Corelli's Mandolin Audiobook By Louis de Bernieres cover art

Corelli's Mandolin

A Novel

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Corelli's Mandolin

By: Louis de Bernieres
Narrated by: Stephen Lang
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The acclaimed story of a timeless place that one day wakes up to find itself in the jaws of history: "An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

The place is the Greek island of Cephallonia, where gods once dabbled in the affairs of men and the local saint periodically rises from his sarcophagus to cure the mad. Then the tide of World War II rolls onto the island's shores in the form of the conquering Italian army.

Caught in the occupation are Pelagia, a willful, beautiful young woman, and the two suitors vying for her love: Mandras, a gentle fisherman turned ruthless guerilla, and the charming, mandolin-playing Captain Corelli, a reluctant officer of the Italian garrison on the island. Rich with loyalties and betrayals, and set against a landscape where the factual blends seamlessly with the fantastic, Corelli's Mandolin is a passionate novel as rich in ideas as it is genuinely moving.

©2012 Louis de Bernieres (P)2019 Random House Audio 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Military Protector Romance Heartfelt Tearjerking Funny Witty

Critic reviews

"Brims with all the grand topics of literature—love and death, heroism and skull-duggery, humor and pathos, not to mention art and religion.... A good old-fashioned novel." —The Washington Post Book World

"An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent." —Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Stunning.... A high-spirited historical romance.... Remarkable." —The New York Times Book Review
Beautiful Writing • Historical Accuracy • Masterful Narration • Emotional Depth • Immersive Storytelling
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I have been an Audible member since 2002, and this has been simply the best listening experience I have had. Stephen Lang does masterful job bringing these animated characters to life and sweeping you into the cyclone that was life in Greece at this time.

Just a great experience - recommend it highly.

Totally Transported

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This is a fabulous book. The story and characters are well developed and the writing is almost poetic at times. I have not seen the movie but am trying to find it online. I have read many WWII books, but had not read one placed in Greece so this presented a new view for me.

Exquisite writing

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Great story and great characters. The movie and book have some similarities, but they are different. While I liked the movie better, the book was very enjoyable. I would recommend this book.

Enjoyable, but movie was better

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I found this book after hearing David Brooks quote a passage about true love from the book by David Brooks on PBS news. To the reader or listener, I recommend you to stay with it … the author takes his time to introduce and develop each character … endearing them to us over time … and leaving us longing for their company when the book ends. Cannot recommend this one enough … and I recommend this as an audible over a book to be read, if you can. The narrator is outstanding!

The perfect narrator for the perfect story

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This is a terrific older book which deserves a new look by all who were too young to have been exposed to it years ago. It has the scope of a Gone With the Wind, also a wartime novel entwined with a love story. The author has a powerful command of language which combines with the narrator’s Italian or Greek accent to make book brilliantly come to life.

Wonderful novel; Great narrator!

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I read Corelli’s Mandolin when it was first published and fell in love with it. It’s one of my very favorite books. I braced myself for the audiobook not living up to my very fond memories and needn’t have worried. The narration is as magical as the story.

Just as wonderful as when first published

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This performer/reader is especially skilled. Bravo! Thank you for a delightful experience. I was transported.

Delightful novel. Delightful reader.

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Wonderful combination of history and romance set in the tragedy of war. Beautiful, illustrative character development. I loved the author’s wit and didn’t want it to end.

Timeless tale of war and romance

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A true masterpiece!!! Profound, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspirational. This historical fiction spans a time period before and after World War II. The main characters are Greek and Italian. The narration is remarkable capturing multiple cultures and accents. A must listen.

Magnificent Story!!!

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Highly recommend it. Teaches you a lot about history and the characters are absolutely fabulous. Also, love the unexpected ending

Loved everything about this book

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