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csikmargit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sascha_z's review against another edition
3.0
While reading “The Bridge on the Drina”, I kept sensing a certain ambivalence. Perhaps nothing exemplifies this as well as the book’s refusal to be pigeonholed. On its cover, it is categorized as a novel (“Roman”). This is more than a bit misleading. Probably the book’s subtitle, “A Chronicle from Visegrad”, as devised by Ivo Andric, is more illuminating.
The book spans a period of roughly half a millennium, from the construction of the eponymous bridge during the Ottoman empire all the way to the modern era, culminating with the outbreak of World War I. The chronicle does not follow any central character, also for obvious technical reasons: Rather, it tells the town’s story through a kind of stroboscopic keyhole perspective. This is done via a number of short stories focused on a plethora of auxiliary characters, whose everyday experiences – along with the auctorial narrator’s philosophical musings – portray a rich, if inevitably sporadic, history of life in Visegrad.
Along the way, we learn a great deal about everyday life in Bosnia, as it changed through the ages. A central theme is the coexistence of the three key religions; another one (albeit closely related) is the local people’s mentality and rituals on the interface between Christian and Ottoman cultures, between West and East. There are, for instance, wisely thoughtful depictions of how the arrival of modernity – here portrayed by the forceful invasion by the alien Habsburg empire – forever changes people’s lives. Modernity miraculously accelerates the pace of life , shrinking what seemed like unimaginable distances to half a day’s train ride. At the same time, it not only removes any sense of wonder or spirituality, but also autonomy – leaving people with the vague sense of being pawns of some unfathomable, remote, yet very earthly power.
Although interesting for the most part, the chronicle left me with mixed feelings. As a de-facto nonfiction book, its weighty 500 pages taught me fairly little about the actual history of the region and its larger context. Instead, it gave a couple of ‘snapshot’ impressions of its key moments, conveying a careful reflection of its atmosphere and its people’s mindsets.
Then again, seen through the lens of literature, quite a number of the short stories felt oddly tedious. That may be related to their characters, which mostly feel like auxiliary constructions, and about whom I cared only mildly. It may also be due to its language (or perhaps Ernst Jonas’s translation). Andric writes very precisely and is a keen observer, especially when it comes to philosophical and political analyses. However, the book’s language often feels somewhat clunky and dry, almost bureaucratic. This may not come as a surprise, seeing that the author spent the vast part of his career as a civil servant and diplomat.
The book spans a period of roughly half a millennium, from the construction of the eponymous bridge during the Ottoman empire all the way to the modern era, culminating with the outbreak of World War I. The chronicle does not follow any central character, also for obvious technical reasons: Rather, it tells the town’s story through a kind of stroboscopic keyhole perspective. This is done via a number of short stories focused on a plethora of auxiliary characters, whose everyday experiences – along with the auctorial narrator’s philosophical musings – portray a rich, if inevitably sporadic, history of life in Visegrad.
Along the way, we learn a great deal about everyday life in Bosnia, as it changed through the ages. A central theme is the coexistence of the three key religions; another one (albeit closely related) is the local people’s mentality and rituals on the interface between Christian and Ottoman cultures, between West and East. There are, for instance, wisely thoughtful depictions of how the arrival of modernity – here portrayed by the forceful invasion by the alien Habsburg empire – forever changes people’s lives. Modernity miraculously accelerates the pace of life , shrinking what seemed like unimaginable distances to half a day’s train ride. At the same time, it not only removes any sense of wonder or spirituality, but also autonomy – leaving people with the vague sense of being pawns of some unfathomable, remote, yet very earthly power.
Although interesting for the most part, the chronicle left me with mixed feelings. As a de-facto nonfiction book, its weighty 500 pages taught me fairly little about the actual history of the region and its larger context. Instead, it gave a couple of ‘snapshot’ impressions of its key moments, conveying a careful reflection of its atmosphere and its people’s mindsets.
Then again, seen through the lens of literature, quite a number of the short stories felt oddly tedious. That may be related to their characters, which mostly feel like auxiliary constructions, and about whom I cared only mildly. It may also be due to its language (or perhaps Ernst Jonas’s translation). Andric writes very precisely and is a keen observer, especially when it comes to philosophical and political analyses. However, the book’s language often feels somewhat clunky and dry, almost bureaucratic. This may not come as a surprise, seeing that the author spent the vast part of his career as a civil servant and diplomat.
bzondervan's review
5.0
On some sunny summer day last year I was telling my dear friend Chen van Dam about a novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel, To the lighthouse, is the story of a holiday house where for many years a family comes to celebrate the warm summer days; and there in the heat of the day fantasizes about going to a lighthouse which can be seen from their beach house. In Woolf her stream-of-conscience style of writing it sometimes seems like the house is a character; the house hears, sees and feels all the fortunes and unfortunes of the people in and around it. There is nothing besides the near vicinity of the house, sometimes it feels like the house is alive: the house is born, she changes, and she grows old.
