The English Patient

By Michael OndaatjeThis book was a good follow up to The Twilight Saga, and a good break from school. I say that because it was very low-key and relaxing. It was enjoyable to read but nothing really exciting happens. The book is about 4 people who accidentally come together at the end of World War II. They live together in a deserted Italian villa that is wired with undetonated bombs. While they are together, we gradually learn their stories.

There is Hana, a young Canadian Army nurse, who has lost her father in the war. She is caring for "the English patient," a man who is burned beyond recognition in a plane crash and claims to be English. Carvaggio is a Canadian who was a friend of Hana's father before the war. He is a spy turned thief who was caught by the Germans and punished. Finally, there is Kip, a Sikh who specializes in bomb disposal. All of the characters have very interesting stories. Throughout the book their stories are told in a very dreamlike way, little bits at time.

I'm not sure that I recommend this book, just because I think that you have to have a distinct personality and be in a specific mood to really enjoy it. If you are big into plots, then this book isn't for you. It is very beautifully written but it sort of meanders around the point. And then it just stops suddenly. I don't say this very often, but I am wondering if it makes a better movie than a book. Has anyone seen it?