- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Headline Review (6 Jun 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755309502
- ISBN-13: 978-0755309504
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.6 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (392 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 333,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Island
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
‘At last – a beach book with a heart... Meticulous research into Cretan culture...packed with family sagas, doomed love affairs, devastating secrets... She also forces us to reflect on illness, both the nasty, narrow-mindedness of the healthy and the spirit of survival in the so-called “unclean”. Her message seems as relevant today as it would have been a century ago’ (Observer 20050811)
‘Hislop carefully evokes the lives of Cretans between the wars and during German occupation, but most commendable is her compassionate portrayal of the outcasts’ (Guardian 20060203)
'Hislop's deep research, imagination and patent love of Crete creates a convincing portrait of times on the island. She writes evocatively of the minutiae of traditional life... She...manages to milk the dramatic potential of each unexpected twist and broken engagement, of the ruined and resurrected lives of her characters... A moving and absorbing holiday read that pulls at the heart strings' (Evening Standard )
‘Hislop is an exceptional writer with a strong voice who completely deserves rich success with this debut... Beautifully balanced, vivid and atmospheric prose’ (Newbury Weekly News )
‘A page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary of circumstances’ (Sunday Express )
A moving and atmospheric tale' (The Scotsman )
‘War, tragedy and passion unfurl against a Mediterranean backdrop in this engrossing debut novel’ (You magazine )
‘Passionately engaged with its subject...the author has meticulously researched her fascinating background and medical facts’ (The Sunday Times )
‘Wonderful descriptions, strong characters and an intimate portrait of island existence’ (Woman & Home )
‘Hislop carefully evokes the lives of Cretans between the wars and during German occupation, but most commendable is her compassionate portrayal of the outcasts’ (Guardian 20060203)
'Hislop's deep research, imagination and patent love of Crete creates a convincing portrait of times on the island. She writes evocatively of the minutiae of traditional life... She...manages to milk the dramatic potential of each unexpected twist and broken engagement, of the ruined and resurrected lives of her characters... A moving and absorbing holiday read that pulls at the heart strings' (Evening Standard )
‘Hislop is an exceptional writer with a strong voice who completely deserves rich success with this debut... Beautifully balanced, vivid and atmospheric prose’ (Newbury Weekly News )
‘A page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary of circumstances’ (Sunday Express )
A moving and atmospheric tale' (The Scotsman )
‘War, tragedy and passion unfurl against a Mediterranean backdrop in this engrossing debut novel’ (You magazine )
‘Passionately engaged with its subject...the author has meticulously researched her fascinating background and medical facts’ (The Sunday Times )
‘Wonderful descriptions, strong characters and an intimate portrait of island existence’ (Woman & Home )
'I thought this was an amazing novel... The author does not shrink from the grim details of the illness' progression and the reactions of the healthy to those afflicted. There is a warmth about the novel and I am sure I will remember it for a long time to come. I shall have great pleasure in recommending this to customers.'
(Bookseller, Ottakars, St Albans )Product Description
On the brink of her own life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother’s past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more.
Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone’s throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga – Greece’s former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip... (20050811)
Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone’s throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga – Greece’s former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip... (20050811)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
116 of 123 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is certainly a quality book but without being heavy like an old classic. It is well-researched and contains powerful imagery and detailed descriptions of Crete. It makes you want to go and look up the places on the internet so you can see exactly where the novel is set. It is tragic without being upsetting. This novel makes you think about how we treat people today with certain illnesses and explores class, prejudice and discrimination wonderfully. It also makes you consider those who put themselves at risk for the sake of others and humbles the reader.
The story is well structured and I was not able to guess what was going to happen in the end, but the book was so enjoyable throughout that I certainly wasn't hankering to see what would happen at the end. This is one of those books I was sad to finish and will be pushed to find one so good to read next. I will definately be buying the author's next book and would highly recommend this to anyone who likes books that let you escape abroad in your own home but with a bit of substance.
