The PassionThe Passion
Score Classic
What it's about
During the Napoleonic Wars, Henri, a simple French soldier who follows Napoleon from glory to ruin in Russia, meets Villanelle, the web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman. Their destinies meet in Venice's world of carnival, chance and darkness.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's a short, magical historical novel.
You'll love it if you liked
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Nights at the Circus
Invisible CitiesGood to know
It's short and poetic, with touches of fantasy.
By the numbers
- Readers49 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Jeanette Winterson
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?Oranges Are Not the Only FruitIf you like this, read next
Pride and Prejudice
Lonesome Dove
Sophie's Choice
Rebecca
The Brothers Karamazov
The Thorn BirdsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Passion worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,062 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Passion about?
During the Napoleonic Wars, Henri, a simple French soldier who follows Napoleon from glory to ruin in Russia, meets Villanelle, the web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman. Their destinies meet in Venice's world of carnival, chance and darkness.
How long does it take to read The Passion?
About 4 hours (178 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Passion?
If you liked it, try Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter or Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino.