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In the Skin of a Lion [Paperback]

Michael Ondaatje (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars if you onlyever read one ondaatje novel, this is the one Feb 11 2001
By A. Gillingham
Format:Paperback
In 1987, Ondaatje wrote his chef d'ouevre, In the Skin of a Lion, which combines the best of his previous prose, poetry, and recent autobiography. Here one will see fictional characters come to believable life, prose more sonorous than most poetry of the day, and learn more about the history and politics of Canada than one does at school (unless, of course, one is lucky enough to be Canadian.) Many feel (and I believe rightly so) that this is the book that should have won the prestigious Booker Prize--an honor later given to 1992's The English Patient. Certainly, this is the book that helped give birth to the latter. It is here that we meet Patrick Lewis, Caravaggio, and a much younger Hana. Lewis is the anti-hero of the story, so deftly written that we grow with him, we love with him, and we grieve with him. I somehow feel that Patrick is closer to Ondaatje's heart more so than any other character that he's written until the advent of Kip in The English Patient. The tale of Patrick's life in "Upper America" made me weep at each reading, as did the sheer beauty of Ondaatje's prose. In my humble opinion, it is his finest prose to date.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars all the beauty that surrounds us April 7 2000
By Jonna
Format:Paperback
I am trapped by these words, I slow down on each one almost notwanting to know what comes next because I know it'll most certainly besomething that puts me in awe and leaves me hungry for more.

I thought The English Patient was a wonderful book, I walked in Libyan desert looking for Zerzura for weeks after reading that book. But In The Skin Of A Lion is something so much more. This book moves me so I'm left speechless. The continuance, the surprises, the beauty, the characters. If it was possible to choose to write like someone I would absolutely pick Michael Ondaatje. His work is simply beautiful.

I am amazed. Read this book, read all of them. Find the fine red line that ties all the stories together. END

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I can never say 'Shh' without a shiver now. Jan 21 2002
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I will begin with the problem of the book. It reads initially slowly. This is, for many, a problem. It's dense prose, in fractured time. It's also a traditional story, with a plot that moves in a direct line up to the pointed climax, and then a resolution down from that high point.
Basically, the beginning is slow, yet dense, and becomes more intense as time passes. If you have not the patience to push through the first thirty pages, you should stop reading books. The plot thickens, and intensifies until the moment of pointed climax. And I cannot say 'Shh' without a shiver.
The prose: gorgeous without being over-the-top. The characters: firmly and clearly human, while each is a little super-human in their own quiet ways, as many of us are.
In other words, one of the greatest novels in the world to emerge from the late twentieth century. The techniques are firmly rooted in time and place, and the words shed light on a world that is, for us, indescribable. A heart, and a mind, so rare to find together, lies before you. Be prepared for a life-changing journey.
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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and...
...gripping and funny and sexy and sad and insightful and introspective and nostalgic and erotic and interesting and ________. Read more
Published 16 months ago by David Sabine
4.0 out of 5 stars Toronto's forgotten history
In the Skin of a Lion is many stories in one: a solitary farm boy trying to make it in the Big City, a story of passion and obsession, a story of a city's forgotten history, and a... Read more
Published on Mar 6 2010 by Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars "Trust me, this will take time..."
... but there is order here, very faint, very human." This should be the first sentence of every novel, the narrator reflects midway in Michael Ondaatje extraordinary novel. Read more
Published on July 6 2009 by Friederike Knabe
2.0 out of 5 stars Not to my taste at all
This is supposed to be a classic, highly recommened to me by a literate friend. I agree that it is poetic, and has a gossamer feel to it. But, I found it a tedious read. Read more
Published on April 11 2004 by David C Polk
2.0 out of 5 stars Not to my taste at all
This is supposed to be a classic, highly recommened to me by a literate friend. I agree that it is poetic, and has a gossimer feel to it. But, I found it a tedious read. Read more
Published on April 11 2004 by David C Polk
3.0 out of 5 stars Strange & unsatisfying
The leading character never seems to think. He just follows his impulses without ever seeming to question whether the impulses are moral or immoral, sane or crazy. Read more
Published on Sep 2 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars In the Skin of a Lion: a passionate Canadian story.
This is a wonderful novel, well worth a read. It is not quick work, as the reader becomes lost in Ondaatje's poetic prose. Read more
Published on May 16 2002 by Aron Neil Solomon
4.0 out of 5 stars Michael Ondaatje's Anti-Hero
As some of the reviewers have said, _In The Skin Of A Lion_ must be read slowly to be truly appreciated, otherwise much of the subtleties of this beautifully written, poetic, and... Read more
Published on April 15 2002 by IRA Ross
2.0 out of 5 stars Not the greatest book
I am a high school student, and I am reading this book for an English course. I had a list of books to choose from, and for some reason I chose this one. Read more
Published on Mar 21 2002 by "blink_baby_00"
4.0 out of 5 stars Romantic, Cubist, Very Well Crafted
There is no more poetic and skillful an author on the scene today and this book is a fine illustration of his extraordinary talent. Read more
Published on Jan 6 2001 by "beachillen"
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