the desert and guns. When he, a sightless person, identifies each and every gun that the Bedouins put in his hands only by touch, I feel a prickle of wonder run down my spine. His involvement with Katharine Clifton and her subsequent death in a Cave, his terrible desperation to get her out of the cave to a hospital.

It is also the story of Hanna, the nurse who loses her childhood, her desperation after her father's death. And it is the story of Caravaggio, a former friend of Hanna’s father and a professional thief. He has on occasion used his skills to steal documents from the enemy. But Caravaggio can never be the ‘master thief’ any longer, when caught in an act of theft, they cut off his thumbs. War waits for no judicial courts, only swift justice.

But to me, it is the story of Kip and his disillusionment. I refuse to see the film, just another romantic story of Almasy, Katherine and Geoffrey Clifton. Kip plays no part in this story. Hollywood after all likes a good romantic story. Who wants disillusionment in our harsh world? Will I ever see the desert around me and feel the winds with their beautiful Arabic names covering me? I am hopeful.

I am bitterly disappointed in myself for having such a negative attitude towards this book. I truly don't understand the love that others have for it. Why all the accolades? I found myself nodding off, either lulled by the writing or simply due to boredom. I'm not entirely sure which one it was.

I did manage to finish the book, but I really struggled with the style of writing, especially. Its dreamlike quality, with its non-linear and poetic prose, made it feel more like an endurance test. Moreover, it lacked all kinds of plausibility. I wasn't even slightly compelled to pick up the book. In fact, I started to feel irritated just thinking about it.

Maybe my expectations were too high. After all, it's a Booker prize winner. But unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. Sadly, I can only give it 2 stars.

The English Patient was the winner of the Golden Man Booker - an award given in 2018 to the best book among the Man Booker Prize winners in the past fifty years. I liked it so much that I rewatched the movie. However, as always, I was disappointed by so many inventions and omissions that culminated in an ending which, compared to that of the book, was vulgar and implausible.

In the movie, the war is just a backdrop to tell a tragic love story, like so many others. But in the book, love is a means to talk about the monstrosity of war. The title should actually be "The Indian Sapper" because, in my opinion, the most relevant and fascinating character is Kip, a young Sikh. He is one of those anonymous heroes who, during and after the war, risked and lost their lives deactivating bombs that fell to the ground and did not explode, as well as the booby traps left by the Germans before abandoning the occupied places.

The historical period is that of World War II and the geographical locations are Egypt and Italy. Reading about the adulterous and passionate love between a rich Englishwoman and a Hungarian count left me indifferent. But I was touched by the serenity and depth of the relationship between the sapper and the young nurse, and by her dedication to the wounded and maimed of war. However, the parts that I found most exciting and nerve-wracking were those of Kip's work. Whether it was because it was a subject I had never read about before, or because of the consistency and strength of the character, which is associated with the final (human, political and social) message of the novel and makes its ending perfect.

Michael Ondaatje was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on September 12, 1943.

I came to this Booker prize book for the first time. I had neither read it nor watched the multi-Oscar winning film. This was after having read Michael Ondaatje’s latest novel, Warlight. Coincidentally, the day I started to read it, it was awarded the Golden Booker award, picked as the best winner of the Booker prize.

Clearly, there is much to like about this book. In particular, Ondaatje’s beautiful writing style stands out. It seems to borrow from poetry, watercolour/Chiaroscuro painting (appropriately for a book with a main character called Caravaggio), as well as from literature.

Like Warlight, it evocatively explores the aftermath of war.

I particularly enjoyed the invocation of Kipling and the links to Herodotus and the non-linear, non-chronological nature of his History. There is also his mix of fact and myth, which is echoed in Ondaatje’s borrowing from but altering the history of historical figures.

Perhaps, though, because of the expectations I brought to it (particularly after its award), I was a little disappointed in a number of other elements. The use of coincidence felt a bit forced. Caravaggio comes to the Villa after overhearing Hana’s name, and then later turns out to know the English patient and have been tracking him for years. The rather excessive Mc Ewen-esque light reproduction of the author’s background research also bothered me. I wasn't really sure I needed to know so much about bomb disposal. But most of all, the unnecessary and tacked-on ending was a letdown.

In 1945, as World War II neared its end, four damaged individuals found themselves residing in a bombed-out Italian villa.

