The Cellist of Sarajevo

De: Steven Galloway

Narrado por: Gareth Armstrong

Sarajevo, in the 1990s, is a hellish place. The ongoing war devours human life, tears families apart and transforms even banal routines, such as acquiring water, into life-threatening expeditions. Day after day, a cellist stations himself in the midst of the devastation, defying the ever-present snipers to play tributes to victims of a massacre. A true story of a cellist's resistance helps to form this pivotal event in Steven Galloway's extraordinary novel. Against this, the author touchingly describes three ordinary townspeople and their efforts to retain their humanity, sanity and autonomy as war takes hold of their lives. This bestselling novel is immediate, vivid and deeply affecting on audiobook, fully immersing the listener in the havoc of war.

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Excellent book

Having been to Sarajevo post-war, I appreciated the emotional descriptions of how everyday life must have been there

The Decisions of War

The individual stories of Sarajevo's citizens bring the reality of war to light....the understanding as to why some fight, some hide, and some are defiant. A simple act of cello playing for 22 days for each of the killed citizens...even as snipers threaten to kill him...brings each of the other individuals to decide how they will mindfullly...not mindlessly...respond to war.

A compelling read

This character driven story is not a fast story. Galloway has focused on using the characters and their day-to-day existence to explore the human impact of war, especially in a contemporary context. A compelling story that is tinged with sadness and an underlying resilience.

One wonders if humans will ever be civilized

I'm very pleased to have the experience of this book. The cello music adds much to this particular story. It gives room for thought when the voice of the cello is there instead of the words.

The book is well crafted to make one think. The performance is excellent.

Could I be the cellist? What kind of life is my life? How would I behave? What makes any of us worthy of life, love, food, water, music? With war everywhere in all times, one can almost feel the weight of evil pushing from all directions. This book takes ideas of life, hope, and fear and braids them into some understanding of what war really is.

The ending made the book worth reading.

I didn’t enjoy this book until towards the end when the resolution of characters was more satisfying. So much pontification of feelings that i felt were unduly extrapolated. But I’m glad I listened to the end.

moving and engaging

I didn't want to get out of my car I was so engrossed in this novel.

A moving tale of the horror of war and human dreams of and peace

This book is incredibly moving. Very sad. But uplifting at the same time. I am happy to have heard it on audible thee addition of the cello between chapters adds a note of sadness as well as beauty. The reader is excellent with exactly the right into nations. Such a testament against war.

Engrossing and Enlightening

I got this audiobook on the recommendation of a friend. I was glad I did. An enlightening look on the history and atrocities that took place in Sarajevo. At times truly sad, at other times bright spots of humor that showed humanity can still exist even in the most inhumane of situations.

war never makes sense

First time author for me, a novella of sorts. In the 1990's the Balkan peninsula fell into war and long standing hatreds came to life. Much of it didn't make sense and still doesn't.

In this book, the city of Sarajevo, which is in Bosnia, was surrounded by the Serbian army who sat in the hills surrounding the city and laid siege, lobbing bombs and having snipers shoot the Bosnians stuck in the city.

In one instance, and this is a true event, a mortar struck a line of people standing in line doing nothing more than trying to get bread for their families and them to east. 22 people were killed. A cellist, who saw the explosion from his apartment, in an act of defiance to the war, starts sitting in the street where the explosion happened, in full view of everyone even the enemy, and states he will play his cello for 22 straight days, a day for each of the victims. This is that story although the main characters are some of those people also affected by the war and how they responded to the craziness all around them.

The story comes alive!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, Because hearing the music of the Cellist in the background brought the story alive and set the mood for the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Arrow. She was a fighter and didn't just accept her situation. She was brave to the end.

Which character – as performed by Gareth Armstrong – was your favorite?

Arrow.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was saddened by the reality and the emotions of the individual characters.