Fiction

The Bridge on the Drina

The Bridge on the Drina

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  • Create Date：2021-08-14 12:16:13
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
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  • Author：Ivo Andrić
  • ISBN：1841594024
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Summary

The town of Visegrad was long caught between the warring Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires， but its sixteenth-century bridge survived unscathed--until 1914 when tensions in the Balkans triggered the first World War。 Spanning generations， nationalities， and creeds， The Bridge on the Drina brilliantly illuminates a succession of lives that swirl around the majestic stone arches。 Among them is that of the bridge's builder， a Serb kidnapped as a boy by the Ottomans; years later， as the empire's Grand Vezir， he decides to construct a bridge at the spot where he was parted from his mother。 A workman named Radisav tries to hinder the construction， with horrific consequences。 Later， the beautiful young Fata climbs the bridge's parapet to escape an arranged marriage， and， later still， an inveterate gambler named Milan risks everything on it in one final game with the devil。 With humor and compassion， Ivo Andric chronicles the ordinary Catholics， Muslims， and Orthodox Christians whose lives are connected by the bridge， in a land that has itself been a bridge between East and West for centuries。

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Reviews

Daria ，

Un classico senza tempo come il ponte che della storia è il protagonista。 Il ponte è Mehmed Paša Sokolović a Višegrad， in Bosnia。 La storia， quella dalla sua costruzione nel XVI secolo fino alla parziale distruzione durante la Prima guerra mondiale: in mezzo， secoli di conquiste， guerre， dominazioni diverse， imperi che si scontrano， si disgregano， si susseguono su questo piccolo territorio。 Gli avvenimenti che sconvolgono il mondo arrivano a Višegrad che li subisce più che viverli， li sopporta s Un classico senza tempo come il ponte che della storia è il protagonista。 Il ponte è Mehmed Paša Sokolović a Višegrad， in Bosnia。 La storia， quella dalla sua costruzione nel XVI secolo fino alla parziale distruzione durante la Prima guerra mondiale: in mezzo， secoli di conquiste， guerre， dominazioni diverse， imperi che si scontrano， si disgregano， si susseguono su questo piccolo territorio。 Gli avvenimenti che sconvolgono il mondo arrivano a Višegrad che li subisce più che viverli， li sopporta suo malgrado: la piccola città di confine vorrebbe soltanto continuare la sua vita appartata tra le colline e invece si ritrova teatro di eventi staordinariamente feorci。 Ivo Andrić in quest’opera scrive degli effetti della grande Storia sulle piccole persone， riflette su come esse siano influenzate e spesso travolte senza avere alcun controllo o comprensione di cosa stia accadendo， ma anche sulla loro resilienza e sulla sua capacità di adattamento e sopravvivenza in ogni circostanza。 Nella cittadina di Višegrad durante tutta la storia del suo ponte， così come in ogni altro luogo del mondo， eroismo e compassione si alternano a meschinità e egoismo， le piccole storie private si incontrano con gli eventi di risonanza mondiale。Quando provai a leggere questo romanzo a quindici anni， lo abbandonai dopo un paio di capitoli: questa volta sono riuscita a finirlo e l’ho decisamente apprezzato， tuttavia non me la sento di guidicare la me di allora troppo severamente – in effetti l’inizio è stato abbastana faticoso， i primi secoli della vita del ponte sono narrati in modo più conciso e per tutta la prima metà il racconto è aneddotico， senza altri fili conduttori se non la vita del ponte， con personaggi che， per ovvi motivi， non “durano” più di qualche paragrafo。 Solo nella seconda metà la narrazione si fa più dettagliata e stabile e si incontrano personaggi destinati a rimanere fino alla fine。 Una nota positiva merita sicuramente la traduzione， che rende magnificamente il linguaggio solenne e poetico dell’autore。 。。。more

anđela ，

ja umrla koliko mi je bilo dosadno。

Nana ，

Abandoned at 25%。This book reads like the script of docufiction films。Although the title bridge is as spectacular in its descriptions here as in its photos on Google， the human history surrounding it is too impersonal for my taste。 Humans here are statistical individuals whose lives punctuate the history of the 'everlasting' bridge。 The concept of eternity here is rather narrow and superficial and is just a synonym for the unforeseen future。 Abandoned at 25%。This book reads like the script of docufiction films。Although the title bridge is as spectacular in its descriptions here as in its photos on Google， the human history surrounding it is too impersonal for my taste。 Humans here are statistical individuals whose lives punctuate the history of the 'everlasting' bridge。 The concept of eternity here is rather narrow and superficial and is just a synonym for the unforeseen future。 。。。more

