The Passion (novel)

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First edition (publ. Bloomsbury Press)

The Passion is a 1987 novel by British novelist Jeanette Winterson. The novel depicts a young French soldier in the Napoleonic army during 1805 as he takes charge of Napoleon's personal larder.[1] The novel won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.[2] Publication and subsequent sales of the novel allowed Winterson to stop working other jobs, and support herself as a full-time writer.[3]

Though nominally a historical novel, Winterson takes considerable liberties with the depiction of the historical setting and various strategies for interpreting the historical—making the novel historiographic metafiction.[4] The novel also explores themes like passion, constructions of gender and sexuality, and broader themes common to 1980s and 90s British fiction.[4] Parts of the novel are set in Venice—Winterson had yet to visit the city when she wrote about it, instead the depiction was entirely fictional.[3]

Mark Knopfler wrote a song inspired by the novel, called "Done with Bonaparte." It was also the inspiration behind Hunters & Collectors song Holy Grail.

Reception[]

Kirkus Reviews described the novel as " fascinating" and demonstrating "considerable powers" comparing the novel to the works of Robertson Davies.[1]

On 5 November 2019, BBC News listed The Passion on its list of the 100 'most inspiring' novels.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "The Passion by Jeanette Winterson - An exhilarating tale of lust, love and magical transformations of the heart during ten years of the Napoleonic Wars, first..." Kirkus Reviews. 15 April 1988. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. ^ Bob Corbett (November 2001). "The Passion by Jeanette Witherson (sic)". Personal website, faculty of Webster University. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b Bilger, Audrey (Winter 1997). "Jeanette Winterson, The Art of Fiction No. 150". The Paris Review. No. 145. ISSN 0031-2037. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b Sánchez, José Francisco Fernández (1 January 1996). "Play and (hi)story in Jeanette Winterson's "The Passion"". Atlantis. 18 (1/2): 95–104. JSTOR 41054816.
  5. ^ "100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts". BBC News. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2020. The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.


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