The English Patient

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It's a hit!

I'm probably one of the few who loved the movie but had not read the book yet. I passed by this book at the library several times so I decided to ... (show more)

I'm probably one of the few who loved the movie but had not read the book yet. I passed by this book at the library several times so I decided to give it a read. Even though it was beautifully written, it was definitely full of heavy prose (many references to Herodotus and other poems) which made it difficult to stay focused in the book at times. Too many pages were on how the bomb disposal unit works and how to diffuse different types of bombs which I did not care for at all. I was surprised to fall in love with the Indian sapper, Kip, in the book but I did not feel that way when I saw the movie. Tells you that there was a lot of great character development that the movie did not wholly grasp. In all, the movie is just as good as the book! Yes, I am glad I read the book! (show less)

 

 

by Beth Oliver Myers

No, it's a flop!

You know I read the book because I hated the movie. The book was better, but I have to say I still don't get it or understand what the big deal is... (show more)

You know I read the book because I hated the movie. The book was better, but I have to say I still don't get it or understand what the big deal is about this story. The book was interesting in the character assessments, but other than that it was just a study of people in a period of historical significance. Guess I never will get the point. Also, explain to me why the book was so darn short, but the movie was well over 2 hours. That is probably why I didn't like it because it was way to over dramatized. I have to say in the book I could care less about the burned patient and was way more interested in knowing the deal about the young nurse and the sapper. So it's a quick interesting read but nothing to write home about. (show less)

 

 

by Debra Biela Darschewski

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  It's rare for me to see a movie before reading the book, but this novel falls into the category. That said, it's been years since I've seen The English Patient, and I'm fairly certain my delayed reading benefited from age, maturity etc. The story behind this novel is as affective and beautiful as those who have seen the movie will recall. What was vividly presented in the novel (that I don't remember from the movie) was the importance of material books in the characters' lives. Apart from the... (show more)

  It's rare for me to see a movie before reading the book, but this novel falls into the category. That said, it's been years since I've seen The English Patient, and I'm fairly certain my delayed reading benefited from age, maturity etc. The story behind this novel is as affective and beautiful as those who have seen the movie will recall. What was vividly presented in the novel (that I don't remember from the movie) was the importance of material books in the characters' lives. Apart from the English Patient's copy of Herodotus' Histories, which he repurposes into a commonplace book, Hana's use of books in the villa as repositories for letters or individual diary entries beautifully illustrates the role of physical books in peoples' lives. This physicality is coupled (if not offset) by the heavy emphasis on reading aloud to the English Patient, in particular Hana's willingness to jump from one part of a novel to the next, as she refuses to read something different during her private reading moments. Together, these overtly literary gestures combine to illuminate the bookishness of this novel, without ever forcing it into that helpless category of "books about books." Instead, it becomes a portrait of lives that are surrounded and embellished by books, without ever being entirely defined by them. This further resonates to the larger message of The English Patient as a whole, which beautifully illuminates the lives of its characters without ever fully confining them to straightforward resolution. It is a book, like the many evoked within it, that welcomes rereading and reappropriation. (show less)

   

   

  by Elizabeth Lenaghan on Oct 24, 2009 at 07:34PM

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  I saw the movie about three years ago, thought it was wonderful, and so the book has been on my to read list ever since. I finally got around to reading it, and I am so very glad that I did! It offers an isolated portrait of individual experiences of WWII and loves lost that are rather haunting and linger in your mind. It was exceptionally written. The words seemed so carefully chosen and placed that it seemed more like poetry than prose, and I very much enjoyed the passages quoted from o... (show more)

  I saw the movie about three years ago, thought it was wonderful, and so the book has been on my to read list ever since. I finally got around to reading it, and I am so very glad that I did! It offers an isolated portrait of individual experiences of WWII and loves lost that are rather haunting and linger in your mind. It was exceptionally written. The words seemed so carefully chosen and placed that it seemed more like poetry than prose, and I very much enjoyed the passages quoted from other works.
  Overall, it was an excellent read that could be quick (the book is only 300 pages long), but I definitely recommend taking your time to enjoy the power of the words. I also definitely recommend looking up all of the people, places, and works of art mentioned in the book as most of them exist. This can give you visual and background for the text and can lead to interesting offshoot reading! (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-gebruiker on Oct 13, 2009 at 02:46AM

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