Captain Corelli's Mandolin: Amazon.ca: Louis de Bernieres, Louis de Bernieres, Alison Joseph, Robert Powell: Books

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Review

"Brims with all the grand topics of literature — love and death, heroism and skull-duggery, humor and pathos, not to mention art and religion…A good old-fashioned novel."
—Washington Post Book World

"An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent"
—Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Stunning…A high-spirited historical romance…Remarkable."
—The New York Times Book Review

"His novel will give pleasure to all sorts of readers. It is also so good that it will last."
—A.S. Byatt writing in Evening Standard

"Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is an emotional, funny, stunning novel which swings with wide smoothness between joy and bleakness, personal lives and history…it’s lyrical and angry, satirical and earnest."
—Observer

"A wonderful, hypnotic novel of fabulous scope and tremendous iridescent charm."
—Joseph Heller

"It is funny, heartbreaking, and horrifying in its fictional testimony….Captain Corelli's Mandolin, delightful and sad, comic and at the same time nearly unbearable in its portrayal of European darkness during the war, is a tour de force depiction of the triumph of life over evil by one of Europe's great comic writers of our time."
—Booklist

"Dazzling.…a fabulous book in the tradition of Tolstoy and Dickens.…So joyous and heartbreaking, so rich and musical and wise, that reading it is like discovering anew the enchanting power of fiction."
—San Francisco Chronicle

From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Set on the Greek island of Cephallonia during World War II, this is the story of a beautiful young woman and her two suitors: a gentle fisherman turned ruthless guerrilla, and the charming mandolin-playing head of the Italian garrison on the island.

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Customer Reviews

66 Reviews

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (66 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars An Entertainment of Emotions, Aug 9 2003

By

Manthos A. Mattheou - See all my reviews

This review is from: Captain Corelli's Mandolin (Paperback)

Make no mistake about it. This is not a romantic novel and even though one cannot help but get carried away with the romance that gradually develops in Pelagia's life this is rather a humorous novel for even within the romance itself and the harsh reality of the war that is soon to overwhelm the life of every character there is plenty of humour making the entertainment value of the novel undeniably high. Just one reservation about the actual plot of this book or rather not so much the plot itself but the way the novel actually ends. It makes one wonder whether the author was having second thoughts about this since the end seems rather contrived and quite detached from the development of the rest of the plot, particularly if one considers the point in time at which Captain Corelli escapes from the island of Cephalonia.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A lyric of love, July 19 2003

By

Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Captain Corelli's Mandolin (Hardcover)

A superbly crafted story of a woman caught in the throes of transition from deep tradition to the modern world. For Pelagia Iannis the cost of transition is heavy. Daughter of the village's widower doctor, she is caught up in global forces beyond her ken. The imperial ambitions of Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini, bring the Italian army of occupation. Among the troops is Captain Antonio Corelli, artillery officer and musician. An unwitting and hesitant imperial minion, he is billeted in the Iannis household. Although the doctor urges passive resistance, Pelagia, although committed to a partisan youth, is drawn to Corelli's musical talents and unworldly charm. De Bernieres weaves an intricate tale of love, war, humour and pathos with unrivaled skill. His characters sparkle with realism, an aspect permeating this outstanding work. His descriptions of the interactions of the differing nationalities and ideologies ring vividly true.

As he builds the story through the characters and events, de Bernieres gives little away. There are continual surprises as events twist and bend the characters. Some break, others find a means to extricate themselves from a tangling fate. Pelagia bears the main burden throughout. Her love for Corelli, after a fitful start, blossoms, then is tested by the swirl of events. Other characters come into her life, remain or depart. All make some impact as de Bernieres adroitly builds her role. Each chapter becomes a minor tale in its own right, with all tied together flawlessly. Characters and events are imparted with meticulous detail, yet, like a Mozart opera, not one word would bear excision.

If you like a story that successfully ranges over a variety of issues and people, you will seek far and wide to surpass this tale. De Bernieres' skills in portraying life's complexities, yet maintaining reader attention and interest are peerless. He has clearly build his work on thorough scholarship - there's even a source list at the end. His sweeping view will leave you exhilarated and breathless, but fulfilled. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

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5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the movie!, July 27 2001

By

S. Cornforth "Steve Cornforth" (Liverpool, UK England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Captain Corelli's Mandolin (Audio Cassette)

I was so glad that I saw the movie before I read the book. It comes nowhere to matching the richness of the language and characterisation. And one of the main characters - Carlos is almost completely omitted.

It is a wartime story inhabited by real people whose lives are invaded as well as their beautiful Kefalonia. It is a love story - the Captain's insecure love for the doctor's daughter and the hopeless love of Carlos for the Captain. Louis de Berniere shows us the fears and doubts of the invaders as much as the invaded. The Italians are artistic and musical lovers of life and women - far removed from the harsh Nazis who arrive following Italy's surrender.

Happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, hate, love - they're all there. It is as good as the hype. In a different league to the film - which I did actually enjoy.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Corellis Mandolin
In my life so far, the enormity of 17years i have NEVER read a book that was so beautifully constructed. Read more

Published on Jan 15 2004 by Sarah

2.0 out of 5 stars "South Pacific", Greek-style
Set in World War Two on the Greek island of Cephallonia, "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" tells of the love between Captain Antonio Corelli who is with the Italian occupying force and... Read more

Published on Aug 31 2003 by MR G. Rodgers