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raus's review against another edition
The audiobook narrator is not enjoyable at all.
paullewisanderson's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
iagonizing's review against another edition
3.0
There were many points in which I wasn't really feeling the vibe of the story, but simply reading text. It was nice whenever I got to a part where I could read several pages in a row and follow and feel immersed, but I feel like I spent a little too much time trying to settle what is going on. Even now that I've finished the book I am still very unsure of the relationships between the characters or their motivations. Perhaps I should read things more slowly? So many people seem to love this book so much..
jmeyer376's review
1.0
The more I think about this book (and I must as it is part of a class I am taking the prof adores this disaster) the more I dislike this book. Don't bother. Only read if you must. There are a few moments, lines really, of beauty but that can be said for most all things. Horrid waste of time.
mistymtn103's review
3.0
I'm still deciding about this one. I almost feel guilty for beginning a new book immediately after I finished because it's still sinking in. The way the English patient's backstory slowly came to light was highly compelling; his history was too, as well as disturbing. I also enjoyed learning about Kip though I'm still not sure what it was he got from Hana. By the end I still felt that Caravaggio and Hana needed more attention. For me this seems like a book to be read in a classroom/group setting in order to attain a better understanding of it through analysis and discussion. Does that make a book a classic?
yzramx's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bookerage's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anne978's review against another edition
4.0
If I had to give ratings at random moments during this book, they would have been different every time, but all in all, four stars is an accurate representation of how I feel about this novel now I am done with it.
I knew Ondaatje's style from In the Skin of a Lion, so I knew what to expect: not a lot of dialogue, and not a lot of structure or plot. That was essentially true for The English Patient as well. Normally I wouldn't like that, but in this case it was fine, because (parts) of this writing are just so beautiful. You just need to accept that it has no clear structure or purpose, that the characters can be quite weird sometimes (Hana: I love the English patient *five seconds later* never mind!) and that you can't understand everything about the narrative or the characters or anything, basically.
There were some chapters or scenes I didn't understand or like very much. But once I got past all that, it was good. There are some scenes which are amazingly beautiful, with a vivid imagery, in which everything fits completely.
I knew Ondaatje's style from In the Skin of a Lion, so I knew what to expect: not a lot of dialogue, and not a lot of structure or plot. That was essentially true for The English Patient as well. Normally I wouldn't like that, but in this case it was fine, because (parts) of this writing are just so beautiful. You just need to accept that it has no clear structure or purpose, that the characters can be quite weird sometimes (Hana: I love the English patient *five seconds later* never mind!) and that you can't understand everything about the narrative or the characters or anything, basically.
There were some chapters or scenes I didn't understand or like very much. But once I got past all that, it was good. There are some scenes which are amazingly beautiful, with a vivid imagery, in which everything fits completely.
ciara__reads's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0