View source for Captain Corelli's Mandolin

<ref>{{cite web |title=Cyressa Editions |url=https://www.cyressa.com |website=CYRESSA |publisher=A.Ribadeau Dumas |access-date=13 February 2025}}</ref>{{short description|1994 novel by Louis de Bernières}}
{{for|the 2001 film|Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)}}
{{Essay-like|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox book <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name         = Captain Corelli's Mandolin
| title_orig   =
| translator   =
| image        = Captain Corelli's Mandolin 1994 book cover.jpg
| caption      = First Edition
| author       = [[Louis de Bernières]]
| cover_artist =
| country      = United Kingdom
| language     = English
| series       =
| genre        = [[Historical novel|Historical]], Romance, [[War novel]]
| publisher    = [[Secker & Warburg]]
| release_date = 1994
| media_type   = Print (hardback & paperback)
| pages        = 544
| isbn         = 0-436-20158-5
| preceded_by  =
| followed_by  =
}}

'''''Captain Corelli's Mandolin''''', released simultaneously in the United States as '''''Corelli's Mandolin''''',<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Z5RKVU Corelli's Mandolin &#91;Hardcover&#93;] Retrieved on 28 November 2010.</ref> is a 1994<ref>{{cite web |url=https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/louis-de-bernieres |title=Louis de Bernières |work=British Council Literature |publisher=[[British Council]] |access-date=2016-01-26}}</ref> novel by the British writer [[Louis de Bernières]], set on the Greek island of [[Cephalonia]] during the [[Axis occupation of Greece during World War II|Italian and German occupation]] of the [[World War II|Second World War]]. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 19 on the [[BBC]]'s survey [[The Big Read]].

==Synopsis==
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 organisation [[ELAS]]. 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 face [[execution 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," his [[mandolin]], 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 with [[communism|Communist]] 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, [[Psychological trauma|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.

==Real story and precedents==
Bernières has denied that the character of Corelli is based on {{ill|Amos Pampaloni|it}} who was then an Italian artillery captain in Cephalonia, despite the many similarities in their stories. Pampaloni survived execution, joined the [[Greek People's Liberation Army]], the Partisans in the [[Greek Civil War|Greek civil war]], and fought with them in [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]] for fourteen months. Pampaloni was interviewed by ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper in 2000<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/jul/29/fiction.features1 Greek myth (part two)]</ref> and expressed the view that the novel misrepresented the Greek partisan movement.

The novel also shows some similarities to ''Bandiera bianca a Cefalonia'', a novel by {{ill|Marcello Venturi|it}} published in 1963, translated in English as ''The White Flag'' (1969).

==Reception==
The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' called ''Corelli'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."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/11/09/mandolin-arrives-via-old-literary-ways/|title='Mandolin' Arrives Via Old Literary Ways|newspaper=tribunedigital-orlandosentinel|access-date=2016-12-26|archive-date=26 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226145951/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-11-09/lifestyle/9411070535_1_corelli-mandolin-soldier-novel|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''[[The Plain Dealer|Cleveland Plain Dealer]]'' praised the multiple emotional levels of the novel, remarking, "Like [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]], de Bernières can evoke golden narrative, full of both pain and gladness."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Targett|first1=Bob|title=WORLD WAR II SAGA SET ON GREEK ISLE HAS OPERATIC SWEEP|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=10 December 1995}}</ref>

Gene Hyde wrote, "To defy [[Sisyphus]] 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."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hyde|first1=Gene|title=THE INVINCIBLE POWER OF HUMANITARIAN IMPULSES|work=[[News & Record]]|date=26 February 1995}}</ref>

==Awards==
* 1995 – [[Commonwealth Writers Prize]] for Best Book<ref>{{cite web |title=Captain Corelli's Mandolin |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/422427/captain-corellis-mandolin-by-louis-de-bernieres/9781445872001 |website=penguin.co.uk |access-date=8 October 2023|date=1 November 2011}}</ref>
* 2003 – 19th place on [[The Big Read]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Big Read – Top 100 Books |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml |publisher=BBC |access-date=8 October 2023}}</ref>

==Adaptations==

===Radio===
The novel was adapted as four 45-minute radio plays from 17 to 20 September 2007 on [[BBC 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 by [[Tom Goodman-Hill]], with [[Celia Meiras]] as Pelagia, [[Stephen Greif]] as Dr Iannis, [[Daniel Philpott]] as Corelli. The mandolin music for it was composed and performed by [[Alison Stephens]], and the production was produced and directed by [[David Hunter (director)|David Hunter]]. Other cast members included:
*Carlo – [[Anthony Psaila]]
*Mandras – [[Chris Pavlo]]
*Velisarios – [[Alexi Kaye Campbell]]
*Father Arsenios – [[Alex Zorbas]]
*Lemoni – [[Ania Gordon]]
*Drosoula – [[Anna Savva]]
*Hector – [[Nitin Ganatra]]
*Officer – [[Simon Treves]]

===Film===
{{Main article|Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)}}
A film version of ''Captain Corelli's Mandolin'' was released in 2001, with [[Nicolas Cage]] as the Italian Captain Corelli, [[John Hurt]] as Dr Iannis, and [[Penélope Cruz]] as his daughter, Pelagia. The film, directed by [[John Madden (director)|John Madden]], also starred [[Christian Bale]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Peter |title=Captain Corelli's Mandolin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/may/04/louisdebernieres |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 October 2023 |date=4 May 2001}}</ref> and [[Irene Papas]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bergan |first1=Ronald |title=Irene Papas obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/sep/14/irene-papas-obituary |website=The Guardian |access-date=8 October 2023 |date=14 September 2022}}</ref>

===Theatre===
In 2011, the [[Mercury Theatre, Colchester|Mercury Theatre]] in [[Colchester]], England, and the Kote Marjanishvili Theatre of [[Tbilisi]], 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/fs_brochure.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003230517/http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/fs_brochure.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-10-03 |title=Mercury Theatre Colchester – brochure |access-date=2018-06-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/shows.php?id=876 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003231123/http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/shows.php?id=876 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-10-03 |title=Mercury Theatre Colchester – Shows |access-date=2018-06-23}}</ref>

A new stage adaptation by [[Rona Munro]] and directed by [[Melly Still]] previews at the [[Curve (theatre)|Leicester Curve]] from 13 to 20 April 2019 before opening at the [[Rose Theatre, Kingston]] (23 April to 12 May), and touring to [[Theatre Royal, Bath]] (14 to 18 May), [[Birmingham Repertory Theatre]] (29 May to 15 June), [[King's Theatre, Edinburgh]] (18 to 22 June) and [[Theatre Royal, Glasgow]] (25 to 29 June). Following its UK tour, the production transferred to London's [[West End theatre|West End]] at the [[Harold Pinter Theatre]] from 4 July to 31 August 2019 starring Alex Mugnaioni as Captain Antonio Corelli and Madison Clare as Pelagia.

===Illustrated Book (Comic)===
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.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.louisdebernieres.co.uk/corelli.html}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1994 British novels]]
[[Category:British historical novels]]
[[Category:British novels adapted for radio]]
[[Category:British novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:British novels adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Cephalonia]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Benito Mussolini]]
[[Category:English novels]]
[[Category:Italian occupation of Greece during World War II]]
[[Category:Novels by Louis de Bernières]]
[[Category:Novels set in Greece during World War II]]
[[Category:Novels set on islands]]
[[Category:Secker & Warburg books]]