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Summary: One of the best portrayals of Balkans in literature
Review: A lifelong Slavicist with particular love for the former Yugoslavia drove me to this book early in my studies of the Balkans. I read the book with no particular appreciation for what I was reading several years ago, and I recently reread it (it is definitely a book that warrants rereading for its attention to detail, its excellent descriptions, and its ability to shed light on the history of the Balkan region-- particularly for those, like me, who are not native to the region.) I traveled to the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Croatia) last year, and after having been there, I gained a whole new appreciation for this book. The most fitting way to describe it is to say that it is vivid, alive, and enduring. I loved it. It tells the story of a noble and fascinating people and culture.
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Summary: Masterpiece of literature
Review: This novel is trully a masterpiece of literature. In 23 years of my life, I have read it twice, both in English and in original language and will most likelly read it many times again. Together with "Bosnian Chronicle" this is must-to-read book for all those who want to know something more about the Balkans and Bosnia itself.
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Summary: Excellent historical review of the Balkans
Review: Andric does an excellent job in presenting his novel. I engoyed the characters of the story. The book is about a little tiny town called visegrad isolated from the world. The harsh reality of growing countries invade the peaceful town. And at the center is the bridge that spans across the Drina. The citiznes lives revolves around the bridge. With the bridge comes outside influence that will forever change the town.
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Summary: An Excellent Book by the Greatest Serb
Review: This is a book that provides a lot of historical facts about the life of serbian and other nationalities in Bosnia through the period of 500 years. Every sentence in this book maeans something else, and also has a message for its readers. Brilliant, inteligent, historical book. What else to expect from Ivo Andric, the greatest name in Serbian Literature, who won Nobel's prize for literature in 1961. P.S. For those who say he is a croat- he is not. It is impossible for someone so inteligent to be a croat. He only could be a Serb.
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Summary: Excellent narrative, though somewhat overrated
Review: As a great novel of epic scope, The Bridge on the Drina deserves much praise as an artistic work.Unfortunately, because the book won the Nobel Prize in Literature, it became overrated as the masterpiece of all Balkan literature. Furthermore, as such an important work, many people believe that Andric's novel, written some fifty years ago and set even further back in the past, can provide insight into all of today's problems in the Balkans. Such sweeping comments and uncritical acceptance of Andric's prose do a disservice to both his work and the region in general.
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Summary: A Balkan Masterpiece!!
Review: This book is better than all the recently-written books by the "Balkan experts" on former Yugoslavia. Not only does it help us understand the history of Bosnia, but --because it's a great literary work-- it provides us with insights into the human condition.
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Summary: Excellent example of literature as history
Review: This book provides insight into the history of Bosnia through the stories and lives of the people who live near this bridge. Captures the local flavor and provides some history of the area while telling a tale of fiction. Highly recommended.
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Summary: a great waste of time
Review: Not an interesting book. Just to respond to few of the reviewers (who are probably servs/serbs) Bosnia is not an artificial creation. It is there to stay whether the servs like it or not. How can someone live with people (such as the servs) whose only cultural legacy is that of terror and ethnic cleansing. Remember Vukovar, Srebrenica and most recently Kosova, just to name a few places where one can learn about servian cultural legacy. By the way Ivo Andric was not a serv he was a Croat
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Summary: Best book
Review: Andric,is a bosnian Serb.And he described people and conditions in Bosnia perfectlly.He did research on Bosnian history for 20 years before he wrote this book.He is great Serb writter and Nobel prize winner!
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Summary: excellent story of ethnical conflicts
Review: This book portrays the multiethnic problems of Bosnia. It gives a great insight on the culture and the people of that troubled region.
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