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CORELLI’S MANDOLINWritten by Louis de Bernières
Imagine a place where the ancient and the modern mingle like wine and cheese… a place at the crossroads of the world, where millennia of history have soaked into the very stones. This place is the Greek island of Cephallonia, and the time is early World War Two. A bright, beautiful young woman named Pelagia and her father Dr. Iannis live in a hut on Cephallonia, running the courses of their old-fashioned daily lives. Dr. Iannis, the only doctor on the entire island, takes care of all who come his way. Cynical, clever and educated, his hobby is attempting to write a history of Cephallonia. The book starts here, and de Bernières first illustrates the island itself; what sticks out most are the antiquity and the beautiful images that he delineates. Cephallonia is a place that exists almost out of space and time, half-forgotten yet conquered by many cultures. It is gorgeous, and most of the novel takes place on it. Corelli’s Mandolin is a love story, and saucy Pelagia is the star of the show.
As the book begins, Pelagia falls in love with a young man named Mandras, a resident fisherman who turns a corner and is accidentally shot with the ricochet of a cannon blast, fired by the town strong man Velisarios while he is giving a show. Mandras goes to Pelagia’s father for help and is nursed by her; they become young lovers and eventually fiancées. But just a few days after Pelagia consents to marrying Mandras, he runs off to be a soldier fighting against the Italians, convinced that he must have some status in order to marry the doctor’s daughter. While he is gone he suffers immense warfare trauma and returns a gibbering madman. Pelagia, disgusted but feeling obligated to help, nurses him back to health. At this time, the Italian army invades Cephallonia. The Greeks put up stubborn resistance, and it just so happens that the regiment of Italians that is stationed on Cephallonia has a great sense of humor. Their captain is Antonio Corelli, a musician and one of the greatest mandolin players in the world, who somehow has charmed both his soldiers and eventually all the Cephallonians. In particular, he charms Pelagia and predictably, the two fall in love. This is okay, apparently, because Mandras runs away, not yet entirely sane, and joins up with the Greek Communist group ELAS. De Bernières tells stories of all these characters and events and more, and we see how Corelli’s and Pelagia’s love develops.
But alas, the tides of war turn against them… when Italy surrenders to the Allies, the Germans turn on them. They land at the Cephallonian post and when orders are given, they massacre many Greeks and Italians alike. Corelli is saved from a gory death by machine-gun fire by the heroic deeds of Carlo Piero Guercio, a member of his company who throughout the story falls in love with Corelli as well. This is not discovered until many years after Carlo’s death. Corelli flees to Italy during the night, assisted by Pelagia and Dr. Iannis, and Pelagia does not see him or hear from him again. The last third of the book is the story of the rest of Pelagia’s life… and I will not spoil the ending for you! But the story as a whole varies from scene to scene… from the workings of the armies of the Axis and the Allies to the sweet music of Corelli to the tale of a closet homosexual to lazy afternoons in the kapheneia to miracles, goatherds, saints, pagan gods, Communists, motorcycles, earthquakes and babies dropped off at doorsteps. So much happens within its 436 pages… you will be amazed when you finish reading.
Corelli’s Mandolin is an incredible novel; de Bernières writes with infinite wit while at the same time astonishing philosophical depth and variety of style. The book is full of culture as well, with smatterings of several languages such as Greek, Italian, French and German phrases stuck in here and there. For example, the entire second chapter is in stream-of-consciousness form, exposing the thoughts of Mussolini as the dictator of Italy. There is foreign speech in the chapter, examples of the Italian culture and attitude of the times, and details about little-acknowledged Fascist Italy. Yet the novel isn’t just interesting to linguists, anthropologists, and historians: it’s a great read besides! I assure you, readers will both crack up and enter the realm of deep thought while going through the book, and may even develop misty eyes at some points. Best of all, the novel is based on a true story.
As far as a Christian perspective: there was a good deal of joking irreverence, enough to stick out but not enough to be offensive. In the beginning the local Orthodox priest is depicted as a lazy and lecherous blister on society’s big toe, but towards the middle he is transformed into a hardcore and respectable evangelist. He becomes a savior, a sort of half-saint near when the German army takes over. There are stories of miracles and legends of the Greek gods and goddesses, which do not really profess de Bernières’s faith but rather add color to the storyline. The humanitarian nature of the novel appeals to Christians, because we are humanitarians ourselves. The novel waxes philosophical rather than religious; but as far as I can see there is an upbeat attitude towards Christianity. Dramatic and engaging, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone—whether you like a love story, a war story, history, action, language, comedy, drama, philosophy or even just a decent piece of writing.
- Tina Hegg
September 2002
September 2002
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