The Passion

The Passion is perhaps Jeanette Winterson’s most highly acclaimed work, a magical, wonderful modern classic about the destinies of Napoleon’s faithful cook and the daughter of a Venetian boatman. "Its concentrated, beautifully detailed prose recalls the diction of fairy tale; its plot incorporates their magic, their shrewd wit and brutality... a deeply imagined and beautiful book, often arrestingly so.” - The New York TimesSet 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 meets their singular destiny. “A historical novel quite different from any other...it is written with a living passion, an eyewitness immediacy... Winterson is a master of her material, a writer in whom great talent deeply abides.” - Vanity FairIn her unique and mesmerizing voice, Jeanette Winterson’s “concentrated, beautifully detailed prose” (The New York Times) unfurls a “historical novel quite different from any other” (Vanity Fair). “Recalls García Márquez... Magical touches dance like highlights over the brilliance of this fairy tale about passion, gambling, madness, and androgynous ecstasy.” - Edmund White The New York Times –bestselling author interweaves the destinies of Napoleon’s cook and an enigmatic Venetian woman in this “arresting, elegant novel” ( Publishers Weekly ). A faithful soldier of the Grande Armée , Henri is given the honor of serving meals to Napoleon himself. After all, Henri is short—and no one over five-foot-two ever serves the emperor. But when following his revered leader brings him to near-starvation in Russia’s frozen winter, Henri is disillusioned and desperate for escape. The web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman, Villanelle has long been acquainted with the advantages of dishonesty. Trust hasn’t been her strong suit since her heart was stolen—literally—by a noblewoman she once loved. Soon these two will meet their shared destiny in the chaotic carnival that is early 19th century Venice. In The Passion , Whitbread Award-winning author Jeanette Winterson delivers a “historical novel quite different from any other” ( Vanity Fair ). “Recalls García Márquez . . . Magical touches dance like highlights over the brilliance of this fairy tale about passion, gambling, madness, and androgynous ecstasy.” —Edmund White "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 Napoleans Europe as the setting for a tantalizing surrealistic romance between an observer of history and a creature of fantasy. Jeanette Wintersons 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 Venices 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.

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.

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The book has the enchanted pessimism of the best fairy tales.