Today's review is not a movie, but I promise to have a film review for Monday.
The Book: Captain Corell's Mandolin- Louis De Bernieres
The Gist: Life goes on normally on a small Greek Island during the beginning of World War Two. Pelagia, a young and lovely girl and daughter of the local doctor is engaged to Mandras whose bronzed buttocks Pelagia pines for. But he gets sent off to war where he doesn't answer her letters as it turns out he can't read or write. Meanwhile an Italian brigade is stationed to the island. The Italians, in true Italian style want to "make love, not war" as it were and basically want to sing all day. Everything goes on well, the Greeks and Italians develop a fragile friendship. Captain Antonio is stationed with Pelagia and her father and they slowly fall in love. (Antonio and Pelagia. Not her father) But as the war advances the Italians are scheduled to be executed by the Germans. Antonio is saved by Carlo a giant and gay Italian who is in love with him, only nobody knows this until later. Antonio is forced to return to Italy but promises he will return for Pelagia, he leaves his prized mandolin as a hostage of sorts. He doesn't return. She adopts a baby and in a surprising turn of events shoots Mandras who drowns himself. Life on the island changes rapidly over the next 40 years after an earthquake destroys the village and kills Pelagia's father. Pelagia grows old, raises a daughter and grandson. You know where this is going. Eventually Antonio returns and that is the end.
The Review: It takes a certain amount of courage to write a novel about a love triangle during World War 2, being a genre that has been done to death but Bernieres succeeds on many levels. The love story between the characters is griping and the depictions of life on the island are engaging and vivid. Carlo's character is one of the richest without being cliched. His sacrifice is one of the most moving scenes in the book and the other characters unquestioning acceptance of his love for Antonio is well depicted and Bernieres resists the urge to be sensational or preachy. However one of the greatest strengths of Captain Corelli's Mandolin are the last chapters, following life on the island as it changes over the years and Pelagia's transition from youthful beauty to grandmother. These scenes are relatively short and rapid which creates a sense that one minute you are in the heat of World War 2 and the next in 1993, which is much how the characters feel and I'm sure, quite true to life. The struggles to adjust to life after the war and to overcome wartime prejudices is choking and well written. The reunion of Antonio and Pelagia quietly sidesteps cliche and is somehow more sad than sweet, and as they drive off into the sunset, as it were, you know that it's a book not soon to be forgotten.
That's all, hope you all have a lovely weekend! See you on Monday! xx
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