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 First Edition | |
| Author | Louis de Bernières |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical, Romance,War novel |
| Publisher | Secker & Warburg |
Publication date | 1994 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 544 |
| ISBN | 0-436-20158-5 |
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, released simultaneously in the United States asCorelli's Mandolin,[1] is a 1994[2] novel by the British writerLouis de Bernières, set on the Greek island ofCephalonia during theItalian and German occupation of theSecond World War. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 19 on theBBC's surveyThe Big Read.
Dr. Iannis resides on the Greek island of Cephalonia with his daughter Pelagia, who has acquired medical knowledge through her observations of her father's practice. Pelagia becomes romantically involved with a young fisherman named Mandras, and they become engaged just as World War II breaks out. Mandras decides to join the fight on the front lines, leaving Pelagia anxiously awaiting his letters, which never arrive. Meanwhile, Carlo Guercio, a closeted homosexual, fights alongside the Italian forces invading Albania and witnesses the tragic death of his beloved Francesco, for whom he harbors deep affection, at the hands of the Greek army.
In 1941, Italian and German soldiers are posted to Cephalonia, where they are ostracized by the locals. Pelagia is determined to hate them, especially when a young captain named Antonio Corelli is domiciled with her. Mandras comes home from the war and Pelagia realizes she no longer loves him. Mandras leaves for the Greek mainland, where he joins the communist partisan organisationELAS. But this Greek resistance group is cruel towards the civilian population and frequently attacks other partisan groups for being ideologically no different than the Axis's occupying forces.
When Italy surrenders, their former German allies turn on them. After defeating the Italian division, the German soldiers on Cephalonia carry out a massive execution. Corelli's life is saved by Carlo Guercio, who shields him with his body when they faceexecution by firing squad. Guercio dies, and the wounded Corelli is aided by a Greek back to Pelagia's house. Corelli has to stay hidden from the Germans, whose orders are to kill any surviving Italians.
As soon as he is well enough, Corelli escapes to Italy, promising Pelagia that he will return as soon as the war ends and then they will be married. Corelli leaves "Antonia," hismandolin, with Pelagia for safekeeping.
The war eventually ends and communists take over the island. Dr Iannis is considered an intellectual, therefore suspect, and is sent to a camp along with some of his friends, who protest against his treatment. Mandras returns, having learned to read, indoctrinated withCommunist ideologies. He has read Pelagia's letters and knows that she does not love him, so he tries unsuccessfully to rape her. Mandras' mother realizes what almost happened and repudiates her own son. Ashamed, he commits suicide. Mandras' mother comforts Pelagia and remains close with Pelagia for the remainder of her life.
Some time after, a baby girl is left on Pelagia's doorstep, who Pelagia adopts. Dr Iannis comes home,traumatised. The baby girl, whom Pelagia has named Antonia, grows up and marries. Antonia later has a son who is named Iannis in honor of the doctor.
Many years later, Corelli, now a famous mandolin player, visits Pelagia one last time.
Bernières has denied that the character of Corelli is based onAmos Pampaloni [it] who was then an Italian artillery captain in Cephalonia, despite the many similarities in their stories. Pampaloni survived execution, joined theGreek People's Liberation Army, the Partisans in theGreek civil war, and fought with them inEpirus for fourteen months. Pampaloni was interviewed byThe Guardian newspaper in 2000[3] and expressed the view that the novel misrepresented the Greek partisan movement.
The novel also shows some similarities toBandiera bianca a Cefalonia, a novel byMarcello Venturi [it] published in 1963, translated in English asThe White Flag (1969).
TheOrlando Sentinel calledCorelli's Mandolin a "radically traditionalist" novel, "a good nourishing tale full of true things, historical and psychological, spiced with opinion and contrariness, with not one dollop of regard for artistic fashion."[4]
TheCleveland Plain Dealer praised the multiple emotional levels of the novel, remarking, "LikePuccini, de Bernières can evoke golden narrative, full of both pain and gladness."[5]
Gene Hyde wrote, "To defySisyphus and rebel against the absurd, especially in the face of war, is an excruciatingly difficult and noble task. The beauty of Bernières' unique and deeply moving novel is his insistence that our hope lies in these seemingly quixotic impulses."[6]
The novel was adapted as four 45-minute radio plays from 17 to 20 September 2007 onBBC Radio 4, having been chosen as a popular "Book of the Week" on the same station some years earlier. The episode titles were "A Pea in the Ear," "Invasion of the Italians," "Looking for Snails" and "Earthquake." It was narrated byTom Goodman-Hill, withCelia Meiras as Pelagia,Stephen Greif as Dr Iannis,Daniel Philpott as Corelli. The mandolin music for it was composed and performed byAlison Stephens, and the production was produced and directed byDavid Hunter. Other cast members included:
A film version ofCaptain Corelli's Mandolin was released in 2001, withNicolas Cage as the Italian Captain Corelli,John Hurt as Dr Iannis, andPenélope Cruz as his daughter, Pelagia. The film, directed byJohn Madden, also starredChristian Bale[9] andIrene Papas.[10]
In 2011, theMercury Theatre inColchester, England, and the Kote Marjanishvili Theatre ofTbilisi, Georgia, produced an adaptation of the novel written by Mike Maran and directed by Levan Tsuladze. This production combined live actors and puppetry. It had its premiere in Georgia at the Tbilisi International Festival in October 2011, before transferring to the Mercury.[11][12]
A new stage adaptation byRona Munro and directed byMelly Still previews at theLeicester Curve from 13 to 20 April 2019 before opening at theRose Theatre, Kingston (23 April to 12 May), and touring toTheatre Royal, Bath (14 to 18 May),Birmingham Repertory Theatre (29 May to 15 June),King's Theatre, Edinburgh (18 to 22 June) andTheatre Royal, Glasgow (25 to 29 June). Following its UK tour, the production transferred to London'sWest End at theHarold Pinter Theatre from 4 July to 31 August 2019 starring Alex Mugnaioni as Captain Antonio Corelli and Madison Clare as Pelagia.
In 2024, CYRESSA editions have announced the release of Captain Corelli’s mandolin, a graphic novel adaptation of Louis de Bernières' best-selling novel, produced by Arnaud Ribadeau Dumas. With Kefalonian landscapes detailed illustrations this graphic adaptation offers a new way to discover the timeless love story and its dilemmas. This unique collaboration between Louis de Bernières and Arnaud Ribadeau Dumas combines the author’s powerful literary style with the narrative and graphic talent of the French illustrator.
