The English Patient by Michael Ostaandje

 The English Patient by Michael Ostaandje

Another version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E   and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

Films are often blamed for taking inspiration from books but not being able to maintain the high level found in the original.

In most cases I think that movies don’t do justice to the material that they try to adapt.

But a case can be made that a popular, successful film can at the very least make the source of inspiration famous.

This is what happened with The English Patient.

The movie was a rare accomplishment, winning nine Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Director.

It is not without detractors, one that comes to mind being Elaine Benes from Seinfeld who hated the English Patient:

-          “quit telling your stupid story about the stupid desert and just die already”

Without going as far as to approve Elaine, I must confess that I was not exhilarated about this book, although I appreciate it.

And I totally disagree on the issue of the “stupid desert” for the description and history of it were fascinating in the book.

Also the winds…

There are red winds, winds that they come with knives at

Herodotus writes about Simoon - a wind against which they came out in battle dress to fight it and there are others.

I have also learned a new term: uxorious, meaning excessive love of wife and used by Geoffrey Clifton.

There are some shocking, for me rather embarrassing and somewhat outrageous descriptions- for instance the mention of the taste of…menstrual taste of blood

A story within the narrative that I liked and knew already from the masterpiece A Dance to The Music of Time by the dazzling Anthony Powell is that of Gyges and Candaules, as mentioned by Herodotus whose book is travelling along with The English Patient in the desert

-          “In the account of Herodotus, which may be traced to the poet Archilochus of Paros, Gyges was a bodyguard of Candaules, who believed his wife to be the most beautiful woman on Earth. He insisted upon showing the reluctant Gyges his wife when disrobed as he wanted to show her beauty, which so enraged her that she gave Gyges the choice of murdering her husband and making himself king, or of being put to death himself.”

The English Patient is actually Count Laszlo de Almasy, albeit his real identity and allegiance are unknown for a good part of the plot.

This uncertainty adds spice and suspense to an intriguing plot.

What we seem to know from the start is the The English Patient is in a serious condition and his burns are too serious for him to survive.

Hana is the nurse played by Juliette Binoche, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for this part.

But the main protagonist, alongside The English Patient is Katharine Clifton, married to Geoffrey, who plays a key role in British Intelligence.

Laszlo de Almasy falls in love with Katharine and when the husband dies, he is suspected of having killed his rival.

The fact that the main personage is duplicitous at times and generally a complex man, with dark secrets makes the account more interesting, in my view.

We have here a web of relationships that includes spying, treason with double and triple agents, platonic and filial love

Ralph Fiennes is one of the best actors and he was nominated for Oscar for Best Actor in a lead role for his portrayal of the count.

Kristin Scott Thomas is also a fabulous actress- nominated as well for her part- but their chemistry does not seem to work perfectly for this film.

There may also be something intrinsic to the story, some aspects that do not allow the couple to be included with the likes of Romeo and Juliet.                                                                                                     

In conclusion, I am not sure what and where, but there are some details that made this promising narrative less enchanting than hoped for.

But it is still a great tale, both the original and the movie.