Caroline ，

I should really reread。 This book changed the way I think about writing structure。

Lily ，

The “protagonist” of the novel （if it can be called a novel - there is a lot of academic discussion around this point alone， and I believe it's an important one） is the bridge on the river Drina （the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge） in Višegrad （once part of the Ottoman Empire， then under Austro-Hungarian occupation and annexation; now， the town is in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; in the book， the story of the bridge， beginning with its construction in the 16th century， end The “protagonist” of the novel （if it can be called a novel - there is a lot of academic discussion around this point alone， and I believe it's an important one） is the bridge on the river Drina （the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge） in Višegrad （once part of the Ottoman Empire， then under Austro-Hungarian occupation and annexation; now， the town is in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; in the book， the story of the bridge， beginning with its construction in the 16th century， ends in 1914 with the First World War）。 Following the course of the centuries， the narrative is teeming with a cast of characters whose fate is somehow linked to the bridge - it’s a lot to fit into a relatively short book so their lives quickly dissipate in the enduring currents of the Drina; despite the frequent fast-forwarding， Andrić has a remarkable narrative skill in conveying the change of pace in the kasaba with the passing years and shifting power dynamics。 Given the subsequent history of the region， there is some tension when reading this book （published in 1945） - there are parts that can be viewed as national（istic） myth-building efforts but there are also multiple elements that undermine such interpretations; the book reads more like a tracing of the grand legends of empires and the brittle lifelines of their subjects - the ambiguous side of the epic， like the decision of the beautiful Fata Avdagina who values her word above all else， or the story of Fedun， the Galician soldier who pays a heavy price for his youth; and then there is Chapter 19 which is a masterful imagining of several conversations about newly-discovered “politics” （tellingly situated in the summer of 1913， a year before the outbreak of the war that sounded the death knell of so many empires）。 。。。more

Ivan Monroy Cadavid ，

Es un libro poco conocido， sin embargo para los que nos permitimos leerlo， es una historia inolvidable。 Una manera distinta de ver el mundo en una pequeña kasaba。

Emir ，

Yazar alışılmışın dışına çıkarak kitabın karakterini insanlardan değil， yıllar boyu onlarla bir duran， var olan， ve hayatlarına ortak olan bir nesneyi， Drina köprüsünü bizlere anlatıyor。 Biz olanları Drina köprüsü etrafında anlasak da， anlatılan bir köprüden daha çok onun değişen zaman ve de insanlarla olan etkileşimi。 Tarihsel ve sosyal değişime tanıklık eden köprü， bizlere de aynı fırsatı veriyor。

Mike Colligan ，

The Bridge on the Drina makes for an excellent read。 The author effectively captures both the historical facts of the period as well as the feel of the times。 He does so without missing the personal struggles of those involved。 He conveys the ethnic and religious tensions with sympathy and tolerance for all sides。

Oscar ，

Una crónica muy buena e interesante sobre una etapa de la historia de los Balcanes， utilizando como eje vertebrador de la novela el puente sobre el Drina en Visegrad。 Una obra maestra， aunque se puede hacer pesada en algubos pasajes。

