437. The Bridge on the Drina

The Bridge on the Drina
Ivo Andrić
1945
Around 320 pages

I like the idea of telling a story from an unexpected perspective. I still often think of a poem I read, The Dream of the Rood, which told the Crucifixion story from the point of view of the cross. So I thought a story mostly about a bridge would be intriguing. Then within the first 50 pages we get one of the most horrifying execution scenes I have ever read. Maybe it was a little too intriguing.

The River Drina forms the border between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The bridge was constructed during the Ottoman Empire, and is partially destroyed during World War I. For the most part, it sits there as a quiet witness to all the shenanigans that take place on the border.

I am not weirdly obsessed with bridges, which seems to be an affliction that more commonly occurs in men. The historical context was interesting, but I was disturbed by what I read. I guess reading about Balkan history isn't the time to get squeamish. 

Because it is so sweeping in its scope, we don't really getting into the mires of character motivations and nuances, which is what I enjoy most. So not really my thing, and it was pretty gross.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Andrić had been Yugoslavia's ambassador to Germany from 1939 to 1941, and was arrested by the Germans in 1941.

Andrić wrote this while under house arrest.

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