A review by sfletcher26
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières
5.0
5, 6, 7 stars and more.
I picked this up knowing only two things, 1. that some friends had enjoyed it; friends who I would never have thought would have enjoyed a "love story" and 2. That it was a universally derided Nick Cage flick. It was therefore a bit of a challenge read. Oh was I wrong about this though.
Having read this I have to say that there is a great deal of incongruity between what the synopsis of the book says about the story and what the story actually is. Yes there is a love story in the novel but it is not the one between Corelli and Pallagia that is the heart of the book. The heart of this is the life of Cephallonia and the relationships of those tied to the island.
This is an absolute gem of a book and easily the best book of the year
I picked this up knowing only two things, 1. that some friends had enjoyed it; friends who I would never have thought would have enjoyed a "love story" and 2. That it was a universally derided Nick Cage flick. It was therefore a bit of a challenge read. Oh was I wrong about this though.
Having read this I have to say that there is a great deal of incongruity between what the synopsis of the book says about the story and what the story actually is. Yes there is a love story in the novel but it is not the one between Corelli and Pallagia that is the heart of the book. The heart of this is the life of Cephallonia and the relationships of those tied to the island.
This is an absolute gem of a book and easily the best book of the year