Rating: 
Summary: The Definition of Masterpiece
Review: Corelli's Mandelin crosses into that magical and intangible realm known as "literature." DeBernieres' use of vocabulary is extraordinary. His descriptions of characters, setting and point of view is rich and original. The book is so full-bodied that I use it as a main text in the Core course I teach at Roger Williams University on human behavior. Here the student can find out about the complex history of Greece during WWII, get a glimpse into Metaxis, the leader of the country and his nemesis, Benito Mussolini. The chapter on "Duce" is pure genius.
DeBernieres follows the lives of approximately five individuals, three from the Greek Island of Cephallonia, Dr. Iannis and his daughter Pelagia, her boyfriend Mandras and two Italian soldiers, Carlos, a homosexual, and Captain Corelli. The book resonates with the current state of affairs for a variety of reasons, one being the use of duplicity and disinformation to sway events and thus history. DeBerniers' descriptions of war is excruciating, all too real, as the author takes the reader to the eye of the cyclone to explain how good men become transformed into amoral animals and at the same time lose their souls. This is the real horror to war, the destruction of the dignity that humans are trying to strive for. And thus the book is a caveat to all leaders to think more deeply about the full ramifications of rushing off to war.
At the end of my class, we watch John Madden's cinematic account of this extraordinary work. I disagree whole-heartedly with many of the film reviewers who minimized this film. The measure of any great movie is the audience, and I have been privileged to watch my students sit in awe as Madden takes the viewer to this complicated time and wonderful island. Madden has not only done the book justice, he has achieved his own masterpiece equivalent, in my humble opinion to perhaps the best film ever made, Casablanca. Following the book quite closely, Madden has chosen a perfect cast, and made the island of Cephallonia a cast member as well. The music does full justice to this great novel, as Madden transforms this peaceful island into the ravages of hell in a way that takes one's breath away.
Those who criticize Nicholas Cage are missing the nuance of his outstanding performance. And there are equally brilliant characterizations by John Hurt as the wise Dr. Iannis, Christian Bale as the young warrior Mandras, a man struggling to retain both his love for Pelagia and his soul as he must learn to kill to protect his island, David Morrissey in a haunting performance as the Good Nazi and Penelope Cruz in the role of a lifetime as Pelagia. Any man who doesn't fall in love with Penelope Cruz in this film has to have his head examined. This performance is up there with that of Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelley or Sofia Loren at their heights. Just as Sydney Pollack righted a problem Grisham had in the ending his book The Firm, Madden closes a gaping loophole in the climax of DeBernieres masterwork. As brilliant at DeBernieres book is, his end undoes too much, and to my mind, does not square with the premise.
Marc J. Seifer (...)
Rating: 
Summary: Intellectually heady love story/anti-war novel
Review: "Corelli's Mandolin" came highly recommended by two friends whose sophisticated taste in fiction I trust. I won't comment on the plot, as the synopses above do that very well. Mr. de Bernieres is an exceptional prose stylist, who writes beautiful, elegant sentences, provides descriptions of such clarity as to make your inner eye need sunglasses, and has a twisted comic sense that reminds me of Mark Helprin and John Irving. The first 100 pages are slow going, yet still very involving, as you are introduced to the cast of characters, the island of Cephallonia, and the events leading up to the Italian occupation of the island. The pace picks up once Captain Corelli arrives on the scene and begins his beguiling seduction of Pelagia. But I must caution potential readers: this novel is dense with information, multiple narrative viewpoints, satire, history, an odd assortment of characters, and the narrator's discursive approach. I did not find this book to be a "breezy" or fast read. This is not a plot-driven novel or a page-turner by any means. If you like similar books and think the premise sounds interesting, then prepare to settle in for a leisurely, occasionally mind-bending read. Personally, I think that Mark Helprin's "A Soldier of the Great War" is a far more successful attempt at the same type of novel. Helprin is a brilliant writer with a huge intellect who plots like a madman, writes inspired and wickedly funny dialogue, and paints word pictures that will be indelibly etched in your mind. "Soldier" is probably my favorite book of the 1990's. "Corelli's Mandolin" is excellent but it's not truly a classic. Nevertheless, I await de Bernieres' next book with anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: "Corelli's Mandolin" is a wonderfully romantic story set against the terrors of WWII. The story is set on Cephalonia, a rather remote Greek island, during WWII. The beginning of the book focuses on the story of Carlo, an Italian foot soldier battling in the Greek mountains in the winter, in scenes of destruction and personal suffering more reminiscient of books I've read on WWI rather than WWII. Most of the war seems remote to the inhabitants of the island, in large part due to the benevolent Italian occupation force under Captain Corelli. Sadly, it is at the end of the war, when the Italians' German "allies" turn on them, and then when the Greeks turn on their own during the civil war, that the horrors begin. I loved this book--I thought the characters were beautifully drawn, especially Carlo and the Doctor, and the historical background was fascinating. Like several other reviewers, I thought the ending was "tacked on", and rather jarring, and the resolution of the love affair between Pelagia and Corelli quite unbelievable. But this wasn't enough of a drawback to withold 5 stars from this one. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A cross between Catch-22 and Zorba the Greek.
