Captain Corelli's Mandolin (Paperback)

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in which the Germans, nearly defeated in Europe, exact revenge on the Italians who have, with a change of government, withdrawn their support; and the later Communist insurgency in Greece and their opposition by fascist partisans.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

De Bernieres obviously loves his characters, and consequently so does the reader. The secondary characters like the villagers Stamatis, Kokolis and the priest, Mandras's mother Drosoula, the girl Lemoni and the pine-marten Psipsina are all as lovingly & colourfully described as the main characters Pelagia, Correli, Dr. Iannis & Mandras.

The descriptions of life in the village on Cephallonia are funny & moving, the battle-scenes are horrifying (and should be made compulsory reading for anyone who's thinking of sending young men into war), and the indecisison of the Italian army's brass is so stupefying it still makes you angry almost sixty years later. The love-story is beautiful & moving, and the death of Mandras nearly made me cry, which is quite an achievement after De Bernieres has turned him into a complete & utter bastard first.

After I'd finished the book I went to Cephallonia (I was on the island next to it, Zakynthos, so that was easy) because I just had to see it. Is the light really as blinding as Dr. Iannis says in the book? Well, I forgot my sunglasses that day, and ended up with a splitting headache from going around with my eyes nearly closed.

Anyway, this book will make you laugh and cry, sometimes in the same paragraph. It's brilliant: read it!

Obviously, after reading the book, the film could only be a disappointment, and so it is. Though Penelope Cruz & Nicholas Cage are not as miscast as I expected. The film is fairly loosly based on the book, the timeline has been changed here & there & the ending has been made totally ridiculous. But I suppose the American market demands a happier ending than the one De Bernieres wrote. Nevertheless, as a standalone the film is okay.

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.