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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (view source)
Revision as of 09:06, 6 October 2020
, 09:06, 6 October 2020no edit summary
Dragan is sixty-four and walks to his job at the bakery every day, if only to collect the free bread he gets. His wife and teenage son fled overseas before the war, so he now lives alone, hopeful they will all be reunited once the conflict is over.
These three people show you the desolation and danger of Sarajevo through their eyes. The actual amount of ''action'' is quite low, as the plot advances slowly, but that doesn't matter. ''The Cellist of Sarajevo'' is not a fast-paced thriller, but a snapshot of three small lives who help form part of an a historic event.
I really enjoyed the novel and read it very quickly. I found I was going back 'just to read a few more pages' in any spare moment I had. The chapters are short enough to read several in one sitting and the entire novel is just 223 pages.
The writing style is very accessible. I was momentarily discouraged to see a quotation from Yann Martel on the front cover, as I never managed to finish ''The Life of Pi'' but ''The Cellist of Sarajevo'' is a completely different read – and, in my opinion, a much better one. While it is not the best book I have ever read, I found it enjoyable, educational and compelling and I would definitely recommend it.
If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne]]. We also have a review of Galloway's [[The Confabulist by Steven Galloway|The Confabulist]].
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