This British book reminded my dear friend about a bridge, The bridge on the Drina. Naturally I told him I don't read fairy tails and children books, but he tried to convince me that Ivo Andric won a Nobel prize in literature, which I still didn't find anywhere close to impressive. You might wonder, why then did I read this book? And I reply to you that it was faith which brought me and Ivo at the same time in the same place: last Spring, Münster. Yes, as Chen was moving from Bonn to a new city, he had to get rid of his old dusty paper books, hence he donated one particular book to me: The bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric.
To the lighthouse and The bridge on the Drina are two completely orthogonal books in scale, complexion and dimensionality. However, there is a strong resemblance between the holiday house of Woolf and the bridge of Andric. The Drina is a massive river in Bosnia-Herzegovina (close to the Serbian border) and around 400 years ago the vizier of the Ottoman empire decided a bridge had to be build over the river to connect the East and the West. Similar to Woolf her holiday house, the bridge feels alive from the moment it is build. All stories in the novel happen on or close to the bridge.
Ivo's bridge outlives many centuries, and in these centuries many things happen, empires rise and fall, generations are born and die, but two things seem to be constant, the presence of the bridge and the struggles of humanity. This novel is not a story about characters that interact with each other through the medium of space, rather it is the ensemble of stories about the human challenges that are connected in time. History has its effects on the present, but is often also forgotten, even though one may wonder about the origins of things. Men has universal feelings, its thoughts and world views only alter slightly by the passing of time. The bridge is a clever metaphor for connecting the stories through the medium of time. Obviously, the monumental bridge is diametrically opposed to Woolf her holiday house that grows weary of neglect as the years pass, not only on the scale of space-time, but also in the way stories interact with each other.
Woolf writes about a family and friends, the story contains characters and follows their thoughts and developments, this gains the character importance. Woolf explores the minds of her subjects in great depth. On the contrary, Ivo doesn't give any significance to the individual people in his book, they seem ordinary and replaceable. Most of Ivo's characters live in different centuries and are in no way related, except that these characters all have crossed the bridge on the Drina. Focusing on the essence rather than the details, enables Ivo to explore universal struggles such as shame, envy, fear, reconciliation and resentment, but also hope, love, pride, forgiveness and happiness. This makes each individual chapter already more than interesting, and in addition, staring at the interweaving fabric of all these stories illuminates a crystal clear image of what it is to be human.
All in all, I'm more than glad for this recommendation. This historical novel should be read by anyone who brings Nobel literacy prize winners in discredit. Besides the recognizable stories and funny anecdotes, the novel also taught me some more about the Ottoman empire and the Imperium of Austria-Hungary. The bridge on the Drina was definitely more fun to read than To the lighthouse and I think it made a more memorable impression on me.
This British book reminded my dear friend about a bridge, The bridge on the Drina. Naturally I told him I don't read fairy tails and children books, but he tried to convince me that Ivo Andric won a Nobel prize in literature, which I still didn't find anywhere close to impressive. You might wonder, why then did I read this book? And I reply to you that it was faith which brought me and Ivo at the same time in the same place: last Spring, Münster. Yes, as Chen was moving from Bonn to a new city, he had to get rid of his old dusty paper books, hence he donated one particular book to me: The bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric.
To the lighthouse and The bridge on the Drina are two completely orthogonal books in scale, complexion and dimensionality. However, there is a strong resemblance between the holiday house of Woolf and the bridge of Andric. The Drina is a massive river in Bosnia-Herzegovina (close to the Serbian border) and around 400 years ago the vizier of the Ottoman empire decided a bridge had to be build over the river to connect the East and the West. Similar to Woolf her holiday house, the bridge feels alive from the moment it is build. All stories in the novel happen on or close to the bridge.
Ivo's bridge outlives many centuries, and in these centuries many things happen, empires rise and fall, generations are born and die, but two things seem to be constant, the presence of the bridge and the struggles of humanity. This novel is not a story about characters that interact with each other through the medium of space, rather it is the ensemble of stories about the human challenges that are connected in time. History has its effects on the present, but is often also forgotten, even though one may wonder about the origins of things. Men has universal feelings, its thoughts and world views only alter slightly by the passing of time. The bridge is a clever metaphor for connecting the stories through the medium of time. Obviously, the monumental bridge is diametrically opposed to Woolf her holiday house that grows weary of neglect as the years pass, not only on the scale of space-time, but also in the way stories interact with each other.
Woolf writes about a family and friends, the story contains characters and follows their thoughts and developments, this gains the character importance. Woolf explores the minds of her subjects in great depth. On the contrary, Ivo doesn't give any significance to the individual people in his book, they seem ordinary and replaceable. Most of Ivo's characters live in different centuries and are in no way related, except that these characters all have crossed the bridge on the Drina. Focusing on the essence rather than the details, enables Ivo to explore universal struggles such as shame, envy, fear, reconciliation and resentment, but also hope, love, pride, forgiveness and happiness. This makes each individual chapter already more than interesting, and in addition, staring at the interweaving fabric of all these stories illuminates a crystal clear image of what it is to be human.
