Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Strength needs no excuses, does not have to give reasons.", 1 Sep 2005
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1995, Captain Corelli's Mandolin follows for sixty years the life of Pelagia and those who love her, beginning in World War II, when she and her father, a doctor on the small Greek island of Cephalonia, first get drawn into the war. Attractive and intelligent, Pelagia thinks herself in love with Mandras, an illiterate Greek fisherman who leaves for war. When the island is overtaken by the ineffectual Italian army, Captain Antonio Corelli is billeted in their small house. Corelli, whose response to "Heil, Hitler" was once "Heil, Puccini," is a musician, a mandolin player, who quickly establishes a singing group (meeting in the company's latrines) in preference to waging war. By the time the wounded Mandras returns, Pelagia and Corelli are in love.Author deBernieres vividly depicts the various political movements which play out in Cephalonia--the Italian occupation; the German "cleansing" in which the Germans, nearly defeated in Europe, exact revenge on the Italians who have, with a change of government, withdrawn their support; and the later Communist insurgency in Greece and their opposition by fascist partisans. Always connecting these events to the lives of Pelagia, her father, Mandras, and Corelli, the author gracefully depicts the impact of political changes on the lives of ordinary people. The horrors of the German revenge on the Italians reflect the wartime mentality and contrast with the good feelings various participants have been able to engender on a personal level. With the withdrawal of the Italians and Germans, the horrors of internecine warfare within the Greek community, and the extremes to which partisans, including Mandras, are willing to go are subjected to microscopic views. DeBernieres is equally adept at contrasting idealistic young love with the institutionalized mindlessness of political passion, the love of the arts and history with the expediencies of political dogma, and one's personal commitments to other individuals with the commitments to ideologies. Realistic at the same time that it is also romantic, the novel conveys the absurdities of politics and places them within the context of real life. The author's exuberant, descriptive style enlivens the present in Greece while also emphasizing the culture of the past, leading the reader to recognize, ultimately, that in all times, wherever one finds wit and humor, one also finds pathos lurking in the background. Mary Whipple
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing ending fails to spoil a beautiful book., 10 Jun 2000
By A Customer
When I first started this book, I gave up after two chapters - very unusual for me. Several months later I picked it up again, and I'm very glad I did. Once past the difficult start, I found it completely absorbing, and couln't put it down. The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the book not only relates the love story between Antonio and Pelagia, but also the story of the effects of the war in and beyond the community. It is a credit to the author that he manages to weave together so many strands of the story, and so many wonderful characters I too found the ending a bit disappointing - but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of this wonderful book. (I'd also like to respond to those who complain that the language is too difficult. Personally I had very few problems with it, but when I do have to look a word up, then I feel that the author has done me a favour. If we were only ever exposed to words we already understood, we would never get past one syllable, if we managed to learn to read at all.) All in all, a wonderful, evocative book, deserving of its place as a firm favourite.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A captivatingly romantic-historic novel, 12 Jun 2000
By A Customer
I come from Greece and I have read the book both in my native language and english. As it has already been mentioned,the book could have as well been written by a Greek; the emotions, the creation of the characters,whether Greek or Italian,the description of the scenery and the powerful narration of combat or execution scenes appeals to the senses,especially for us Greeks who have been narrated similar stories by our grandparents.One cannot avoid feeling their heart beat wildly when the romance of Corelli and Pelagia is unfolded in front of their eyes, one cannot help feeling the agony of those soldiers just before being executed,one can hear the singing of the Italian soldier choir and can sense the smells of the flowers and the cooked food.We feel the agony Pelagia is facing for the fate of Antonio and we cannot avoid feeling terribly disappointed when we realise the unbelievable mistake Corelli made and the tragical twists of fate that prevented these lovers from being united sooner.The music of the mandolin enshrines the whole story and the reader can clearly hear it if they close their eyes and let their senses and sentiments carry them away. However, I cannot help mentioning that I would have liked a different ending,Greeks you see as well as Italians are very sentimental people and like seeing individuals, who have suffered for love or fought for their ideals, being rewarded at the end. The historical references are splendid,one feels like being a fly on the wall overhearing things that had dramatic significance for world history.Carlo is wonderfully depicted and the reader doesn't see a pervert,as Carlo wants to present himself,but a brave soldier,a dedicated lover who will sacrifice his life to protect the person he loves.As a woman,I sympathised with Pelagia and I went through all her emotional ups and downs.As a Greek,I felt very proud that a non-greek could feel and describe in such a profound way events that took place on an island which has gone through a lot in its history. As a music lover,I let myself be captivated by the notes of the mandolin and be absorbed by the enchanting narration. Captain Corelli and his mandolin became one,literally speaking, and will remain as such in the history of English literature and in our hearts. Antonio will play his mandolin for Pelagia for as long as the waves are breaking on the shores of Cephallonia, the island which sheltered their love, and we will be the audience of this wonderful concerto.
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