Comments on things mean a lot: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

I know very little about Greece during WWII, so I&...

2010-10-19T17:52:20.700+01:00

I know very little about Greece during WWII, so I've added this to my to-read list! I'll link to your review on War Through the Generations soon.

Yes, I read this pre-blogging, and enjoyed it thor...

2010-09-06T03:53:20.776+01:00

Yes, I read this pre-blogging, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you for your excellent review. Now I have to read it again!

I keep seeing copies of this everywhere and I have...

2010-09-05T22:01:04.043+01:00

I keep seeing copies of this everywhere and I have never really been drawn to pick up a copy. It's good to find out what it's about and you know I may even get a copy next time I see one :)

Great review Nymeth. I love how you say that histo...

2010-09-04T00:53:43.722+01:00

Great review Nymeth. I love how you say that historical fiction 'it draws attention to the cobwebby corners of the past that seemed doomed to being forgotten'-fantastic!
I watched the film version years ago and didn't care for it. Nicholas Cage is in it.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

as a real alfacinha, I think it took me 30years to...

2010-09-03T21:46:26.336+01:00

as a real alfacinha, I think it took me 30years to try snails - though I was not starving hungry in any of them. And seriously, they are awesome, just consider them "buzios" or "percebes" or even shrimp, just you know of the land. Good cooking is important and some beer ( Sagres must be said. The geographical stereotype holds true, Super Bock just does not go the same way with snails) and toast with butter. Seriously.

About Wodehouse, if it does not click leave it for a while try again in 10 or 20 years. But for sure try 20s/30s Wodehouse and that particular short story. Or now I think of it, one of the early Blanding Books might be the thing. If I had a pick of anywhere in fiction to go on a short travel I am going to go to maybe Middle Earth, maybe The Culture, or maybe a nice house party in the summer at Blandings Castle.

Oh, Ana... I'm so glad you loved this! It'...

2010-09-03T12:31:49.931+01:00

Oh, Ana... I'm so glad you loved this! It's one of my all-time favorites.

And for Amanda... please don't be put off by the GGM comparison. Me feelings about him are quite similar to yours :-)

Trisha: I rarely dream about books, but I really l...

2010-09-03T08:19:37.608+01:00

Trisha: I rarely dream about books, but I really love it when it happens! It means the book has really stayed with me.

Jessica: Isn't the cover gorgeous? I notice that all his books have great covers - I should look up who the artist is.

Brenna: I'm glad the Marquez reference didn't scare everyone away :P

Memory: I know; that's why I picked it up :P Thank you for the recommendation!

I'm so glad you loved this! It's one of my...

2010-09-03T06:51:16.239+01:00

I'm so glad you loved this! It's one of my very favourite books.

This sounds interesting. I really don't know m...

2010-09-03T03:37:30.827+01:00

This sounds interesting. I really don't know much about this time period and since you compared de Bernieres style to Marquez, well, I'm sold.

I need to read this book. This review just cement...

2010-09-03T01:29:17.206+01:00

I need to read this book. This review just cemented that. I love Greece. And that cover...sigh. Love it.

I have to admit I'm not much of a crying type ...

2010-09-03T01:23:00.866+01:00

I have to admit I'm not much of a crying type person, but I'm very much with you on the dreams. If a book is..profound? enough, I'll spend days dreaming about it.

Teresa C: lol! Well, even as someone born and rais...

2010-09-02T21:00:10.370+01:00

Teresa C: lol! Well, even as someone born and raised in Lisbon I could never get over the weirdness of snails ;) Btw, thank you so much for the Wodehouse recommendations the other day! They were timely too, as I recently finished Psmith, Journalist and was wondering where to go next. (I liked it, but it wasn't THE book for me yet.)

Meghan: I didn't actually know much about it either, but I mooched it based on the fact that Memory mentioned it was one of her favourite novels. I'm so glad I did!

Amanda: I ALMOST didn't include that line, just not to scare you away ;) But in the end I had to be honest :P

Amy: It's so heartbreaking and well-worded, isn't it?

Clare: And it was extra sad because he was saying that as a member of the Italian army who was occupying Greece :\

Zibilee: Between this and Atonement, I'm thinking I should read all your favourite books ;) Anyway, yes, it's an extremely compassionate and humane story. I loved that about it <3

Steph: Fingers crossed that this works better for you than that other book of his!

Amy: Sigh, I thought the same, but I couldn't avoid the comparison :P And yeah, from what I hear, the movie is really not a good adaptation.