All in all, I'm more than glad for this recommendation. This historical novel should be read by anyone who brings Nobel literacy prize winners in discredit. Besides the recognizable stories and funny anecdotes, the novel also taught me some more about the Ottoman empire and the Imperium of Austria-Hungary. The bridge on the Drina was definitely more fun to read than To the lighthouse and I think it made a more memorable impression on me.
freewaygods's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mesut's review against another edition
4.0
"Kasaba köprü sayesinde yaşadı ve sağlam bir kökten güç alır gibi büyüdü" cümlesi her şeyi anlatıyordu aslında; köprü bu kasabanın her şeyi olmuştu sanki. Kuşaklar gelip geçiyor, savaşlar olup bitiyor; köprü önemini kâh koruyor kâh bu önemi elinde tutamıyor; bazen 'Hayrettin' gibi vakıaları ve ikonları oluyor; köprü üstünde mesken tutanlarıyla... köprünün taşlarına sindiği gibi kasabanın kültürüne de yapışır; "Hay seni Hayrettin alsın inşallah...İnşallah ananın, babanın başını köprüde görürsün" der sinirlenen teyzeler, haylaz çocuklara...
Bu kitabı okurken yorulacaksınız zira köprünün inşaatında taşları taşıyıp, askerlerle birlikte nöbet tutup, köprü yanındaki oteli dikeceksiniz...
Ama okumalısınız çünkü nesilden nesile nasıl bir birikim oluştuğunu, kültürün ne olduğunu ve hatta medeniyetin ne olduğunu öğreneceksiniz.
Bu kitabı okurken yorulacaksınız zira köprünün inşaatında taşları taşıyıp, askerlerle birlikte nöbet tutup, köprü yanındaki oteli dikeceksiniz...
Ama okumalısınız çünkü nesilden nesile nasıl bir birikim oluştuğunu, kültürün ne olduğunu ve hatta medeniyetin ne olduğunu öğreneceksiniz.
tovejansson's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think Andrić‘s characterization of the book as a chronicle rather than a novel is helpful in understanding the text. It’s a good book for people like me, who enjoy learning about history through literature rather than nonfiction. However, I did feel at times I was missing some important historical context, so further study is in order.
The many characters are hard to follow, and I would have benefited from some kind of reading guide included in the text like is sometimes done with other novels, or a glossary of terms.
The prose is beautiful, but the dense, description-heavy text could be a bit of a slog.
Overall, it was worth the read.
The many characters are hard to follow, and I would have benefited from some kind of reading guide included in the text like is sometimes done with other novels, or a glossary of terms.
The prose is beautiful, but the dense, description-heavy text could be a bit of a slog.
Overall, it was worth the read.
mmmyivhan's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
cody240fc's review against another edition
4.0
This struck me as a monument to history. Or maybe it would be better to say that Andric's novel is a love letter to a bridge that serves as a monument to history. Either way, this is a wonderful narrative that gives the reader a general history of the region through a series of stories, some of the mythical variety, some a little more grounded in history. It can't be called a collection of related stories, because some characters do reappear and events are often closely related, but there are very few consistent characters. 'The Bridge Over the Drina' will appeal to fans of history, but I think even those readers who aren't familiar with this part of the world will enjoy it. I have somewhat of a fascination with the Balkans, and so am perhaps not offering the most objective opinion on the book. It checked a lot of boxes for me anyway. Solid four stars.
ionm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Ivo Andrić is an exceptional story teller. With every word he pulls you into a vivid reality that traps the imagination into believing that we are the witness to the action. "The Bridge over the Drina" won him the Nobel Prize for Literature, as this is one of the greatest chronicles of the Balkan history with its complex mix of cultures. Spanning over 300 years, each story is linked by the bridge (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in a small Bosnian village. We learn through the private lives of Christians (Orthodox and Catholic), Muslims, and Jewish, that each perspective is shaped not so much by religion, but by the role interpersonal relationships play in making human connections. This is an important cry for peace and understanding of difference, most exemplary described in a quiet sequence where the religious leaders of the three faiths share a cigarette over the bridge. That moment is as subtle as breathing with the universality of human nature. This is a masterpiece that each of us should read!
lediamond4's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I read this for my Read Around the World challenge and it was perfect for Bosnia. There was so much historical and cultural context. I did struggle to stay invested however, because, despite being a relatively short book (barely over 300 pages) it covered a lot of ground. So much took place over the course of hundreds of years, yet I feel like it was just snippets of people and the things that happened to them. From a story telling aspect, I just wanted more.