Gordana ，

One of the best in Balkan literature。 Everyone should read it。

Italo Aleixo De Faria ，

A literatura e seu poder revelador de nos expor os pormenores de cada recôndito do mundo。 'Ponte Sobre o Drina'， do vencedor do Nobel Ivo Andric， é Baseado na cidade de Vísegrad， na Bósnia e Herzegovina， o livro se orienta pela icônica ponte， cartao postal da cidade， que atravessa o rio Drina para contar a história da região。 Vai desde sua construção， no século XVI até a época negra da Primeira Guerra Mundial， narrando o cotidiano e as transformações que forjaram a vida dos moradores。Aqui vemos A literatura e seu poder revelador de nos expor os pormenores de cada recôndito do mundo。 'Ponte Sobre o Drina'， do vencedor do Nobel Ivo Andric， é Baseado na cidade de Vísegrad， na Bósnia e Herzegovina， o livro se orienta pela icônica ponte， cartao postal da cidade， que atravessa o rio Drina para contar a história da região。 Vai desde sua construção， no século XVI até a época negra da Primeira Guerra Mundial， narrando o cotidiano e as transformações que forjaram a vida dos moradores。Aqui vemos o desenrolar da história do ponto de vista do indivíduo， o livro é como uma coletânea de microcontos onde os personagens vão sucedendo uns aos outros a medida que o tempo corre。 Afortunados e malditos， contam a história da ponte sobre o Drina， através de mini roteiros， as vezes universais: execuções - uma descrição bastante vivazes de empalamento compõe uma das cenas - apostas， a venda da alma ao diabo， casamentos e histórias de amor， sucesso e ruína！De tamanho mediano a obra desenrola rapidamente pelos olhos do leitor， em mais um daqueles clássicos livros que propõe compor uma identidade nacional。 No decorrer dos problemas cotidianos， o tema principal é o debate entre as diferentes etnias oriundas da região。 Turcos， Árabes， Sérvios e os cidadãos cosmopolitas do século XX， vivem numa constante teia de relações que embora tenda a harmonia， pode descambar para o ódio no menor sinal de turbulência。 É um livro singelo， os personagens são dotados de alma e deixam sua marca no leitor， mas passam rápidos pelas páginas e logo se vão。 É um pouco de maldade， mas assim é a vida， do ponto de vista de um leitor da história， nossas vidas nada mais são do que água sob a ponte！ 。。。more

ThereWillBeBooks ，

It’s somewhat difficult to convey the majesty of this book without resorting to blurb speak and cliche， “vital”， “searing”， “a poignant look at humanity”， “piercingly human”， that sort of thing。 However， sometimes profound things can only be summarized with the help of cliche。 I don’t really like it but so it goes。 Therefore （unironically） The Bridge on the Drina is a vital and magisterial look at the human condition and the mechanics of society as seen through a small village on the border of t It’s somewhat difficult to convey the majesty of this book without resorting to blurb speak and cliche， “vital”， “searing”， “a poignant look at humanity”， “piercingly human”， that sort of thing。 However， sometimes profound things can only be summarized with the help of cliche。 I don’t really like it but so it goes。 Therefore （unironically） The Bridge on the Drina is a vital and magisterial look at the human condition and the mechanics of society as seen through a small village on the border of the Ottoman Empire。 Stunning and beautifully rendered， a novel that will stick with you long after you set it down。 。。。more

Sarah Bath ，

Fascinating to discover more about the Balkans。 The Ottoman occupation and its extreme brutality made for more compelling reading， but I was amused by the clash of cultures between the Austrians and the Bosnians once the Austro-Hungarian Empire invaded。 The growth of nationalism is well-described and the awareness of its inevitable progress towards sparking the First World War casts a long shadow。 The casual Antisemitism is surprising considering the book was published after 1945。 If you’re inte Fascinating to discover more about the Balkans。 The Ottoman occupation and its extreme brutality made for more compelling reading， but I was amused by the clash of cultures between the Austrians and the Bosnians once the Austro-Hungarian Empire invaded。 The growth of nationalism is well-described and the awareness of its inevitable progress towards sparking the First World War casts a long shadow。 The casual Antisemitism is surprising considering the book was published after 1945。 If you’re interested in European history then this book is definitely an important part of the jigsaw puzzle。 。。。more

Alejandro Raviolo ，

La historia de un puente。 La historia de una ciudad。 Desde mediados del siglo XVI hasta la Primera Guerra Mundial。 Pequeñas historias narradas de manera magistral。

Carlo Littmann ，

Secoli di storia di una cittadina， Visegrad， e dei suoi abitanti raccontata attraverso le vicende che ruotano intorno al suo punto di riferimento， il ponte sulla Drina。 Con la Storia che emerge tutta intorno。