Hana, a Canadian nurse, had witnessed an overwhelming amount of death during the war and was still mourning the loss of her father. She was tasked with caring for the English patient, who was severely burned from a fiery plane crash in Libya. The burns made it impossible to identify him, and the multilingual man might not even be English.

Canadian David Caravaggio, a maimed spy and thief, had endured torture during the war. Kip, a turbaned Sikh from India, worked as a sapper defusing mines and bombs for the English army but never felt fully accepted by them.

The book is presented in fragments, shifting back and forth in time, piecing together the incidents in the lives of the four characters like puzzle pieces. It is a poetic and dreamy story that explores tragic events. Since Caravaggio and the English patient are under the influence of morphine for their injuries, one questions the reliability of their remembrances. Ondaatje has skillfully woven in elements of romance, literature, espionage, history, music, and fascinating details about the desert.

The tension is palpable whenever Kip has to dismantle a bomb, which Ondaatje describes in great detail. However, Kip feels his work of saving lives is futile when he learns about the destruction caused by the dropping of the atomic bombs.

The book does pose challenges. It requires careful reading, especially in the first fifty pages, as the characters are introduced in a nonlinear manner. But once immersed in the book, one can let Ondaatje's sensual language wash over them. The flashbacks of the English patient exploring and mapping the African desert and reliving a tragic romance are particularly enjoyable. Each flawed character is dealing with emotional or physical trauma, or both, and is in need of healing. Through their eyes, we witness the inhumanity of war.

The film adaptation of "The English Patient" was released in 1996. Although the details of the plot were hazy after 19 years, it is remembered as an exceptional film, beautifully filmed with a wonderful cast.

Well, I really should’ve read this years ago!

It is truly a piece of beautiful writing. Parts of it are quite dreamy, especially when all that morphine is involved. There was so much that I found fascinating, particularly the work of the sappers. Kip is such a great character. His story and his actions really draw you in and make you care about him.

I have a newfound appreciation for this work and it has definitely piqued my interest in learning more about the subject matter. I can't wait to explore it further. And of course, I must watch the movie some day. I'm sure it will bring this wonderful story to life in a whole new way and give me a different perspective on it.

I truly wish I could have liked this book to a greater extent.

The audio version, without a doubt, was an outstanding performance.

However, the story itself was rather melancholy.

An English soldier is gradually succumbing to death due to severe burns, and a beautiful young nurse is attending to him.

Meanwhile, during World War II, her quasi godfather and a young munitions expert are staying with them in a house in the countryside.

The godfather shares tales about her father and attempts to persuade her to let the Englishman pass away.

The nurse's character is somewhat difficult to explain as her personality fluctuates a great deal.

The young munitions expert spends his days defusing bombs and his nights in bed with the nurse.

While the Englishman relives his life by sharing stories with them.

All in all, it's a rather sad tale.

It's not exactly to my taste, but I have no doubt that the majority of readers would love it.

This book contains a story that truly marvels the readers due to its uniqueness.

The plot is simply superb, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep the readers on the edge of their seats. The language used is poetic, painting vivid pictures in the readers' minds. The characters are complex, with their own motives, desires, and flaws, making them seem real and relatable. The scenes are dynamic, bringing the story to life and making the readers feel as if they are a part of it. Passion flows through its pages, as the characters struggle with love, loss, and the challenges of fate.

The story starts with the description of Hannah, a nurse who is taking care of a mysterious man. His skin is so burned that he is described as 'black'. We soon learn that the story takes place during the Second World War, and the Bedouin witness the planes falling from the sky and the desert engulfing them. The man, who could be a soldier, a spy, or an explorer, is rescued by the nomads from his burning plane. Hannah devoutedly and patiently tries to subdue his pain while also dealing with her own losses. The abandoned Italian villa provides an enchanting background for the characters' sorrow.

There are flashbacks, dreams, and stories that overcome the patient's mind, filling his hours as he mutters endlessly. Through these, we get glimpses of his past, a passion that overwhelmed his days, an affair that is both a blessing and a curse, and finally, a broken promise.

In the villa, the appearance of Caravaggio, a soldier seeking revenge, shows the reader the cruelty of human nature. Kipp, the Indian bomb expert, makes Hannah realize her need for love in a time of horror, highlighting the fragility of life.

This is a heart-breaking story that enriches the readers' experiences. The images that populate this narrative are so vivid that the readers can feel the heat of the desert, the wind blowing their hair, and the shadow of the scorching sun over their eyes.