The story is well structured and I was not able to guess what was going to happen in the end, but the book was so enjoyable throughout that I certainly wasn't hankering to see what would happen at the end. This is one of those books I was sad to finish and will be pushed to find one so good to read next. I will definately be buying the author's next book and would highly recommend this to anyone who likes books that let you escape abroad in your own home but with a bit of substance.
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was a little dubious about this book because it seemed like so much beach holiday pulp, just the title suggests a short flight holiday with sand in everything.
I decided to give it a try though and I was pleasantly surprised. I was not overwhelmed by the character Alexis who is our way into the story, but once we went back in time to her great grandparents and the meat of the story I was engrossed.
I thought the characters were very well written, and you felt empathy with all of them, even those who were behaved badly. I thought her descriptions of places were very good and not too long, as I have a habit of wandering off during descriptive ramblings.
The pace was also good with days sometimes stretching for many pages and other times several years passing in a paragraph.
I enjoyed it very much.
I decided to give it a try though and I was pleasantly surprised. I was not overwhelmed by the character Alexis who is our way into the story, but once we went back in time to her great grandparents and the meat of the story I was engrossed.
I thought the characters were very well written, and you felt empathy with all of them, even those who were behaved badly. I thought her descriptions of places were very good and not too long, as I have a habit of wandering off during descriptive ramblings.
The pace was also good with days sometimes stretching for many pages and other times several years passing in a paragraph.
I enjoyed it very much.
38 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very touching and well written story. Hislop evokes real empathy for her characters' battles with the 'curse' of leprosy. The story details how the shame of the disease touched the lives of all affected family members, as well as the wider community. It is impossible not to feel the wrench of those who were exiled onto the leper colony of Spinalonga.
This is so well researched, that the events of the novel seemed real, without falling into the trap of writing a historical account. The plight of the central characters is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. Further enhanced by beatiful depictions of it's Cretan setting, this book will encourage tourists to trek to Crete and the infamous Spinalonga. Sit back and enjoy...
This is so well researched, that the events of the novel seemed real, without falling into the trap of writing a historical account. The plight of the central characters is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. Further enhanced by beatiful depictions of it's Cretan setting, this book will encourage tourists to trek to Crete and the infamous Spinalonga. Sit back and enjoy...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
CHEAP AND UNINSPIRING
Fixed frame:
Beautiful girl falls in love with handsome, strong man, though poor.
Marries instead rich man, though not so handsome. Read more
Beautiful girl falls in love with handsome, strong man, though poor.
Marries instead rich man, though not so handsome. Read more
Published 3 days ago by borge
None
this was a good book but would have been better if the text to speech was not disabled as there are many readers on the kindle find it hard to read, for example dyslexic... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Sue Mckenzie
Loved it!
I read this book on a recent holiday and can honestly say I couldn't put it down - a real page turner. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Di Lowe
fantastic
best book i have read in a long time. couldnt put it down, heart warming and heart wrentching all at the same tine
Published 12 days ago by Tilly
Great book - well worth reading
I really enjoyed this book and actually re-read it after another book or two. It also gave me some knowledge regarding leprosy and the situation regarding the disease in Greece... Read more
Published 23 days ago by Mrs. Lyn Thomas
I thought it couldn't get any worse but then we had the ending......
This was chosen for my book club's read and having recently read 'The Thread' and loved it, I was really looking forward to this. The synopsis sounded interesting. Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. Rucroft
Brilliant read
I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is a heart-rending and heart-warming story about a biblical illness in modern (relatively modern, anyway) times. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Happy Kindler
The Island - fantastic
This is one of the best books i have read and i would thoroughly recommend it. It was hard to put it down and i almost did not want to finish it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by janey
Captivating story
Thoroughly enjoyed this tale within a tale - it had everything. Beautifully written and enveloped the reader within the scenes, even feeling the characters' emotions during the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by galaxy2012
The Island by Victoria Hislop
I and my reading group chose this, none of us could put it down, it is absolutely superb and same author's other books were immediately put on our reading list. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lottie
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