Captain Corelli's Mandolin

This was a book of two halves and the first half I loved; indeed Captain Corelli's Mandolin was lining up to my favourite novel of all time by about half way through. I mean, I don't know if the bit about the German captain so upset to be captured in an embarrassing way that his British captor had to tach him how to play Ludo to cheer him up is a piece of history de Bernieres plucked out to include in his story but if it's not it should be.

So, I was somewhat disappointed to read the second half and find, to my growing disquiet, that I hated it. Absolutely despised it. I have never read a book which has two halves so unlike each other that I'm tempted to believe they were originally two different books inexpertly grafted on to each show more other like a less amusing The Thing With Two Heads. show less

I endured emotional whiplash from the shift in mood between quirky, zany antics of a small Greek village and the horrors experienced on the Grecian World War II front, followed by those of a civil war. Perhaps this is to emphasize the void between the soldiers' experience and that of civilian life, or the costs of war, or to alleviate the mood, or ...? Whatever the reason, the rapid shifts between the two (all the chapters are short) makes for a very bumpy ride. It inspired a laugh in several places, weighted with an undercurrent of hesitancy as I'd recall scenes from the chapter just before. And then there is the slowly growing premonition that, before all is finished, these two things are destined to meet one another. I had little show more idea how much this novel was indebted to actual history until I discovered the Wikipedia entry for the island of Cephalonia.

The movie trailers from 2001 were all I had as first impression (I've never seen the movie) so I anticipated the romance bits, but they are mere window dressing. Nobody would mistake this for a romance novel. It's a brutal war novel, but one that happens to know a thing a two about love, as when the doctor is speaking to his daughter: "Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day ... No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being "in love", which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew toward each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." It also knows a thing or two about how individuals and nations can find their feet again after a hard fall. show less

I really loved this. I agree with others who said it is hard to get into; perhaps the first ~100 pages seem disjointed and odd with multiple points of view and short, choppy chapters. But, the pay off for continuing is great. The story is set in the Greek islands during World War II, mostly revolving around Dr. Iannis and his daughter, Pelagia, as they deal with the consequences of the Axis occupation of their island, Cephallonia. She falls in love with a charismatic mandolin-playing Italian officer, Captain Corelli.

The writing style is reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in that it is whimsical, romantic, sweeping - yet this is not (thank God) magical realism. Everything has rational explanations, yet the characters are quirky and show more events somehow seem fantastical despite being based on real history. So many little things stand out to me now, reflecting on how much I enjoyed the novel: the tame pine marten, the snails, the hellacious retreat of Carlo and Francisco through the Greek winter, the exploding of the WW1 bomb, the British spy 'Bunny' and his ancient Greek.

It is a magical, poignant, horrifying ride and as the book winds down and the reader realizes what will happen to Corelli and his soldiers - it is truly sad. I was especially moved by the chapter 'Pelagia's lament' -- haunting, I read portions of it several times through. Anyway, I really loved it and would definately consider re-reading it again in the future which is rare for me. This novel has potential to be considered an all time desert (or perhaps Greek) island pick, I think. It is enchanting. show less

A historical novel of the very best kind...full of actual history, human stories of love, sacrifice, joy and sorrow sweeping the reader along with all the emotions. I saw the movie based on this novel, and remember being relatively unmoved by it. That probably kept me from visiting the book for years, unfortunately.

In World War II, a Greek physician and his lovely young daughter on the Isle of Cephalonia live through the occupation of their paradise by both Italians and Germans; the privations and horrors associated with war in general; the treachery and brutality of an army on the verge of defeat; and the ultimate insult added to those injuries: the massive earthquake of 1953 that destroyed their homes. Through it all, the islanders show more manage feats of bravery and resistance; find some sympathy, friendship, and even love among the occupiers; question the ancient gods, philosophers and poets; endure. The lively irreverent Captain Antonio Corelli and his mandolin lighten the mood, and encourage hope for the future, but circumstances do not bode well for any sort of happy ending. Reviewers have aptly compared this novel to Tolstoy and Dickens, for it is tragic and comic in equal measure. Sometimes it's hard to know which mask you're seeing. 5 stars show less

I read this book in my late teens / early twenties, and adored it. So with war in Europe again, I went back to see if the suck fairy had visited...

And was pleasantly surprised! It remains lyrical, entrancing, heartbreaking and stirring, staying with your heart like the last chords of mandolin music echoing over the hills.

It is such an odd book. de Bernieres' ridiculously over the top prose isn't even trying to be literary, but somehow the florid and convoluted sentences are just right for drawing out the personalities of his characters and the world they live in. And it is the carefully drawn personalities that make this book. It is so easy to fall in love with Psipsina the pine marten, the gentle Doctor with his rambling history, and show more of course Pelagia and her handsome captain. Even the baddies are drawn sympathetically and complexly. Bits remind me of Ulysses, that very stream-of-conscious intimate insight into people's minds.

