Corelli's Mandolin

not the easiiest of reads but worth well worth the effort-my first copy had tear stains on the pages afterwards. Thought the story would make such a great film and when they announced they were making one I was soo looking forward to seeing it...tragically the film I saw wasn't of the book I read! The first scene was accurate but....Mandras had a different personality, people who died in the book...more

not the easiiest of reads but worth well worth the effort-my first copy had tear stains on the pages afterwards. Thought the story would make such a great film and when they announced they were making one I was soo looking forward to seeing it...tragically the film I saw wasn't of the book I read! The first scene was accurate but....Mandras had a different personality, people who died in the book survived the earthquake...and the ending was different! Pahh Still a film to be made I think!   hide

Great book, but I was looking up every other Greek and Italian word in the first half of the book to understand the descriptions.

Great book, but I didnt like the end at all.

CORELLI'S MANDOLIN is a bewitching novel, which should, by all rights, endure as a classic. Content as I usually am with relatively trashy popular fiction, I don't know that I can write a review that'll do this volume the honor it merits. This is the life story of Pelagia, a Greek woman living on the (actual) island of Cephallonia off Greece's western coast. The narrative begins at her age of...more

CORELLI'S MANDOLIN is a bewitching novel, which should, by all rights, endure as a classic. Content as I usually am with relatively trashy popular fiction, I don't know that I can write a review that'll do this volume the honor it merits. This is the life story of Pelagia, a Greek woman living on the (actual) island of Cephallonia off Greece's western coast. The narrative begins at her age of 17, and continues for about fifty-three years. Eighty percent of the storyline takes place immediately before and during the Italian-German occupation of the island during the Second World War. The plot is a tapestry of human existence, woven with its diverse threads: absurdity, tragedy, love, betrayal, loyalty, madness, cruelty, fear, courage, resilience, selflessness, loss, revenge, hatred, and comedy. And because the Grecian theater of the wider conflict is so central to the story, the author doesn't abstain from including its history, foolishness, heroics, and horrific brutalities.   hide

That this gorgeous book was made into a movie starring..of all people..Nicholas Cage..is a travesty. The casting agent should be lined up against a wall and shot. The character that Cage plays in the movie is so detailed, so human, so complex, that it stayed with me for a long time after I closed the book. Bernieres is simply a master. This is a good example of a movie doing terrible justice...more

That this gorgeous book was made into a movie starring..of all people..Nicholas Cage..is a travesty. The casting agent should be lined up against a wall and shot. The character that Cage plays in the movie is so detailed, so human, so complex, that it stayed with me for a long time after I closed the book. Bernieres is simply a master. This is a good example of a movie doing terrible justice to an incredibly written story...   hide

Very dense book which requires time and effort to get into. It is however well worth it. It has lovable characters, humour, and enorme sadness. Very well written! It gave WW2 a new sad face which history books or other stories haven't been able to before. Its love story is beautiful and heart breaking at the same time. Something which angered me while reading it but I know that is gonna make...more

Very dense book which requires time and effort to get into. It is however well worth it. It has lovable characters, humour, and enorme sadness. Very well written! It gave WW2 a new sad face which history books or other stories haven't been able to before. Its love story is beautiful and heart breaking at the same time. Something which angered me while reading it but I know that is gonna make me remember the book. A book which gets you emotionally involved equals a good book.   hide

With beastly determination, I have conquered "Corelli's Mandolin" at long last. Or, has it conquered me? Great book but very, very maddening to negotiate its thick, voluminous pages and scores of erudite passages. And yet, I laughed, cried, bemoaned, outright bitched, and then finally capitulated into having a damned good time after all was said and done. Yeah, it was like that!

So beautifuly written. A gem

I still remember how wonderful this book was---I think it's been about 8 years since I read it. It's definitely a war-time novel and doesn't shirk that heaviness for romanticism. Even in the most beautiful scenes/moments, De Bernieres is good at keeping the sentimentality at bay. It was a little slow to start, but is magnificent the rest of the way. Reminded me a lot of Mark Helprin (though not...more

I still remember how wonderful this book was---I think it's been about 8 years since I read it. It's definitely a war-time novel and doesn't shirk that heaviness for romanticism. Even in the most beautiful scenes/moments, De Bernieres is good at keeping the sentimentality at bay. It was a little slow to start, but is magnificent the rest of the way. Reminded me a lot of Mark Helprin (though not as long winded).   hide