by Louis De Bernieres

Loved it. Loved it.
I just plucked it from the shelf to get the author's name spelled right, and found the bookmark inside it covered in tiny scribbles- as I read, I kept running notes on ideas and images that I loved or wanted to think about more. And, I admit, words I needed to look up in the dictionary.

It's set on a Greek island, before and during WWII.
There's a love story and all, but it's just packed with great characters, and I feel like I learned something about that part of history.

From my notes that say Sex + Shame = Civilization, p. 282
(a doctor is explaining the usefulness of sexual taboos to his daughter)

"When we are mad we lose control of ourselves. We become driven. This is why our forefathers chose to control the natural madness of the young by tarring it with shame... If we were not made ashamed of this beautiful thing then we would do nothing else. We would not work, we would be inundated with babies, and because of this there would be no civilization. In short, we would still be in the caves, mating relentlessly and without discrimination. If we had not reserved a time and a place, and forbidden it in other times and places, we would be living like dogs, and life would possess little beauty or peace."

page 169:
"There would be no tyranny, Captain, and no wars, if minions did not ignore their conscience."

page 6, describing the unique light on the island:
"It exposes colours in their original prelapsarian state, as though straight from the imagination of God in His youngest days, when He still believed that all was good."

The narrator does switch around, so if you're not crazy about the first chapter or two, wait it out- it's worth it. I didn't think I was going to like the book at first, but it gets to be much more fun than it is at first. (Is it petty of me to be annoyed with the character that insists on saying ruminant instead of just GOAT?)

The firing squad scene is so dramatic and memorable, I can imagine why someone decided they should make a movie of it- though I heard it was chopped down to a bland love story. Anyone see it?