Book Review - Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Wasn't Nicolage Cage in a movie adaptation of this book?  If so, I cannot think of a more poorly chosen actor to portray Captain Corelli, an Italian officer in command of invading and later keeping the peace on the Greek island of Cephalonia.  This captain was charming, quick witted, musical and, I'm assuming, handsome.  Afterall, famed beauty Pegalia couldn't even resist his charms.

This is an odd book but I liked it.  World War II seems to have an endless influence on authors and this is yet another story of another people in another place that gave me yet another perspective on the great war.  This doesn't feel historical, really, because of the quirkiness of the characters and narration, which almost took on a fantasy tone, but maybe that how the Greeks really are.

I really am a romantic because my favorite part of the story, by far, was the romance between Corelli and Pegalia.  The story offers much more - description of music (it is part of the title), wisdom from Pegalia's father, Dr. Iannis, folklore, Greek history and geography, Italian history, notes on friendship and, yes, the cruelties of war.

It also has one of my favorite quotes about love.  I've posted it before, back in December (can you believe how far behind in book reviews I am????) when I actually read this book, but I'm going to post it again.  I love it.

"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.  Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day or lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body...No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths.  That is just being 'in love', which any fool can do.  Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.  Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."


I'm so glad I read this.  I'm even more glad that I didn't have Nicolas Cage in my head when I did so.