#22 in Spy & espionage
The English Patient
- 315
- Pages
- about 6 h
- Reading time
- Booker Prize
- Governor General's Award for English-language fiction
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About the book
The English Patient is a 1992 novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian campaign of World War II: an unrecognizably burned man—the eponymous patient who is presumed to be English—his Canadian Army nurse; a Sikh sapper; and a Canadian self-described thief. The story is primarily set during the North African campaign and centers on the incremental revelations of the patient's actions prior to his injuries, and the emotional effects of these revelations on the other characters. The story is told through the characters' perspectives and "authors" of books the characters are reading.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.2 across 185 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 50% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Spy & espionage average of 7.5. That is how 7.5 comes out. A further +0.10 comes from the small bonus for major awards.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.2 | 19 | 10% |
| Google Books | 8.0 | 11 | 6% |
| Hardcover | 7.2 | 155 | 84% |
Frequently asked
What is The English Patient rated?
7.5 out of 10, from 185 reader ratings across 3 independent sources.
Is The English Patient worth reading?
Readers give it 7.5/10 from 185 ratings, which puts it ahead of 42 % of the Spy & espionage shelf.
How long does it take to read The English Patient?
About 6 hours at an average reading pace — 315 pages.
Where does The English Patient rank?
#22 in Spy & espionage on the current snapshot.
How long is The English Patient?
It has 315 pages — shorter than 82% of the ranked books in Spy & espionage.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Spy & espionage — and a score of 7.5, the closest to this book.