Lisa ，

Time for another title from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die！The Bridge on the Drina， by Nobel Prize winning author Ivo Andrić （1892-1975）， is also listed on 'The World's Required Reading List at TEDEd' compiled from books assigned to students around the world， and I've also seen it reviewed at the Global Literature in Libraries blog （where， in 2017， I promised to move it up the TBR where it has been waiting patiently since 2010）。As 1001 Books says， it's more a chronicle than a novel， org Time for another title from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die！The Bridge on the Drina， by Nobel Prize winning author Ivo Andrić （1892-1975）， is also listed on 'The World's Required Reading List at TEDEd' compiled from books assigned to students around the world， and I've also seen it reviewed at the Global Literature in Libraries blog （where， in 2017， I promised to move it up the TBR where it has been waiting patiently since 2010）。As 1001 Books says， it's more a chronicle than a novel， organised into vignettes describing the life of the local population in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its transformations over the centuries。 It's also rather a melancholy experience to read it， because the metaphor of the bridge as a symbol of coexistence， as depicted in the front cover image by Wiktor Sadowski， collapses under the weight of recent history。（I wouldn't be the only Australian who didn't know where Bosnia was until the Bosnian War （1992-95） erupted。  But I learned fast。  In the 1990s I taught refugee Bosnian children who had fled dreadful experiences， and long afterwards I was still having to deal with unacceptable hostilities towards them from Serbian children in the playground。）The book begins with the building of the bridge during the 16th-century Ottoman Empire， and ends with World War I， when it was partially destroyed。  For three centuries the bridge is cherished by the villagers as a gift of Mehmed-paša Sokolović， the Grand Vezir， a man who—in forced tribute to the Sultan—was taken as a boy from his Christian family， forced to convert to Islam， given a Turkish name， and served three Sultans during his lifetime。  When he rose to great power in the Sultan's court， he sought to assuage the pain that had never left him， by building a magnificent bridge in his homeland。Designed by the Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan， the bridge was a marvel of engineering and until the funding for it ran out in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire， it boasted a caravanserai （a roadside inn） as a focal point for drinking and gossiping。  But the building of it was fraught with tension， and Andrić does not spare the reader the violence that was used on the hapless forced labourers who built it。  Legends of children walled up inside it are remembered along with the gruesome torture and death of a man thought to be a saboteur。Andrić's genius lies in his brilliant juxtapositions of humanity at its best and its worst。 To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers。com/2021/06/17/t。。。 。。。more

Kristina ，

Zaista mi se dopala！ Obično ne čitam tako ozbiljna dela， ali sam bila prijatno iznenađena。 Tokom poslednjih 60-tak strana mi se više nije čitala i htela sam da je pročitam što pre， ali na kraju je opšti utisak odličan。

Dolf Haven ，

Around the world in 80 books #45: Bosnia-Herzegovina 🇧🇦Part history， part fiction， this novel covers three centuries of Bosnian history with only one main protagonist: a bridge。Drawback is that all human characters have little time to develop themselves。 Sometimes the pace grinds down considerably when long-winded discussions develop that don't contribute much to the story。 Mostly a good novel， though， so I am looking forward to the sequel。 Around the world in 80 books #45: Bosnia-Herzegovina 🇧🇦Part history， part fiction， this novel covers three centuries of Bosnian history with only one main protagonist: a bridge。Drawback is that all human characters have little time to develop themselves。 Sometimes the pace grinds down considerably when long-winded discussions develop that don't contribute much to the story。 Mostly a good novel， though， so I am looking forward to the sequel。 。。。more

Theron Arnold ，

Good book about the trials of the Bosnian people。

Joanna ，

The novel’s only setting is a single out-of-the-way Bosnian village， yet it spans centuries and tells the tale of the rise and fall of empires。

