Greetings jason,

As someone who is still itching to read Catch 22 (perhaps a future pick?), and as someone who has already read Captain Corelli's Mandolin, I think I am loving it more than the first time. I can't stop reading it. I too won't say anything, as it's a little easier to spoil this book than Armstrong's "Bible" **gasp! Zohar is the Kabbalists Book of Spendor! You've ruined it!**). I guess we'll have to wait till everyone's done it to have any substantial discussions.

I'm still waiting for mine to be shipped in from Germania...

I think Catch-22 is my favourite fiction book (definitely top 5) so I am looking forward to this one. I have BIG hopes!!!!!

Just got the book last night... I like the first 3 chapters so far! Hoping to meet the deadline...

So... reading the book and liking it, but I think it will be very unlikely for me to reach Mr. Wright's set deadline. How far are you guys?

I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised by the book and I'm glad someone "forced" me to read it because based on the movie trailers I saw, I don't think I would have ever picked it up on my own. I know, I know... movies suck compared to books...

Juraj, that's why I chose this book, because I thought the same thing until someone gave it to me and told me to forget about what I know about the movie and read it. Thank goodness I've never seen the movie. But as the cliche goes, the book is always better than the movie.

And for the record, I finished it yesterday. But no worries about the deadline. The same thing happened with the Bible book. Everyone has different schedules. But, I'm ready to discuss when everyone else is.

I also finished this book months ago. I have to agree with Maur, it was excellent and gave rise to a host of emotions while I was reading it. This was the first fictional book I had read in years, and I must say that I was completely taken in by it. My favourite character, in the end, has to be the Captain. However a close second would have to be Carlo, the gentle giant.

I think all of us should live our lives like the Captain. He seems so care free, a man that prioritized the finer things in life, and didn't sweat the small (or even big) stuff. He personifies a romanticism that I can only wish to emulate as I get older (and crankier).

The ending was so sad, and yet it didn't leave me unsatisfied. Overall I guess you could say it was a sad story, however interrupted by a number of comical and happy moments. It would have cheapened the story to have a happy ending just wrap everything together. It is similar in my mind to Italian cinema, which seems to be so emotive and sad and yet makes you smile throughout. A prime example is A beautiful life, or Il postino. Both are wonderfully sad movies that make you realize the small joyful moments in life.

I haven't stopped thinking about it since I put it down, now I have to watch the movie...don't let me down Nicholas Cage...

rest in peace Carlo.

It took me a couple of chapters to get into it. I guess it's necessary when there are several characters to introduce. The author does such a good job of giving each character depth, there is a quality to each of them that the reader can identify with. I particularly liked the chapters that are like Carlo's diary entries, about his closet homosexuality and his hatred of the war. I'd have to say that those were the most striking for me. To me, Carlo was the most profound and intelligent character of the bunch, even more so than the doctor.

A great chapter is the one where Carlo and Francesco are sent on a mission which they do not know is meant to be a suicide mission to spark the invasion of Greece. It's especially good given the author preceded it with a chapter all about Mussolini in the first person.

"I too looked at the stars. 'We were supposed to be killed. That's why we were told to go without identification discs. We are Greeks attacking the Italian Army, and we're supposed to be dead. That's why they only sent two of us. To make sure that we didn't win.'

Franscesco stood up slowly. He raised his arms in a small gesture of anguish, and then let them drop to his side. He said bitterly, 'it looks as though some stupid bastard wants to provoke a little war with Greece.' "

The next Carlo chapter is even better, because instead of lamenting war he begins to glorify it, as it brings him closer to his beloved Franscesco...then, as you know, things turn sour. But that leads him to Captain Corelli.

I loved this book. Good choice Alex.

For me, this is definitely in my top five books all time. That was my second time reading it, and it’s really interesting hearing other peoples’ favourite parts. For example, Len, I forgot about that chapter with Carlo and Francesco.

