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Hi all,

I'm a massive bookworm and always have a book on the go, so I thought I'd share something that I'm absolutely loving! It's actually a book for my A level English Literature, and I'd never heard of it before the summer, but I think it's amazing.

It's 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin', by Louis de Bernieres. The wikipedia page for the film advertises it as a 'war epic', but I can't begin to state how much I disagree with that! The war is a major background theme that impacts the characters, and this is emphasised by the sarcastic comments made by the doctor. But in reality, the novel is so much more.

Set throughout and after WWII, the war hangs in the background at all times, and we are never allowed to forget the different lives the two lovers hold, which in itself is heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also emphasises how bloody it was, and how even after it was, over, remnants still hung in the air; the destruction of towns, babies born out of wedlock, families being broken, and of course, the millions of deaths that ensued. De Bernieres is also not afraid to touch on the indoctrinated fear that the characters still have of their opponents, even years after the war has ended and their lives have altered hugely.

A prominent theme of course is love. Why else would we be studying it under the subject 'relationships that cause powerful emotions'?! The central relationships, both familial and romantic are beautifully set out, showing both the shifts in lust and passion, and the long-lived love that is established near the beginning and continues throughout. In particular, I love the character of Carlo and the way his homosexuality, as a soldier in the army is portrayed. Especially in earlier history, where many were nowhere as accepting, I feel that it was wonderfully conveyed and the character's bravery and sacrifice for the name of love were incredibly moving. Carlo's narratives were some of the most poignant and beautifully descriptive, and even though he wasn't a central character, his storyline was absolutely crucial to the rest of the plot. It would not nearly have been so tragic and passionate had his story been excluded, even though not always relevant to the rest of the events.

I will admit, this book did take me a while to get into. I read about three chapters a few months ago, and decided I should finish it this half term, and I'm so glad I did. When it gets going, it is outstanding and is not afraid to inflict pain or death on its characters, which merely emphasises the realism of their lives and how they suffered. The detail with which they think and de Bernieres comments on their emotions varies from humorous to devastating as the reader is allowed real insight into their lives.

I don't hesitate in saying that this is one of the best books that I've ever read, and I would recommend it to anybody in the mood for some deep reading. The only thing that I would say is that some footnotes or maybe some historical notes would have been handy. Maybe it's just me and my lousy general knowledge, but I was very confused when the Germans started attacking the Italians - I thought they were both on the same side in WWII? Mum clarified it for me, and apparently they were originally, but it shifted part of the way through the war. It would have been helpful to have that somewhere, although that may just be me, like I said!