MCB ，

Ivo Andrić était un écrivain bosniaque par sa naissance， croate par son origine et serbe par ses engagements politiques。 Il faisait partie de l'organisation Le jeune Bosnie dont le membre le plus connu， Gavrilo Princip， abattit François-Ferdinand à Sarajevo en 1914。 Le Pont sur la Drina lui a valu le Prix Nobel en 1961。 Ce beau roman retrace la vie d'un peuple multiconfessionnel， aux confins de la Bosnie， du Sandjak et de la Serbie， au cours de 4 siècles d'occupation Ottoman puis Austro-Hongrois Ivo Andrić était un écrivain bosniaque par sa naissance， croate par son origine et serbe par ses engagements politiques。 Il faisait partie de l'organisation Le jeune Bosnie dont le membre le plus connu， Gavrilo Princip， abattit François-Ferdinand à Sarajevo en 1914。 Le Pont sur la Drina lui a valu le Prix Nobel en 1961。 Ce beau roman retrace la vie d'un peuple multiconfessionnel， aux confins de la Bosnie， du Sandjak et de la Serbie， au cours de 4 siècles d'occupation Ottoman puis Austro-Hongrois。 Le comité du prix Nobel a fait valoir à Andrić "la force épique avec laquelle il a pu retracer les thèmes de l'histoire de son pays （。。。） il ouvre la chronique du monde à une page inconnue， et des profondeurs de l'âme de Slaves Balkaniques， il sollicite notre sensibilité。" 。。。more

John ，

I had never heard of this book or author until recently。 I read it because I have some Balkans ancestry and wanted to learn a little more about the culture（s） in the region。 I found this book quite fascinating and it made me think more deeply about history， philosophy， forgetting， abstractions， governments， societies， and human wickedness。 Whatever is going on in the world today， it has all happened before。

Matthew Ted ，

54th book of 2021。 Artist for this review is Serbian painter Nadežda Petrović， between photographs of the real-life setting of the novel。 I've never been to Bosnia， but I have been slightly north/west many times， to Croatia。 I've been to Dubrovnik， multiple times， which is on just the thinnest sliver of Croatia beside the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina。 Also， slightly farther northwest， I've been to Split， and several other places farther north。 For years running throughout my boyhood we retur 54th book of 2021。 Artist for this review is Serbian painter Nadežda Petrović， between photographs of the real-life setting of the novel。 I've never been to Bosnia， but I have been slightly north/west many times， to Croatia。 I've been to Dubrovnik， multiple times， which is on just the thinnest sliver of Croatia beside the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina。 Also， slightly farther northwest， I've been to Split， and several other places farther north。 For years running throughout my boyhood we returned to Croatia， in love with the place， perhaps five times I've been back。 I had never heard of Ivo Andrić despite the fact he won the Nobel Prize over writers like Tolkien， Forster and Steinbeck in 1961。 Of course， those other writers are household names， but as far as I was concerned， Andrić had slipped into obscurity。 The Bridge Over the Drina （sometimes translated to The Bridge on the Drina） is not really a novel， but a chronicle （as Andrić himself preferred to call it）， or even closer to a short story collection with a single unifying theme—the bridge。 It covers four centuries of Balkan history surrounding the bridge as this near-perfect （indeed， perhaps， perfect） structure in the middle of a storm。 Andrić's writing comes across as being telling and cold for the most part， but also oddly sympathetic。 The novel begins around the 16thC when the bridge is constructed in the small Bosnian town of Višegrad， and ends in 1914。 The bridge itself， in reality， is called the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge （pictured below）。 The novel is also， then， regarded as a "historical novel" or even a "non-fiction novel"， into Capote territory。 Georges Perec （whom I'm very fond of） said of it in Le Monde:"The wealth and variety of its fictional elements carry it so far beyond the confines of a straightforward novel， it cannot be limited to such a description。 It puts one in mind of a collection of tales， but no collection of tales （not even A Thousand and One Nights or Washington Irving's stories） ever possessed such a unity and continuity of theme。" In that way it also reminded me of War and Peace， with its multifaceted elements of history and fiction， and I suppose the same for Les Misérables for its Waterloo dissection， etc。 It also felt somewhat Sebaldian。。。 All those books that do not fit so neatly into one category。 These are my favourite sorts of novels。 Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge， ca。 1900。And Perec is right， Andrić constantly reminds the reader at the end of every chapter that the bridge is there as the centre of this novel's universe。 Most of the action even takes place on the bridge itself， if not within seeing distance of it。 Throughout， it is the observer as much as we are of all that befalls Bosnia （and its fictional inhabitants） over two centuries。 And the returning images of the bridge at the end of most chapters contained some of my favourite lines in the novel— Thus the generations renewed themselves beside the bridge and the bridge shook from itself， like dust， all the traces which transient human events had left on it and remained， when all was over， unchanged and unchangeable。Reading the novel is almost tiring。 It isn't dense per se， but the relentless moving of time throughout the novel， jumping years with every chapter， and countless characters being introduced in with every turn， the novel becomes repetitive and draining to read。 I read the first 100 pages in a day and then somehow slowed to read the final 200 over the rest of the week。 Naturally， like a short story collection， some chapters are far more interesting than others， depending on the characters involved。 Some were brilliant， the man impaled alive on the bridge， the woman escaping her marriage， the gambler risking everything he owns in one final game。。。 the stories are at times wonderful and cover a wide range of characters， the poor， the military， Catholics， Muslims， Orthodox Christians， etc。 At times I found my interest slipping somewhat， but the chapters are never too long that it detracts too much from the general feel of the novel。 But I also believe that is part of the novel's power， that thematically， the constant moving of time， constant passing of characters in and out of the narrative is indicative of its scope and purpose; that unlike the Huxley novel title， time does not have a stop。 As a character says on the penultimate page in 1914， If they destroy here， then somewhere else someone is building。 I think this is one of the main sentences of the novel and a good sign at what Andrić was writing about。 Partly， a bridge on the Drina （and hanging Balkan history from it like a baby's mobile）， but also that time does not have a stop， that wars come and pass， as all things do， and in the end there will always be a bridge somewhere， on some river， and around it， countless people from all different walks of life being born and living sad or sometimes happy lives before dying， recurring like so forever。 Hence， the novel is tiring to read。 。。。more