Jodie: I felt the same at that point, although I couldn't put it down. How much more was he going to make those characters suffer? It's especially awful to think that all of that DID happen in quick succession... WW2 and the massacre, the civil war, and just when they're getting over it, the earthquake :\

Emidy: I didn't either, and yet so much took place there. It's amazing how much is forgotten.

Fence: I'll keep Birds Without Wings in mind! And yeah, I do think I'll avoid the movie.

Buried in Print: Enjoy!

Kathy: It really does have it all! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

This sounds like the perfect book for me on so man...

2010-09-02T19:33:57.471+01:00

This sounds like the perfect book for me on so many levels - the setting, the time, social history, humor. It sounds like this book has it all. Another one for my wish list.

Your review really makes me want to get to this on...

2010-09-02T19:11:44.818+01:00

Your review really makes me want to get to this one: I've had it kicking around for years and it's beckoning to me now.

I read this way back before the film came out, and...

2010-09-02T18:20:48.570+01:00

I read this way back before the film came out, and loved it then, I've read a few other by De Bernières and while I didn't *love* them all they are worth reading. Especially Birds Without Wings, which has some teeny cross-over characters with Capt. Corelli.

Also, if you haven't seen the film, don't bother. It isn't a patch on the book.

When I think of the second World War, I don't ...

2010-09-02T17:09:22.068+01:00

When I think of the second World War, I don't think of Greece at all! You've really got me interested in this book, though, because of the history and because the characters sound so real. Like they each have their own little lives that merge together and make this book as a whole. I need to read this one!

Do you know I got so close to the end with this on...

2010-09-02T16:45:54.247+01:00

Do you know I got so close to the end with this one and put it down (just before the earthquake) never to finish it. I can't tell if it's because I couldn't stand anything else bad happening to the people in the book, or because (I seem to remember) there was no more Carlo. I <3 Carlo. I remember the scenes in the trenches, but had forgotten how well de Bernieres brings the problems for gay men at this time into the light. Thanks for the reminder!

LOL Amanda, I totally thought when I read that, &q...

2010-09-02T15:47:21.064+01:00

LOL Amanda, I totally thought when I read that, "well, Amanda is never going to read this!"

I think I saw the movie a long time ago. And if I recall, I found it dull which probably means that it makes a much better book. I'm so glad you loved it so much! That's the best kind of book!

What a personal review of a a personal novel! I...

2010-09-02T15:36:58.946+01:00

What a personal review of a a personal novel! I've only read one book by de Bernières and I REALLY didn't like it, but I also have a copy of this one and have been holding off on it. I'm so glad that it's a book worth reading; you've made me want to pick it up at once. I love when a book affects you so deeply, it begins to trickle into the rest of your life.

Oh Anna! This is one of my most favorite books of ...

2010-09-02T14:12:23.537+01:00

Oh Anna! This is one of my most favorite books of all time, and after I read it, I went out and bought everything this author had ever written. I may have been the one to recommend this one to you, but I am not sure about that. I have never forgotten this book either, and think that it was written with such compassion and humanness. And Lemoni's fate...oh, just remembering it all now makes me want to pick this book up and read it all over again. So, so glad that you loved this book so much! It's a treasure.

That passage from Carlo's point of view is so ...

2010-09-02T14:10:58.979+01:00

That passage from Carlo's point of view is so heartbreaking- the lengths queer people often have to go to find people like them being celebrated. I'm glad you enjoyed this.

This sounds like a really great book. I especially...

2010-09-02T14:04:44.365+01:00

This sounds like a really great book. I especially love the bits you picked out about Carlo. Definitely going on my wish list!

LOL you lost me at "a style reminiscent of Ga...

2010-09-02T13:57:07.062+01:00

LOL you lost me at "a style reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez." :D Then again, I loved reading about your experience - when a book is powerful enough for you to dream about it for days? That's a wonderful feeling.

I feel like I've heard the name of this and se...

2010-09-02T13:50:23.781+01:00

I feel like I've heard the name of this and seen it around, but never really paid much attention to what it was about or whether I'd like it. What a mistake! This is going to be an addition to my TBR pile.

It has been a while since I read this, your review...

2010-09-02T11:54:29.961+01:00

It has been a while since I read this, your review captures it perfectly.

Very memorable, and funny, for somebody from Lisbon, their trauma over having to eat snails. LOL :p

Teresa C