The Passion (novel)

The Passion is a 1987 novel by British novelist Jeannette 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]

First edition (publ. Bloomsbury Press)

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 & Collector's 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 influential novels.[5]

References
  1. "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. Bilger, Audrey (Winter 1997). "Jeanette Winterson, The Art of Fiction No. 150". The Paris Review (145). ISSN 0031-2037. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. 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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