Monty Milne ，

I greatly enjoyed this long but absorbing historical novel。 Who could fail to be moved by the description of old Bosniak men in 1913， who had lived to see Ottoman power recede， “like some fantastic ocean tide…while they remained here， deceived and menaced， like seaweed on dry land…”Of course the history of this part of the world is full of suffering and sorrow。 The story begins with a shockingly detailed description of an impalement， which is both utterly horrible but compellingly fascinating。 A I greatly enjoyed this long but absorbing historical novel。 Who could fail to be moved by the description of old Bosniak men in 1913， who had lived to see Ottoman power recede， “like some fantastic ocean tide…while they remained here， deceived and menaced， like seaweed on dry land…”Of course the history of this part of the world is full of suffering and sorrow。 The story begins with a shockingly detailed description of an impalement， which is both utterly horrible but compellingly fascinating。 And no one can read this now without being reminded that innocent civilians have been the victims of genocidal murder within sight of this bridge as recently as the 1990’s。 All of this is melancholic， but the melancholy that suffuses the book is relieved by many lively， picturesque and humorous episodes。 The friendship between Pop Nikola and Mula Ibrahim is representative of the harmony that can and did exist between Christian and Muslim clerics， even in the midst of fanaticism and intolerance。 And there is something beautiful and moving about the permanence of the bridge – which， of course， is still standing today – with all its accumulated legends and histories – as generation after generation of human lives flow by， just as the green waters flow by between the bridge’s arches。 。。。more

Hotaru ，

Interesting discovery from the Yougoslav Nobel-prize-winner， real-life diplomat Ivo Andric。 A book centered around the famous （and beautiful） Visegrad bridge in former Bosnia， from the time of its building by Turkish Vizir Mehmed Pasha in the 15th century to its partial destruction in the first World War。 It reads like a series of chronological vignettes centered around the generations of inhabitants of communities （Turks， Serbs， Jews， Moslems， Christians。。。） surrounding the bridge， from the sma Interesting discovery from the Yougoslav Nobel-prize-winner， real-life diplomat Ivo Andric。 A book centered around the famous （and beautiful） Visegrad bridge in former Bosnia， from the time of its building by Turkish Vizir Mehmed Pasha in the 15th century to its partial destruction in the first World War。 It reads like a series of chronological vignettes centered around the generations of inhabitants of communities （Turks， Serbs， Jews， Moslems， Christians。。。） surrounding the bridge， from the small passions in their personal lives to groundbreaking geopolitical events that would change Visegrad forever。 I liked it and the writing is beautiful but not necessary flowing （might be a translation problem though， with some typos here and there）。 The cover is one of the ugliest I've ever seen， and the font was very crowded on the page despite the book being quite tall， which didn't make for easy reading。 。。。more

