Reviews
Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood by John Edmond Costello, Barbara Demick
annasonne's review against another edition
3.0
I really tried, but could not make myself finish this book. It just discouraged me from reading altogether. Although the story is very interesting and well important, I did not feel it was executed in the best possible way... for me not really digestible with too many characters and a story that felt too distant even with its heartbreaking truth.
gjniev's review against another edition
5.0
I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know too much about this conflict, but Demick's work is an approachable beginning into the story of live - of the lives it rattled and at what cost.
Well organized and written.
Well organized and written.
caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
4.0
The Bosnian war is sort of a blur to me. I was directing theater and managing bands for most of the 1990's. This meant living on 2-3 hours of sleep and very little in the way of news or television. When you live in those worlds many things become a blip on the radar - you flag them in your head - "I should know more about that" - and then move on to whatever needs to be tackled next. Recently this flag popped up in my head again when I was offered a copy of the updated edition for review.
Logavina Street is great journalism. Combining a general overview of the history and roots of the multiple conflicts, Ms. Demick goes on to explore the war through the eyes of the residents of a single street. Many books on war are so focused on the minutae of battles and political tactics that the reality of the person on the street who is neither soldier nor politician is lost. This is moving story and cautionary tale and started me out on what will be a longer journey in trying to understand what happened there. Heartbreaking and utterly readable - highly recommended.
Logavina Street is great journalism. Combining a general overview of the history and roots of the multiple conflicts, Ms. Demick goes on to explore the war through the eyes of the residents of a single street. Many books on war are so focused on the minutae of battles and political tactics that the reality of the person on the street who is neither soldier nor politician is lost. This is moving story and cautionary tale and started me out on what will be a longer journey in trying to understand what happened there. Heartbreaking and utterly readable - highly recommended.
dpretorius's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Barbara Demick does it again. She captures the struggles and tribulations faced in Bosnia during the war all through looking at a single street. I have now read three out of three of her pieces of work and am eagerly waiting for more.
ritacunha's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
In my reading I try to constantly learn new things, so it made sense to pick up this book on the Sarajevo siege. I didn’t know much about the war—just that it was drawn along ethnic lines and that the emerging country (Bosnia) has a peculiar system of three presidents and split representation. Although this book doesn’t explain the details of how the war started, who profited from it, backroom deals and politicking (that’s not its goal anyway), I feel like I’ve gained valuable insight to what living under siege is like. I highly, highly recommend this book if you want to be challenged with darker themes approached in a very humane and respectful manner.