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February 2011

 The Cellist of Sarajevo by  Steven Galloway .

The Cellist of Sarajevo
by Steven Galloway.

First Published: 2008

Internet entries:


The Cellist of Sarajevo
by Steven Galloway.

This was another book that engendered opposing opinions although even those who really liked it thought that the author should have consulted the real “Cellist of Sarajevo”. Apparently the character of Arrow, the female sniper, was also based on a real person. This character was probably better drawn and developed that the two male characters who were largely indistinguishable although it could be said that they are representative of everyman.

The style was sparse, matter-of-fact and repetitive reflecting the essentially boring nature of war. Whole sentences, even paragraphs, were repeated. Most, though not all, thought the book was well-written. Two loved it.

It certainly provoked some discussion of these dreadful events of recent history of which we found ourselves surprisingly ignorant. The situation where a simple action like crossing the road becomes a traumatic and frightening experience is graphically conveyed. At its core the novel is optimistic about human nature.

NS February 2011

Awards:

AA Book Club
Three stars