Rating: 
Summary: To read a second time
Review: Perfectly written. Everything matches together.
Simple to understand but not simple to forget.
This is one of those books that you will carry on remembering and whose theme is both universal and actual.The same place inhabited by a lot of different kinds of people. They are presented and structered in so an individual way that religion or ethnics appears as a mere formality. And as pure individuals, everyone is equally seen. Why just 3 STARS?
After reading it a second time and getting more of what the book still secretly reserves its very probable, I will consider this as a 4 STAR book. I admit having difficulty in giving 5 stars in reviews. So maybe 4 stars to me would be 5 stars to a lot of others.
Rating: 
Summary: Lyrical Introduction to the Balkan Puzzle
Review: There is no more lyrical, enlightening and humane introduction to the vast historical, linguistic, religious and political puzzle that is the Balkans than this masterwork of Ivo Andric. I stress, however, "introduction," as no fictional work can begin to address the myriad pieces of this most beautiful, terrible and vexing puzzle. Andric's tale, covering the life of multiple generations in a small city in eastern Bosnia, centers on the Ottoman bridge constructed in the center of town. Its high spans look down on the swirling waters of the Drina River, and at its center is a ballustrade-lined platform called a capia, which becomes the center of town life for centuries. Andric's lyrical prose is nothing short of magnificent, even in translation. His multitude of characters are insightfully and skillfully drawn. And ever the narrative returns to the bridge. In effect the novel is something akin to both Tolstoy and Michener, with a rich ironical voice reminiscent of the best Latin American writers. A word of caution, however. If you come to the novel seeking a definitive cause or motive for the Bosnian War, or the heartbreaking tragedies of the Balkans generally, present or past, you will come away misguided. Andric is merely the voice of one witness from one perspective. An understanding of the complexity of the the Balkans requires more than one voice, but rather a knowledge of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Hapsburg, German, Italian and Russian history; an understanding of Islam, Judaism, and the Roman and Orthodox Churches; and from a careful hearing of a multitude of other "voices."
Rating: 
Summary: contains a vivid description of impalement
Review: I read this book in the '60s. The most vivid scene in the book was when the Turkish pasha ordered the impalement of a citizen in the community for sabotaging the bridge. It was the most affective description of torture I've ever encountered in literature or film. Every detail of the precision used to drive the stake through the body vertically without rupturing vital organs so as to prolong the duration of the suffering was specified. Anyone interested in Vlad Tepes (Dracula) should read this book's account of impalement to get a clearer idea of what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Myopic and biased
Review: This is not a masterpiece, this is a book that contains misinformation and cunning propaganda. Andric's main aim is to depict Muslims as archaic, primitive and intransigent. In my view, Andric is prejudiced, biased and intolerant. However, the book's literary value remains relatively high but the fact that bigotry pervades the entire book seriously undermines the book as a whole. Irrefutably, sweeping generalizations and preconceived ideas characterize the book. His subtle yet highly insidious misconceptions of the Turks are evident throughout the book. These points should be kept in mind before reading this book. Some reviewers have asserted that Andric's historical account helps explain the causes of the Bosnian war. This assertion is fallacious, baised and naive. Basically, the message that Andric attempts to convey to the reader is that Muslims are evil, barbaric, atavistic and intractable. The question that comes to mind is why was Andric awarded a prize when he was prejudiced, biased and cunning? Parochialism characterizes the entire book. It seems that books that criticize Islam are highly popular and valuable.
Rating: 
Summary: read carefully
Review: Beautifully written pan-Serbian novel. Not to be read as an unbiased history of the region or a tool for insight into the causes behind the war against Bosnia.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Elegiac Novel
Review: The Bridge on the Drina is a historical novel detailing life in a Bosnian town from the height of the Ottoman empire to the First World War. The central image and metaphor is the town's bridge, a lovely structure built by a Grand Vizer who was born in the river valley crossed by the bridge. Divac uses the bridge to symbolize the multi-ethnic and multi-religous nature of Bosnian society as it developed under the Ottomans and later under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Events taking place on and around the bridge trace the history of Bosnia, its increasing contact with the western industrial world, and the destruction of traditional Bosnian society in the First World War, an event that results in the destruction of the bridge. The plan of the book is a series of related tales centered on the bridge. The quality of writing is excellent, the stories are invariably interesting and unsentimental. The series of civil wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia have given this book an almost prophetic quality and particular poignancy.
Rating:
Summary: I've only just begun
Review: As he was in the process of dying, a dear friend told me about the stone bridge across the Drina. He was in a sweet, subtle morphine induced state of mind,and his tale about the Drina was compelling, well told, and a perfect metephore for the journey he was now taking...... Once, he had crossed the Drina, read the book and was taken with things that stay, things that remain and prevail. Now, a year later, I am reading about the Bridge on the Drina -- it is dense, heavy with fact, and the voice is thick with Eastern European song. I have put the book down for now, perferring to remember the story of the bridge, of the people, of the country told by my dear friend on a clear winter's night, bedside, a few weeks before his death. But I will pick up the book again, one day. I hope.
Rating:
Summary: Bridge on the Drina
Review: This book is primarily about the village by the Drina river and the famous bridge that everyone enjoys. It stays a peaceful little village until the chaos in the Balkans during 1910's.
This village is not an example of the Balkan society during the time period, but it is an exception.
So, I don't believe you can use it as a history reference.. It is not an introduction to understanding the Balkans, but may be to the understanding of the people.
It's just a fictional novel. But, it is a very good read. (Refers to the Turkish version)
Rating:
Summary: A captivating work - worth the read.
Review: Andric writes a fictional, yet truthful, history of the bridge at Visegrad which stood for centuries. The key to the book, from a reader interested in this from a more historical perspective rather than a literary viewpoint, is that the tensions between the different residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina are apparent. From the Turkish occupation to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the factions intertwine throughout the history of the town and the bridge. Although told, or translated, in a slow, laconic style, the writing was wonderful. The individual stories were well told and kept the history of the bridge moving forward. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. After reading it, I felt that I understood this part of the world better -- and that I had a better perspective on my ancestors (Radenovic or Ragenovich) from Montenegro who emigrated to the US in the 19th century
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book delves deep into the psyche of the Balkan mind, weaving fact and fiction together in a masterful way. The bridge is still there (the one that was destroyed was in Mostar) and completely magnificent. It is amazing to have walked the bridge and to have sat upon the stone benches built into the infamous parapeet after reading this book. The author described the bridge so well that when I finally walked upon it and ran my hands over the stones it was like I'd been there hundreds of times already instead of just the first time. The author's insight into the culture and delicate intermingling of folklore is quite poignant is a must read for anyone wanting to learn more of the Balkans, specifically Bosnia.
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