Corellis Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
Corellis Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
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Corelli's Mandolin

Author: Louis de Bernieres

Narrator: Stephen Lang

Unabridged: 18 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/11/2019

Synopsis

The acclaimed story of a timeless place that one day wakes up to find itself in the jaws of history: "An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

The place is the Greek island of Cephallonia, where gods once dabbled in the affairs of men and the local saint periodically rises from his sarcophagus to cure the mad. Then the tide of World War II rolls onto the island's shores in the form of the conquering Italian army.

Caught in the occupation are Pelagia, a willful, beautiful young woman, and the two suitors vying for her love: Mandras, a gentle fisherman turned ruthless guerilla, and the charming, mandolin-playing Captain Corelli, a reluctant officer of the Italian garrison on the island. Rich with loyalties and betrayals, and set against a landscape where the factual blends seamlessly with the fantastic, Corelli's Mandolin is a passionate novel as rich in ideas as it is genuinely moving.

About The Author

Louis de Bernières is the author of many award-winning novels, including Birds Without Wings, Corelli’s Mandolin, The Dust That Falls from Dreams, Notwithstanding, A Partisan’s Daughter, Red Dog, Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord, The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman, and The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts. Selected by Granta as one of the twenty Best of Young British Novelists in 1993, de Bernières lives in England. www.louisdebernieres.co.ukStephen Lang has appeared on Broadway in Death of a Salesman, A Few Good Men, and Wait Until Dark. His films include Gettysburg, Tombstone, and Last Exit to Brooklyn. He has also narrated many audiobooks, such as Corelli’s Mandolin, several Michael Crichton novels, and Gods and Generals, of which he also starred in the film version.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kevin on January 15, 2025

"Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away." —Doctor Iannis. Απαπα! Why, oh why did I wait twenty years to read this enchanting novel? Being something of a contrarian, I didn't succumb to the rampant Corellimania that existed after this novel's release in 1994, but I'm esp......more

Goodreads review by Pat on March 30, 2008

This is two books. The first half is without doubt one of the best novels I have ever read. The writing (even in translation) is lyrical; clearly, every word was carefully chosen. The characters are exquisitely drawn with humor and humanity. The plot, centering on the Italian invasion of a remote G......more

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on March 24, 2025

Did we read the same book? My goodness. The beginning of the book is epically long - reminiscent of when Frodo is trying to leave The Shire in The Lord of the Rings. The book is called Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and he doesn't make a meaningful appearance in the first 100 pages. I mean come on! The m......more

Goodreads review by Fabian on April 22, 2020

The presence of--& intrepidly sudden breaks from--romantic conventions is what makes "Corelli's Mandolin" (alongside its romantic older brother, book two of his Latin American trilogy, the devastating love tale "Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord") one of the MOST ROMANTIC novels of ALL TIME. On par with......more

Goodreads review by Justin on April 08, 2008

De Bernieres style falls between Vonnegut and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and if that doesn't make your head spin and pants feel hot then I don't know what will. It's ridiculously European, in every good sense of the word. It's an epic romance for nihilists and atheists. The only two horrors come from th......more

Quotes

"Brims with all the grand topics of literature—love and death, heroism and skull-duggery, humor and pathos, not to mention art and religion.... A good old-fashioned novel." —The Washington Post Book World

"An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent." —Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Stunning.... A high-spirited historical romance.... Remarkable." —The New York Times Book Review

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