When I was younger I read it for the love triangle - betrothed to a man she can no longer love, Pelagia falls for an Italian captain, and must hide her love or be branded a collaborator. Now I am older, the themes of PTSD and being broken by tragedy are so much clearer - Mandras, broken by the horrors of war, Dr Iannis who never speaks again after the earthquake, Pelagia nursing her father's grave... The war in this book is horrific and traumatic, flesh sloughing off from frostbite, doomed marches with little reason or hope...

There are a few things that are more uncomfortable to me now though. At the time, the book was one of the first I had encountered with a sympathetic gay character. Now the story of 'gay man stays closetted his entire life and dies heroically saving the man he loves' is more uncomfortable than it was then,. And Corelli's homophobia, while realistic, is so sad: 'I wish you hadn't shown me these. I've just realised that I'm more old fashioned than I thought'. Also, for all Pelagia is painted as So Awesome and going to be a female doctor, she is surprisingly passive in much of the main storyline, and the lengths the book goes to to have her still pure and virginal and making sure we all know this is slightly uncomfortable. 'She is going to bring up a child! But definitely not Her Child!' 'She is going to get raped by her ex fiance! But definitely Not Enough to make her Damaged Goods!' The way she waits around for Corelli forever, but never actually does any kind of research on Italian mandarin players, would be amazingly annoying, if it wasn't contrasted with the supremely ridiculous 'I came all this way to see you but ran away because you were holding a baby' behaviour of Corelli.

Then again, maybe that's what I love about this book, the characters are full of human foibles and ridiculousness, and that's what makes them lovable even as we roll our eyes at them. show less

Historical fiction set on the Greek island of Cephalonia during the Axis powers’ occupation in WWII. The first part focuses on a young Greek woman, Pelagia, and her widowed physician father, Dr. Iannis. Pelagia learns medical techniques by watching her father, and she is educated beyond the typical level (especially for a woman of the time) due to being the doctor’s only child. She and a local fisherman, Mandras, fall in love and get engaged. He goes off to fight the war on the Albanian front. During his absence, Pelagia writes to him but never receives a reply. Meanwhile, Captain Antonio Corelli, the leader of the Italian occupying forces, is housed with Dr. Iannis and Pelagia. He is no zealot – his goal is to have “a peaceful show more war.” At first Pelagia is determined to resist the occupiers, but she gradually begins to admire Corelli, especially when he plays his mandolin. Mandras returns and Pelagia must decide what to do.

The author gradually develops the romantic liaison between Corelli and Pelagia. In fact, this entire story is gradually layered. All of these characters are complex and come across as authentic, with both strengths and flaws. There are a number of secondary characters that complement the primary storylines, and they are beautifully rendered. For example, the (gay) relationship between Carlo and Francesco is both sweet and tragic. There is also a wayward priest and a strongman. They are eccentric and memorable characters, and they add depth to the narrative.

One of the primary themes is the adverse effects of ideologies on ordinary people. It includes real historical figures such as Mussolini, Hitler, and Metaxas. We follow Mandras from happy-go-lucky fisherman to vindictive soldier. Another main theme is the different types of love – brotherly, religious, romantic, familial, and sacrificial. This novel is a condemnation of totalitarianism. The author employs musical themes to offset some of the horrors of war.

This is a five-star read for the first three-quarters. The author took time in developing details and layers of setting and characters during the war. The last quarter takes large leaps in time and feels rushed in comparison. As a warning, war-time atrocities are vividly depicted.

4.5 show less

Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres takes place on the Greek island of Cephallonia during the time of WWII. The story centers on a handful of characters, most importantly the Italian Captain Corelli, the Greek Dr. Iannis and his daughter Pelagia. Corelli is a fun-loving, musician who joined the army because it allowed him plenty of time to practice his music in between drills. He leads a group of young soldiers, known as La Scala, in song at any and every opportunity. Corelli is placed at the home of the no-nonsense Dr. Iannis and Pelagia during the Italian occupation of Greece. Despite being forced into their home, the Captain is able to befriend the doctor and falls in love with the beautiful Pelagia, who is betrothed to another. show more Then the war moves in, full force, and turns everything upside down.

This book has funny moments, horrific betrayals, and stunning acts of loyalty and heroism but at it's heart it is a beautiful love story.It was both heartbreaking and perfectly romantic. The writing is fluid and so descriptive that I could almost smell the ocean and feel the island air. I've always wanted to see Greece but I've now added the island of Cephalonnia to the list of things I'd like to see if I ever go there.I mean, google some pictures! Who wouldn't want to go?

FYI, there is a movie with the same name based on this book and I had seen it before reading the book but they changed so much, particularly the ending that it's almost a different story. It had Nicolas Cage as Corelli and he captured the Captain's silliness but not enough for me to forgive his ridiculous attempt at an Italian accent. My husband watched part of it with me and asked if he was supposed to be Irish. (Yeah, it's that bad.) Once you get past the accent and the complete rewrite, it's not a bad movie. The mandolin music alone makes it worth watching, it's just gorgeous music. show less