Ilaria ，

"Così le generazioni si inseguivano accanto al ponte che si scrollava di dosso， come fossero polvere， le tracce lasciate dai capricci e dagli effimeri bisogni umani rimanendo， a dispetto di tutto， immutato e immutabile。"Il ponte sulla Drina è il romanzo più famoso di Ivo Andrić， autore premio Nobel per la letteratura nel 1961。 Il premio gli fu conferito per il modo in cui era riuscito a raccontare， attraverso tutti i suoi scritti， la storia del suo paese。 In effetti Il ponte sulla Drina è consid "Così le generazioni si inseguivano accanto al ponte che si scrollava di dosso， come fossero polvere， le tracce lasciate dai capricci e dagli effimeri bisogni umani rimanendo， a dispetto di tutto， immutato e immutabile。"Il ponte sulla Drina è il romanzo più famoso di Ivo Andrić， autore premio Nobel per la letteratura nel 1961。 Il premio gli fu conferito per il modo in cui era riuscito a raccontare， attraverso tutti i suoi scritti， la storia del suo paese。 In effetti Il ponte sulla Drina è considerato uno dei massimi esempi di letteratura jugoslava， libro da molti definito fondamentale per comprendere appieno la travagliata storia di questo paese。 Il romanzo， diviso per capitoli ordinati cronologicamente， narra un racconto che parte dal 1516 fino ad arrivare al 1914。L'inizio della storia coincide con l'idea della realizzazione del famoso Ponte sulla Drina， opera monumentale che ancora oggi affascina chi visita la cittadina di Višegrad， che all'epoca si trovata al confine tra Bosnia e Serbia。 E' Mehmed Pasha， generale e politico ottomano di origini bosniache， ad avere l'idea del ponte e sarà lui a farlo costruire， in modo da collegare le due sponde del fiume e rendere il collegamento più agevole。 In realtà il ponte diventerà il simbolo della cittadina， trasformandosi in punto di ritrovo per gli abitanti del posto e diventando testimone muto di anni e anni di storia。 E' il ponte sulla Drina il protagonista di questo romanzo; tutti gli eventi， tutti i personaggi， tutto quello che viene descritto in questo racconto， passa sotto l'occhio attento del ponte， unico testimone a sopravvivere agli anni che passano， al tempo， ai conflitti e alle guerre。 Lo stile di Andrić è per certi versi imponente come il ponte che fa da protagonista alla sua storia; si tratta di uno stile raffinato， ricco lessicalmente e molto evocativo。 Secoli di storia passano sotto le arcate del ponte e sotto la penna di Andrić che riesce a riportare in vita personaggi， luoghi ed eventi tanto lontani da noi ma rendendoli profondamente vicini。 Il racconto narra degli scontri tra ottomani e bosniaci， dell'arrivo delle truppe austriache che prendono possesso del paese， dell'avvento della ferrovia， delle continue tensioni etniche tra i popoli del posto， infine arriviamo al 1914， l'anno che segna l'inizio della Prima Guerra mondiale。 Il ponte assiste a tutto questo， a secoli di invasioni， rivolte， scontri。 Quello che viene fuori da questo racconto è un mosaico di voci che danno vita ad una storia corale che ruota attorno alle bianche colonne del ponte sulla Drina。 Il ponte， bellissimo e imponente， luogo di incontro per i cittadini di Višegrad， rappresenta però la mancata riuscita dell'unione tra le due sponde della Drina。 La Drina continua a dividere e il ponte non riesce del tutto a unire， sopratutto non riesce ad unire ottomani e bosniaci。 Così il ponte sulla Drina diventa simbolo della stessa Bosnia e di Višegrad， terra perennemente divisa tra cultura orientale e occidentale， terra di conflitti， di dolore e di sofferenza。 Gli anni recenti di storia lo hanno dimostrato ancora una volta; Ivo Andrić dice che nulla cambia， solo il ponte dura e resiste， immutato e immutabile a dispetto di tutto。 。。。more

