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A review by lattelibrarian
The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
5.0
"I'm telling you stories. Trust me."
And thus we're thrust into a dual narrative following Henri, a soldier, and Villanelle, a web-footed daughter of a boatman as they meet in the midst of a war. Henri writes in his diary, a stead-fast way of making sure that even his emotions change over the course of his life based on his memories, he can at least remember the facts. Stories, really. And Villanelle? She hides behind masks and never takes off her boots, forever on the search for something she doesn't want, and for something she needs.
Henri must feed himself a purpose as he continues to follow Napoleon into war, must keep telling himself stories. And when he meets Villanelle, a story unto herself, he falls in love. She has beautiful red hair and is shrouded in what cannot possibly be true, or real. What is she making up, and what is reality? What is reality, if not madness? How can we contest someone's perception of what is real and what is not?
Everything I want to share would be spoilers of the most severe sort, and I want to do this book and review justice by hoping that it is intriguing enough to get your interest peaked. It's a book that's been on my radar for years, so when it fell into my hands at my library, I knew it was a sign: it was time.
Winterson melds fiction and magic, love and war, purpose and fantasy in a way that is truly masterful. Her words are poignant, and the world she creates is one unlike I've ever seen. With violence, gambling, and cities on rivers, she offers an escape--but not one you can travel to with your heart in place.
She's telling you stories. Trust her.
Review cross-listed here!
And thus we're thrust into a dual narrative following Henri, a soldier, and Villanelle, a web-footed daughter of a boatman as they meet in the midst of a war. Henri writes in his diary, a stead-fast way of making sure that even his emotions change over the course of his life based on his memories, he can at least remember the facts. Stories, really. And Villanelle? She hides behind masks and never takes off her boots, forever on the search for something she doesn't want, and for something she needs.
Henri must feed himself a purpose as he continues to follow Napoleon into war, must keep telling himself stories. And when he meets Villanelle, a story unto herself, he falls in love. She has beautiful red hair and is shrouded in what cannot possibly be true, or real. What is she making up, and what is reality? What is reality, if not madness? How can we contest someone's perception of what is real and what is not?
Everything I want to share would be spoilers of the most severe sort, and I want to do this book and review justice by hoping that it is intriguing enough to get your interest peaked. It's a book that's been on my radar for years, so when it fell into my hands at my library, I knew it was a sign: it was time.
Winterson melds fiction and magic, love and war, purpose and fantasy in a way that is truly masterful. Her words are poignant, and the world she creates is one unlike I've ever seen. With violence, gambling, and cities on rivers, she offers an escape--but not one you can travel to with your heart in place.
She's telling you stories. Trust her.
Review cross-listed here!