Summary

Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient is a sweeping tale of love, loss, and betrayal set against the backdrop of World War II. Published in 1992, the novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives at an abandoned Italian villa in the waning days of the war. At its center is the enigmatic title character—a nameless, badly burned man being cared for by a young Canadian nurse. As the patient's memories slowly unfold, a complex web of wartime intrigue and doomed romance emerges. Winner of the Booker Prize, The English Patient was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1996, directed by Anthony Minghella and starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.

Plot

Set in an abandoned Italian villa at the end of World War II, The English Patient follows the lives of four individuals brought together by chance. The titular character is a severely burned man, presumed to be English, who is being cared for by Hana, a young Canadian nurse. As the nameless patient drifts in and out of consciousness, he recounts fragmented memories of his past, gradually revealing his true identity.

The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, detailing the patient's experiences as a desert explorer in North Africa before the war. We learn that he is actually László de Almásy, a Hungarian count who fell passionately in love with Katharine Clifton, the wife of one of his fellow explorers. Their affair leads to tragedy when Katharine's husband attempts to kill them all in a plane crash, leaving Katharine mortally wounded and Almásy desperately seeking help.

Meanwhile, in the present, two other characters arrive at the villa—Caravaggio, a Canadian thief and intelligence operative with a connection to Hana's past, and Kip, a Sikh sapper working to defuse bombs left behind by the retreating German army. As these four damaged souls interact, they begin to form unexpected bonds, sharing their stories and grappling with the physical and emotional scars left by the war.

The novel reaches its climax as Almásy's true identity is revealed, and news of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki reaches the villa. This event shatters the fragile peace that has developed among the characters, forcing them to confront the broader implications of the war and their places in a rapidly changing world. As the story concludes, the characters must decide whether to stay together or go their separate ways, each forever changed by their experiences in the villa.

Themes

• Identity and nationalism

• Love and betrayal

• War and its aftermath

• Memory and storytelling

• Cultural differences and connections

• Physical and emotional healing

• Exploration and discovery

Setting

Set against the backdrop of World War II, The English Patient primarily takes place in Italy during the final days of the conflict. The story unfolds in a bomb-damaged villa called San Girolamo, located in Fiesole near Florence. This once-grand monastery serves as a makeshift hospital and sanctuary for the novel's four main characters as they grapple with the war's aftermath.

While the present-day narrative is centered in Italy, the novel frequently flashes back to North Africa, particularly the Sahara Desert. These scenes, drawn from the memories of the titular English patient, provide a stark contrast to the Italian setting. The vast, unforgiving expanse of the desert becomes a character in its own right, symbolizing both freedom and danger.

Beyond these primary locations, the novel also touches on other significant places. England features prominently in Kip's backstory as he trains to become a sapper, while Canada serves as the homeland for both Hana and Caravaggio. This international scope reflects the global nature of World War II and the far-reaching impacts it had on individuals from various nations.

Characters

• Count Ladislaus de Almásy (The English Patient): A Hungarian desert explorer severely burned in a plane crash. He is cared for by Hana in an abandoned Italian villa at the end of World War II. Almásy recounts his past love affair with Katharine Clifton through morphine-induced memories. His story explores themes of identity, nationality, and the consequences of passion.

• Hana: A young Canadian nurse who stays behind to care for the English patient when the hospital is evacuated. Hana is dealing with the trauma of losing her father and experiencing the horrors of war. She finds solace in tending to Almásy and develops a relationship with Kip.

• Kirpal “Kip” Singh: A Sikh Indian sapper working to defuse bombs for the British Army. Kip forms a close bond with the other inhabitants of the villa, particularly Hana. His experiences highlight themes of colonialism and cultural identity in the context of World War II.

• David Caravaggio: A Canadian thief and spy whose thumbs were cut off during an interrogation. He comes to the villa seeking morphine and information about Almásy's true identity. Caravaggio's presence adds tension and connects various storylines.

• Katharine Clifton: The wife of Geoffrey Clifton and Almásy's lover. Her passionate affair with Almásy drives much of the plot's backstory. Katharine is remembered through Almásy's recollections, painting a picture of a complex and captivating woman.

• Geoffrey Clifton: Katharine's husband and a British intelligence agent. His discovery of Katharine and Almásy's affair leads to tragic consequences. Geoffrey's role in the story underscores themes of betrayal and the far-reaching impacts of war.

Quick facts

• The English Patient won the Booker Prize in 1992 and the Golden Man Booker Prize in 2018, celebrating the best work of fiction from the last five decades of the prize.

• It is a sequel to Michael Ondaatje's earlier novel In the Skin of a Lion, continuing the stories of characters Hana and Caravaggio.

• Ondaatje was inspired to write the novel after coming across a photograph of a burned man in a medical journal.

• It took Ondaatje nearly six years to complete The English Patient, which he composed longhand.

• The character of Almásy is loosely based on the real-life Hungarian desert explorer László Almásy.

• The book's structure is nonlinear, moving back and forth in time and between different characters' perspectives.

• A central theme of the novel is the arbitrary nature of national borders, especially in the desert.

• The novel blends historical fact with fiction, incorporating real events and figures from World War II.

• The English Patient was adapted into a 1996 film, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. The film adaptation won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Anthony Minghella.

About the Author

Michael Ondaatje, born in Sri Lanka in 1943, is a renowned Canadian author known for his lyrical prose and poetic sensibilities. He emigrated to Canada in 1962 and became a citizen, eventually settling in Toronto after completing his education. Ondaatje's literary career spans decades, encompassing poetry, novels, memoirs, and essays.

Ondaatje's breakthrough came with his 1992 novel The English Patient, which won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. This work cemented his place in the literary world and brought him international acclaim. His other notable novels include In the Skin of a Lion, Anil's Ghost, and Warlight, each showcasing his unique storytelling style and exploration of themes such as identity, memory, and cultural intersections. Ondaatje's work often blends fact and fiction, drawing on his own experiences and historical events to create richly layered narratives. His memoir Running in the Family and his poetry collections demonstrate his versatility as a writer.

Beyond his writing, Ondaatje has fostered new talent through his involvement with Coach House Books and as co-editor of Brick, A Literary Journal. His contributions to the arts have been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Governor General's Awards and his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988, later elevated to Companion in 2016.