The Passion (Magill’s Literary Annual 1989)
At a glance:
- Author: Jeanette Winterson
- First Published: 1988
- Type of Work: Historical fantasy
- Time of Work: The early nineteenth century
- Setting: Russia and Venice
- Principal Characters: Henri, Villanelle
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy
- Subjects: Traveling or travelers, Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Nineteenth century, Religion, Lesbianism or lesbians, War, Servants, Adventure, Italy or Italians, Mortality, Russia or Russian people, Boats or boating, Napoleonic Wars, Canals, Heart
- Locales: Venice, Italy, Russia
Although based in part on historical events and ambience, The Passion needs the extra qualifier “fantasy” because neither its form nor its characters conform to conventional notions of historical texts. For Jeanette Winterson, the novel as a genre has as much to do with poetry as with prose. Her words are spare and exact, and a rhythm is quickly established and consistently maintained through well-placed repetition of phrasing, even complete sentences. Be assured, however, that Winterson is a good storyteller; she simply does not conform to traditional practices, preferring...
[The entire page is 1945 words long]
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