Captain's Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres (4)

Beginning in 1940, as Italy prepares to attack Greece and enter the Second World War on the side of the Germans, Captain Corelli's Mandolin tells the story of Pelgia, the beautiful young daughter of Dr Iannis. Engaged to Mandras, a handsome young fisherman, Pelagia is left alone when war intervenes and Mandras enlists. Following the invasion of the island by the Italians, Captain Antonio Corelli, a young and far from fanatical artillery captain with a passion for music, is billeted with Pelagia and her father. As the Italian occupiers and Greek islanders begin to come to terms with each other, so Pelagia's love for Mandras falters and her affection for the charming and civilised Corelli grows. As an increasingly bestial war comes closer and closer, Corelli and Pelagia find themselves united by their love but divided by their nationality and by the savagery of war.

I had forgotten just how much I really like this book .... I re-read it for the 1% challenge and was so glad that I did ...

It is funny in parts and Louis de Bernieres style of writing is so vivid at times that you actually feel that you are there ... He describes the horrors of war brilliantly that you are apoured by what men can be capable of ....

The love affair with Pelagia and the Captain is beautiful ........ And one of my favourite bits is when the father is talking to his daughter about love and says :

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is."
Ahhhhhhhhhh.... Ok I am just a romantic at heart ...

There is abit of language in it and some of the descriptions of the war scenes are awful but isn't war supposed to be horrible ...

Well I am so glad that I have picked this book up again and will not leave it to long next time to pick it up again ...

I rate this book 41/2 ****

I am leaving you with Pelagia's song .... It is beautiful and haunting from the Movie "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" This is something that I enjoyed in the movie was to hear the mandolin and the music ..... Enjoy ...