I’ll start with my favourite chapters (in no particular order):

1) Chapter 47 – when Dr. Iannis “counsels” Pelagia on love, and her situation with Corelli. Notable quotes: “Love itself is what is leftover when being in love has burned away, and that is both an art and a fortunate accident.” The father-daughter awkwardness of this “talk” is palpable. I listened to a de Berniers talk online, and he’s been told that that quote is quite often used in people’s wedding vows.

2) Chapter 3 – when Velisarios proves himself to be the self-proclaimed strongest man. I like this chapter because I like his character, and it sets the tone for the intimacy of the village life, introducing funny characters like Velisarios, Father Arsenios, etc. It’s only appropriate that Velisarios retrieves Dr. Iannis’s body from the rubble.

3) Chapter 20 – when Mandras comes back from the war, mangled beyond all recognition to the point that Pelagia doesn’t know who he is. It’s sad because you know he’s still stuck in the past, but she has moved on. The demise of his character throughout the book is so saddening, because it exposes the reality and tragedy of war, and how it can completely warp a simple mind, and not live up to the romantics standard that many at the time held it to be.

4) Chapter 56 – of course, when Carlo is shot, and saves Corelli. That chapter reminded me a bit of “The Wall” by Sartre, and the build up to death, and dealing with death in an existential way: “Smoking as casually as at a party;” “It was easier to hum than to dwell on death;” “Why not smile in the face of death. Let’s sing boys.”

5) Chapter 61 – Corelli’s goodbye on the beach. I feel gay writing this, but when he says goodbye to Pelagia and she wades into the water, it’s heart-wrenching.

The last chapter is really sad: seeing an old, weathered Pelagia who has let herself go, and grown bitter with life and her past. Len, I agree about the ending. I feel that such an ending is so much more appropriate and realistic than to have them reunite as "lovers."

I also love how the story weaves in all the Greek lore, with references to Achilles, Homer, Empedocles, etc. I also love de Bernieres' cultural analysis of the British, the Italians, the Germans, etc.

Favourite character? I don’t think I can choose, but if I had a gun to my head, I think I would have to agree with Maur and say Dr. Iannis. He’s such a believable character (not to say that others weren’t). I just feel that he came to life the most for me.

In regards to the movie, here’s what de Bernieres had to say about it: "It would be impossible for a parent to be happy about its baby's ears being put on backwards." He apparently hated it, and I don’t need to watch it to find out why.

I’ve read six of his books. Captain Corelli (for me) is his best, but a close second is Birds Without Wings, which I highly recommend. It takes place in Turkey amidst the crumbling of the Ottoman Empire, and is similar in many ways to Captain Corelli.

Alex, you are right about Mandras...he is such a pathetic figure by the end of it. He goes to war to prove himself a man and he comes back unrecognizable, and indoctrinated. It's really the saddest part of the story that he just completely wasted his life and the love that he had for Pelagia.

Maur, I read a bit of that link you posted. I have a few issues with it. Firstly, I don't agree with: "(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do." For example, you could say something like: "That is disgusting," or you could say "that is revolting." I think they are quite synonomous and equally get the exact same message across. So, according to his rules, I should never use the word 'disgusting' in that circumstance because 'revolting' is one letter shorter? So we should do away with the word 'disgusting' altogether because 'revolting' will do?

I also have a problem with: "(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent." I have a problem with it because 60% of English comes from French. So, it would be quite difficult to not use a foreign phrase. French is so ingrained into English that there are words and phrases we use that don't have an English equivalent. For example, as far as I know, there is no English alternative to "deja vu," which is clearly French. Or status quo (which is Latin). Saying status quo is hardly "pretentious diction," giving an "air of elegance and culture." I guess 60 years ago things were different, but languages evolve, and the phrase 'status quo' is so common now I can't think of what I would say in its place. Same goes for deja vu.

Anyways, just putting that out there for discussion.

enjoy aimless pontification...

my message was simply a double entendre...