num_pages: 160
description: "Winterson is a master of her material, a writer in whom great talent deeply abides." — Vanity Fair First published to great acclaim in 1987, this arresting, elegant novel from Jeanette Winterson uses Napolean’s Europe as the setting for a tantalizing surrealistic romance between an observer of history and a creature of fantasy. Jeanette Winterson’s novels have established her as one of the most important young writers in world literature.  The Passion  is perhaps her most highly acclaimed work, a modern classic that confirms her special claim on the novel. Set during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars,  The Passion  intertwines the destinies of two remarkable people: Henri, a simple French soldier, who follows Napoleon from glory to Russian ruin; and Villanelle, the red-haired, web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman, whose husband has gambled away her heart. In Venice’s compound of carnival, chance, and darkness, the pair meet their singular destiny.In her unique and mesmerizing voice, Winterson blends reality with fantasy, dream, and imagination to weave a hypnotic tale with stunning effects.
language: English
title: The Passion
titlecomplete: The Passion
genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Novels, Queer, Literature, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Magical Realism
ratings_count: 23051
places: Venice
awards: awardedAt: 536486400000
name: John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, awardedAt: 568022400000
name: Commonwealth Writers' Prize
category: Best Book in  South Asia and Europe
publisher: Grove Press