Rating: 
Summary: Far better than the movie
Review: In fact, I'm perplexed by the fact that someone even attempted to bring this book to the screen. What gives the novel energy is the way it zips around, and is unafraid to bounce between the main characters and major (and minor) historical figures.The author tends to overwrite at times, but the book is for the most part very well crafted, on point with its metaphors, and chock full of information about a time and place in history that will be unfamiliar to many American readers.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book with Everything!
Review: Louis de Bernieres's novel, Corelli's Manodlin, is a rich mixture of everything possible to include in a novel, and has something for everyone. A fictional story based on facts with a little mystery, this book is set in Greece during World War II, and the main character is a pretty young woman named Pelagia. She lives with her father, a doctor, on the island of Cephallonia, and does her best to live life happily and fully when WWII breaks out. Throughout the course of the war, island life changes dramatically, from the Italian invasion, to having supplies cut off by the British, to seeing their young men, including Pelagia's fiance, off to war. A mandolin-playing, opera-singing Italian officer moves into Pelagia's house and lives with her and her father for the greater part of the war, eventually charming his way into both of their hearts. As the tale unfolds, sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry, and sometimes you scream. The novel covers all possible aspects of literature--violence, hate, love, humor, irony, mystery, art, heroism, friendship, religion, and even a little fantasy.
I enjoyed Corelli's Mandolin immensely, especially because of the ending. The conclusion is so unique that if you like depressing endings, you can think of it in a way that makes it depressing, and if you like happy endings, you can think of it in a way that makes it happy. The variety of characters, from the merry Italians, to the disciplined Germans to the proud Greeks, and the variety of emotions helped me see WWII in a new light and bring it to reality. The unexpected plot twists topped it all off and left me practically breathless. Bernieres's Corelli's Mandolin is a fabulous novel.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of anti-war fiction
Review: This is a fine book. At first I was a little tentative about it and thought that it was too cute, but gradually I found myself sucked into the vortex of a Greek Island and an unspeakable crime against humanity. My advice is to stick with the book and you will find that the characters grow on you as their situation becomes more desperate. My only quibble is that the author did not seem sure how to finish the work, but it is only a quibble. Captain Corelli stands for humanity at a time of inhumanity. A good man who was going to be destroyed by fate and circumstance.
Rating:
Summary: Overwhelmingly beautiful
Review: I absolutely adored this book, and it's rare that I say that. It took me a long time to get into it though - it took me a year to read the first 100 pages and only a week and a half to read the last 300. And for a while I was considering giving it only four stars for that reason, but when I finished it I realised what an incredible journey reading the book had been for me and I had to give it five. I learnt so much about the war in Greece from this wonderful novel, and the characters were so intense and so real that the whole story just came alive for me. This book is many things: a history, a love story, an expose on Nazi Germany, a tale of Mediterranean life, a story about the barbarity of war and how it changes people. And unlike some books where the focus is so much on the romance that one becomes impatient weaving through subplots, I found that I loved reading about every minor character as much as I loved Antonio and Pelagia. Every word of this book seemed lovingly and honestly crafted; every character was like a friend you'd never tire of seeing. For those who struggled through the first quarter of the book like I did, persevere - you won't be disappointed. Louis de Bernieres has a real gift.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it - hated it
Review: It took me a while to get into this one. My sister had read it and just raved and raved about it. I started and felt like I was just plodding along. But about halfway through, I finally got caught up in the characters and the plot. I was incredibly unhappy with the resolution. This is one of those "Bridges of Madison County" books where you just want to shake the stupid characters and ask what they were thinking. I was not happy with the ending at all. But it was a good read overall.
Rating:
Summary: Real Breath Taker
Review: Corelli's Mandilin is much more than just a war and love novel.
The book narrates the life of Pegalia and her unfortunate love life adding to it WWII history, spicy incites into the lives of Southern Europeans. It is full with laughter, irony, honesty, and sorrow and is a great adventure on the Greek Island of Cephalonia.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful novel
Review: When I saw the previews for the Movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin, I was extremely excited. As I awaited the arrival of the movie, I built up the story in my mind. When I saw the movie, I was let down, which is usually the case when one builds something up too much. My mother, however, suggested that I read the book. When I first started the novel, I got extremely frustrated because de Bernieres kept changing his writing styles. As I progressed, however, the changing writing styles became essential to fully understand the intertwined stories of the differnt characters. de Bernieres uses third person, letters, monologues, first person narratives, and journal entries to allow the reader to fully connect with all the characters. de Bernieres also uses beautiful language to give the reader insight into Greek life, love between family, love triangles, the tough life of soldiers, and the harsh conditions soldiers and citizens suffer during war. History and political beliefs during WWII are accurate and informative to the reader. In Corelli's Mandolin, de Bernieres has intertwined love and history and music in a unique way. His language and descriptions entice the reader to continue and allow one's mind to create a picture of love, war, and Greece. The book surpassed all the expections I built up for the movie. It allows the reader to understand and sympathize with the characters in way the movie, no matter how wonderful, could convey to its audience. It is a fascinating book, taking the reader on an emotional rollarcoaster through Cephallonia.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Moving
Review: This novel begins by developing the characters, chapter by chapter and then in a facinating story, weaves them together in an enchanting tale of friendship, betrayal, love, love loss, comedy, tragedy, and irony. The antics of Pelegia, Dr. Iannis and Antonio will have you laughing out loud. These characters and others will also cause you to cry. This book takes you through the hardships of war, and the beauty of lasting love - This book has it all, and I would recommend this to almost anyone. The book was a little hard to follow at first, but it quickly turned into a book I couldn't put down, and wanted the story to last longer.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful novel and movie!
Review: Whenever a movie is made from a book, I feel the film really never compares. But in this case, I not only enjoyed the book but the movie as well! In fact, watching it inspired me to buy the book. I watched "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and fell in love with the characters, the story, and the beautiful scenery--the credits said it was filmed entirely on Cephallonia. In the movie the Captain is played by Nicolas Cage and the beautiful doctor's daughter is played by Penelope Cruz. I'm only on page 72 of the book, but I can already tell you that I love it. It is beautifully written. In the simplest terms it's a love story about a doctor's daughter and the two men who try to win her affections, and it is also a history of Cephallonia. The book is funny at times (you will laugh out loud!), and very sad and touching at others.
Rating:
Summary: Read the book, DON'T see the movie!
Review: I was completely immersed in the stories of the diverse characters of this book. The depth of each character made me believe I had come to know each as an individual. If you're contemplating "book or movie", read the book. And, if the only video your rental place has left is this one, go home and watch Leave It to Beaver reruns.
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