The English Patient

By: Michael Ondaatje

Narrated by: Jennifer Ehle

1992 Booker Prize

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 illuminate this book like flashes of heat lightening.

©2011 Michael Ondaatje (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A rare and spellbinding web of dreams." (Time)

"Sensuous, mysterious, rhapsodic, it transports the reader to another world.... Ondaatje's most probing examination yet of the nature of identity." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Mr. Ondaatje [is] one of North America's finest novelists.... The spell of his haunted villa remains with us, inviting us to reread passages for the pure pleasure of being there." (Wall Street Journal)

Good book

I liked the book but had a hard time following the narrator. Her voice is a little slow and sleepy.

Great performance, timeless story

I’ve been exploring Man Booker finalists from past decades, and I’ve found that my favorite way to dive into these is through audiobook.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje was one of the top books that I felt intrigued by (I love a good spy novel) and wanted to read straightaway. I remember hearing a lot about it as a child, because of the movie (which I haven’t watched yet, since I wanted to read the book first).

I loved the story. It focuses on four characters: Hana, Kip, a burned man who is the titular English Patient, and a former spy named Caravaggio, and how each of their lives was transformed and affected by the war. There is a post colonial narrative that was woven in subtly and in a meandering and indirect way, that culminates brilliantly in the book’s conclusion (very different from post colonial novels I’ve read which were written more recently, like RF Kuang’s Babel). This theme resonated deeply with me. The English Patient is one of my favorite books. The writing is evocative and poetic. There are so many great lines that I fell in love with, hearing them spoken out aloud. Not every fiction novel works well in the audio format, but since The English Patient is more about characters, and it has a sparse plot, it was easy to keep up. This was also excellently read and performed.

beautifully written

great. except for how the name "Laszlo" was pernounced. I highly recommend this book

Elegant and Evocative

Jennifer Ehle gives a steady well modulated performance to this elegantly and evocatively written novel.

A pleasure to read a well-written book . GREAT

Loved it. Beautiful book. i read it and listened to it on Audible. Great narrator. It was even a beautiful movie.

Wow. I can't believe I waited so long!

So cerebral. so raw. Each paragraph a love letter to language. Very well read. An impossible story that makes you believe, even when you don't want to.

Beautiful writing!

Such wonderful imagery called up concerning four outstanding characters. The words had such a lovely and mysterious flow.
Everything was woven like a tapestry with rich colors and content.

The reader did a beautiful job! I never wanted it to end.

A literary masterpiece

A literary masterpiece, and well-researched historical fiction. You’d think Ondaatje was once a sapper himself. The author’s poetic talents are on full display and the prose is beautiful and haunting as the mystery of the “English patient” is revealed. All the characters have lost something very dear to them, their lives rendered apart by a great war and their own foibles. It’s a tragic yet poignant story of loves that could not endure. Excellent narration and cadence by Jennifer Ehle.

So beautiful!

Highly recommend listening even if you may have read prior as I had. The beautiful words and prose come alive with the narration.
This novel is a treasure trove of deep meaning and irony. I feel I have been educated after reading. Thank you Michael Ondaatje

Mesmerizing

Listening to Jennifer Ehle read this is a delight!
It made my travels much more palatable!
I saw the movie long ago and didn’t really get it…I am ready to watch it again, but I usually prefer the book.