Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Louis de Bernieres

I loved this book. It delivers a story of individual lives thrown into relief against the vast sweep of history. There are heavy issues – life on Kefalonia during WW2 brings many tragedies for ordinary men and women, but for me the love story is the key to my pleasure. All-consuming and utterly compelling – it made for a memorable summer read. No wonder it became a modern classic.

Extract
One day he left his pistol on the table. She thought how easy it would be for her to purloin it, and perhaps blame it on an opportunistic thief. It came to her that she could actually shoot him when he came throught the door, and then run away to join the andartes with it. The trouble was that he was no longer just an Italian, he was Captain Antonio Corelli, who played the Mandolin and was very charming and respectful.
Parallels
  • Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
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Violence
Explicit sexual Content