Captain Corelli's MandolinCaptain Corelli's Mandolin
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1941, the Greek island of Cephalonia is occupied by Italian troops. Captain Antonio Corelli, a cheerful, mandolin-playing officer, is billeted in the house of the local doctor and his beautiful, headstrong daughter Pelagia, who is engaged to a Greek fisherman away at war. Despite everything, Corelli and Pelagia fall in love, until the war turns brutal.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and became a worldwide bestseller. It's funny, romantic and tragic, and the 2001 film stars Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz.
You'll love it if you liked
All the Light We Cannot See
The English Patient
The Gift of RainGood to know
The early chapters are slow and digressive. There's a brutal massacre scene and war violence.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller38 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #144 of the 233 romances we rank
- #997 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1844 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Captain Corelli's Mandolin worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and became a worldwide bestseller. It ranks #1,844 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Captain Corelli's Mandolin about?
In 1941, the Greek island of Cephalonia is occupied by Italian troops. Captain Antonio Corelli, a cheerful, mandolin-playing officer, is billeted in the house of the local doctor and his beautiful, headstrong daughter Pelagia, who is engaged to a Greek fisherman away at war. Despite everything, Corelli and Pelagia fall in love, until the war turns brutal.
How long does it take to read Captain Corelli's Mandolin?
About 11 hours (436 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Captain Corelli's Mandolin?
If you liked it, try All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje or The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng.