The Passion

<p><b>"Winterson is a master of her material, a writer in whom great talent deeply abides." -- <i>Vanity Fair</i></b></p> <p><b>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.</b></p> Jeanette Winterson's novels have established her as one of the most important young writers in world literature. <i>The Passion</i> 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, <i>The Passion</i> 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.<br> <br> In her unique and mesmerizing voice, Winterson blends reality with fantasy, dream, and imagination to weave a hypnotic tale with stunning effects.