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 view optionsfont: A A size: - 12 +book reviewspeoplemystic fiction health identity music/moviesjazzgrrlsmovies rantrrrampage
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On the cover of this book it should say "ohmigod, for god's sake don't start reading this book if you have Nazi inclinations, because by the end of it you're going to be a raving hippie of the new world, handing out flowers and chanting in Latin to Cephallonian street urchins." Instead it says "Absolutely Brilliant" quoted by Britain's hard-nosed political tv interviewer, Jeremy Paxman. It's a ploy to make you think it's a simple book, a stiff read. And if Jeremy Paxman liked it, it must be full of political ramblings.
No ramblings, plenty of realism. Sure, I learned more European History and Geography from this book than I did going to school for 13 years, but the information came as a carefully balanced lovingly-created living history. Even the problems of prejudice faced with writing history are described by the wonderful character Dr Iannis.
The novel begins sounding like a novel, then each chapter is revealed to be spoken by a different voice. There is an internal monologue of Mussolini himself, an anonymous propaganda pamphlet, and the voice of a sad Italian soldier. My favourite chapter came as a bit of a surprise. It was about snails. Other chapters tell the stories of characters from the same Greek village that the novel eventually rests with. By over half-way through all the threads are cleverly woven together.
This is no easy book to stomach. I had to give up reading it at one point and move on to something else because it got too poignant. But when I picked it up again, I felt ashamed for having doubted Berniéres. Sure, it gets sad, it's a book about war. But more importantly, it's a book about people, and the life inside people, enemies and heroes alike. It's a history written by real people, about love, home, soldiers, emotions, history and experiencing these things first hand, from every angle. Berniéres' language touches all the senses; sounds, tastes, sensation and images are vividly described.
The story does not end when the war does, but carries on regardless with the tale of generations; how the young become the old, and how history is a thing of the present when witnessed through the eyes of the living.
The hero, Captain Corelli, enters beautifully on schedule half-way through the book. With his music, incredibly described in words, the kind Italian Captain brings his own flavour to the occupied island of Cephallonia. The author, actually a Londoner, delights in continually pointing out the comical differences between different nationalities. Here's my favourite example. Enjoy :
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