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What Members Thought
Andric has received the Nobel Prize in Literature and this is his most acclaimed novel. The book spans three and a half centuries, from the building of this remarkable stone bridge in the mid 1500s to the start of the First World War. On this bridge rebels are impaled and lovers meet, the plague is carried and modernity arrives, resentment is nurtured and pride is shown. The episodes narrated were separated by decades giving this the feel of a collection of individual stories. 3.5 stars
Fascinating fictional chronicle of the small Bosnian town of Visegrad, and the stone bridge over the River Drina that links East and West. History sees ownership of the town pass from Turkish to Hapsburg Empire, and then witnesses the rise of Serbian nationalism that culminates in the tragedy of WWI. Meanwhile the people carry on their lives - Muslims, Christians, and Jews all mix together, they trade, gossip, quarrel and fall in love as the river flows under the bridge.
This is a beautifully wri ...more
This is a beautifully wri ...more
This is a book to savour, it covers three centuries and slowly builds the rich fabric of a community through glimpses into various characters and episodes over time. The bridge is the obvious vehicle for holding this story together, and it features beautifully as a personality in its own right. Some parts lulled for me, but overall this is gorgeous writing and the author provides deep insight into a people a history I knew little about.
Dec 25, 2008
Erika
marked it as to-read
Jul 13, 2014
Kai Coates
marked it as to-read
Aug 13, 2014
Rosana
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Oct 17, 2017
Joey Anderson
marked it as to-read
Jan 03, 2018
Genia Lukin
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Shelves:
historical,
1001-books
Nov 16, 2019
Jama
marked it as to-read
Aug 08, 2023
Nike
marked it as to-read