Review: "Corelli's Mandolin," by Louis de Bernieres, is a seriocomic novel about the inhabitants of a Greek island called Cephallonia, during the time prior to and after World War II. The main characters are Dr. Iannis, an intellectual as well as a dedicated healer, and his beautiful daughter, Pelagia. The author slowly weaves a rich tapestry of colorful characters who inhabit this island, from the giant who can perform unbelievable feats of weightlifting to a priest who gets drunk at every opportunity. The tranquil life of these islanders is shattered by the onset of World War II, when the Italians and the Germans invade the island. De Bernieres intersperses moments of high comedy with scenes of great tragedy and violence. This is an anti-war novel as well as a story of love, betrayal and self-sacrifice. It is also a celebration of survival and of the richness of life. "Corelli's Mandolin" is not an easy book to read, since the author flits from one character to another and from one plot line to another very frequently. However, at the end, everything comes together satisfyingly. The novel is poignant and, at times, heartbraking. Overall, the journey to Cephallonia is well worth taking, and I recommend "Corelli's Mandolin" as a fine work of historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Woderful. Don't bother with the movie....
Review: Absolutely magical story with an epic flair that explores and details the intricate relationships of a community in a small Greek island during WWII at the time of Italian and German occupation. If you have seen the movie, don't let it prejudice you - short of the title, there is little relationship between it and the book. De Bernieres shines, although for my preference, Mussolini's soliloquies could have been shorter. Multilayered characters of hilarious and intense emotional richness. Mr. Lang does a wonderful job with the voice characterizations and accents. Is there an 8 star rating?
Rating:
Summary: A NOVEL OF WARTIME
Review: Based on an actual event, the Nazi takeover of the small Greek island, Cephalonia, and the murder of untold numbers of Italian troops who took the hands of the native Greeks in their stand against facism, Corelli's Mandolin is a searing, lyrically beautiful novel. Capt. Antonio Corelli heads the Italian post on Cephalonia. He is a dreamer, a mandolin player who gives little heed to the encroachments of fascism. Pelagia, the incandescently beautiful and willful daughter of the island's doctor is the object of Corelli's love. Their relationship is determined, to a large degree, by the constraints of invasion and war. The novel's wartime years are dramatic with betrayals and counter plots by both individuals and nations. Concluding pages, relating the horrendous earthquake in the early 50s and the regime of George Papandreou, bring us to the present. In this novel a Greek island at its nadir is described through the suffering of individuals and nations. The author's scope is immense; his imagination vivid.
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL WRITING, Wonderful Story
Review: de Berniers' writing is lucious. It just flows off of the page. It's not just the story that will captivate you, but the way that de Berniers tells the story. The historical love story and the magical setting make for a wonderful combination. This is one book that I look forward to re-reading. If you saw the movie, you still don't have any idea what the book was about. Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: A magnificent piece of fictional work
Review: Not being Greek, I wouldn't presume to judge the accuracy of some aspects of the book's historical perspectives, and I respect the opinions of Greek people who might question some of them. However, taken as a beautifully woven tale of star-crossed lovers set against the background of the eternal insanity of war, Corelli's Mandolin is unsurpassed. I agree it's hard to envisage how a movie could do it justice, but I shall eventually get around to watching it. There are many qualities to be admired in all of the main characters, and if the book has a weakness, it is, as others have said, the degree of acceleration towards the end, which creates an asymmetrical aspect to the story flow. As a thinking person's romance in time of war, this is as good as it gets, and the intelligent conclusion, which spans decades, is ultimately very uplifting. Beautiful cover, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable..... but far from a classic!
Review: The setting is the Ionic island of Cephallonia, right at the outset of the Second World War. The characters are diversified as human nature: beautiful and romantic Pelagia, wise and honorable Dr. Iannis, charming musically talented Captain Corelli, brave disguised homosexual Carlo Guercio, ignorant and naive Mandras, amongst many others. On the background the novel recounts the Italian occupation of the island, the German invasion, the brutal civil war, and the final change of this placid, loving island into a busy centre of tourism. In the world of books, most often popularity and literary excellency do not run side-by-side. This is certainly the case with "Captain Corelli's Mandolin." Although enjoyable to read, with a wide spectrum of emotions ranging from love at its most sublime and romantic manifestation, to cruelty and barbarity brought about by war, this book has noticeable flaws in its structure and content. As usually happens with fiction novels set against a political and historical background, the interpretation of the latter is subject to criticisms, the author in this case being accused of showing a one-sided version. This seems to be particularly true with respect to the way the author has pictured the partisans/communists indifference and refusal to fight against the occupying forces, be they Italian or German. This issue has brought such indignation amongst survivals of the events and some Greek authorities to the point that Bernieres was compelled to write a new chapter (four years after the first edition) which has been added to the Greek edition (published on the Sunday Times -- 24 May 1998 -- and also available on internet). The author narrates the events at a first-gear speed for the first 300 pages and then abruptly for the last 80 pages he moves to fifth-gear speed, covering two generations in the flip of a page. Such inconsistency not only breaks the rhythm but raises questions as to exactly at what point the novel should have reached its end. Overall, the characters are well portrayed, they tend to neatly represent basic human qualities and frailties. If at any point their behavior seems to be incongruent with their personality, it is the typical case where the author (unfortunately) has "molded" the characters to fit the plot (Captain Corelli's reluctance to approach Pelagia upon his return to Cephallonia). From a positive perspective, the narration remains vivid, lively, and genuinely humorous. It adds to one more novel where romance is victim of the horrors of war and its consequential breakdown of values. If the reader is not to take the historical side or the structural flaws too personally and keep in mind he is in the realm of fiction, then it will be worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: The book was MUSIC!
Review: This book had depth..... I languished in it.
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