The Bridge Over the Drina

I did not even know where the Drina was and that it had for 300 years a huge bridge. Ivo Andric narrates the building of and the happenings on the bridge from the time of its inception by an Istambul vizir (born near it), and some of the more interesting characters, up the first World War. It is a steady book, well written and unusual. Very rarely, a novel goes on for so long in terms of time in the novel. Andric has done a good job on it.

Excellent book, though I'm not sure I'd categorize it as a novel. Beyond the introduction to Bosnian history and the development of the ethno-religious conflicts in the region, this is a powerful literary work in its own right. One could quibble about the structure of the book which purports to cover three hundred years of the bridge's and the people's history, but which in truth engages more in a spiritual description of the growth and, in some sense, the destruction of a collective spirit. This leads to the fragmentation of the community, even though, ironically, this occurs within the context of empire building, first by the Ottomans and then by Austria-Hungary. A very good read

In 1981 my wife and I toured Yugoslavia for three weeks, during the course of which we stopped overnight in Visegrad. We saw the bridge and heard about Ivo Andric and his Nobel prize novel about the bridge. We learned about the complex relationships between ethnic and religious groups in that beautiful and fascinating country. The tour was one of the most interesting we ever had, and gave us an insight into cultures we had previously had little knowledge of. Whenever I thought back to that wonderful vacation, I always said to myself that I must read Andric's book, but never got around to searching it out until now. I still haven't quite finished it, but am thoroughly enjoying The Bridge Over the Drina.

An under-appreciated classic with great relevance for our own era because of its portrayal of relationships among Muslims, Christians and Jews in the Balkans.

thouht it deserves the best rating, was very low priced, the speed of the shipping was amazing considering it came from the u.k. recommend it to people of interests in balkan/ottoman history.

Nobel Prize winner - wonderfully humane, should be better known.

Great narration and the author Ivo Andric is superb.

Not exactly a novel, more a series of stories following the 'life' of a Bosnian bridge over 350 years. The book starts with its construction in the 1500s, a project of several years, where the Turkish overseers conscript the locals into slave labor, culminating in the awful description of the impalement of a worker who rebels by sabotaging the bridge. Then Andric takes us through the centuries; the flood, when local leaders of all faiths gather in the same house in a heartwarming episode. Yet with the changes in frontiers and the arrival of Turkish refugees from Serbia, the uncertainty of life is ever in the background. The Austro-Hungarian occupation begins, locals dispute whether or not to resist, a guard commits suicide after failing to do his job properly. The people become wealthier and at the turn of the century the young have time to discuss politics. In the last chapter, World War 1 hits the town and a bomb smashes the bridge. This is told from the perspective of a man in a shop and is such evocative writing you feel you are there. Brilliant book.

Beautiful read. A very good introduction to the history of Balkans through lived stories of common people.

I like books, but I hate books with lousy paper, tiny print and they easily fall apart. There was no kindle version and I regret buying the lousy paper book. The font is minuscule, and it's poorly stuck together. The book content is superb, but the presentation is third-rate.

This is ordered as gift ! She loved it! It’s well translated from Serbian . Ivo Andric is well known author , not vey easy to read .

È un libro favoloso! Consiglio a tutti!!

Somewhat dated in style, but overall an interesting voyage through history. The descriptions of punishments early in the book are shudderingly realistic, and I enjoyed the depictions of differing cultural norms throughout societies and eras. It was an enjoyable visit to a part of Europe that is perhaps less well known.