Adas Viliušis ，

Kai kalbama apie Bosniją man pirmiausiai iškyla atmintyje CNN reporterės Christiane Amanpour reportažų fragmentai iš kraupių Srebrenicos žudynių。 Arba kokia nors eurovizinė， visam Balkanų regionui tipiška baladė。 Ties čia mano žinios apie šį regioną ir apsiribodavo。 Romanas， kurio autorius 1961 m。 gavo Nobelio literatūros premiją， atverė platesnius istorinius ir kultūrinius šio krašto klodus。 Mažos Balkanų valstybės likimas įtaigiai nupasakojamas per tilto metaforą。Monumentalus statinys iškilęs Kai kalbama apie Bosniją man pirmiausiai iškyla atmintyje CNN reporterės Christiane Amanpour reportažų fragmentai iš kraupių Srebrenicos žudynių。 Arba kokia nors eurovizinė， visam Balkanų regionui tipiška baladė。 Ties čia mano žinios apie šį regioną ir apsiribodavo。 Romanas， kurio autorius 1961 m。 gavo Nobelio literatūros premiją， atverė platesnius istorinius ir kultūrinius šio krašto klodus。 Mažos Balkanų valstybės likimas įtaigiai nupasakojamas per tilto metaforą。Monumentalus statinys iškilęs Osmanų imperijos klestėjimo viršūnėje beveik 500 metų tarytum nebylus liudininkas fiksuoja viso krašto virsmą， skausmą， džiugesį， papročius - kasdienybę。 O kiekvienas įtrūkimas jame - lyg randas paliktas svetimos jėgos atliepia tenykščių jaustą gylą ir baimę。 Įtariu， kad gali būti sunku surasti geresnį istorijos vadovėlį apie šį regioną už šią knygą。 Romanas yra empatiškas。 Visi istoriniai įvykiai "perleidžiami" per veikėjų jausmus ir tarpusavio santykius， taip leidžiant istorinius įvykius išgyventi kartu。Taigi， kai važiuosite į Bosniją ir Herzegoviną， aplankykite ne tik Sarajevą， bet ir Višegrade esantį Mehmed Paša Sokolovičiaus tiltą。 Užlipti ant skirtingų kultūrų sandūroje išaugusio monumento paženklinto istorija， keitusia ir regioną， ir visą Europą。 。。。more

Wunna Hlaing ，

One of the greatest books of all time。

Jeanne Mixon ，

Beautiful and amazing。 The Bridge on the Drina is in the Bosnian town of Visegrad。 The novel begins in the time of the Ottoman Empire describing the erection of the bridge and the unthinking cruelty of the Turks。 In the town Serbs， Bosnians， Jews and Turks live together in their own ethnic enclaves。 There is a lot of violence， but there is also a sense of community within the town。 When nature threatens to flood them and destroy their homes and goods， they find common ground and work together， b Beautiful and amazing。 The Bridge on the Drina is in the Bosnian town of Visegrad。 The novel begins in the time of the Ottoman Empire describing the erection of the bridge and the unthinking cruelty of the Turks。 In the town Serbs， Bosnians， Jews and Turks live together in their own ethnic enclaves。 There is a lot of violence， but there is also a sense of community within the town。 When nature threatens to flood them and destroy their homes and goods， they find common ground and work together， but politics and ethnic divisions drives them apart。Over time， the Ottoman Empire weakens and the Austro Hungarian Empire pushes them out。 The Bosnian muslims and Turks living in the town must now decide whether to stay in a Christian territory or retreat to the Turkish side。 The Austrians bring in rules， the census， more efficient taxation and higher prices。 There is more economic activity and more goods， but the Serbs become restive and nationalistic。 When Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serb anarchist， it affects the town deeply。 All the Serbs in the town are treated as suspicious and dangerous。 They must decide whether to stay in the town or flee to the West and join their Serbian brothers in a struggle for independence。Meanwhile， the town finds itself psychologically isolated from East and West。 There is a railroad that bypasses the towns and goods no longer come through over the bridge from East to West and back。 The Ottoman Empire has retreated and is no longer a near neighbor。 After the assassination of the archduke， the town becomes a pawn in the ensuing war and is eventually evacuated。 。。。more

Marie ，

4。5 damn i loved this so mucha ten jeden opis wojny zapamietam chyba do konca zycia it shook me to my core （2 zdania could so that！！！！）， beautiful languagebd musiala przeczytac jeszcze raz i properly annotate it

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bridge on the Drina

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bridge on the Drina&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bridge on the Drina&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0