I’ve been a slow reader lately. Getting back into the swing of work after the holidays and figuring out the daily rhythms of married life. It does feel easier to work on a crossword together or watch a show, than read. It can feel like solitary work sometimes.
However, I was REALLY glad that I made the time on my flight to finish the last 100 pages of this book. It felt like a good first step back into the joys of reading.
This was a heavy one to get through. People struggling to hold onto their humanity during a war, while they lose any shred of comfort. Overall though, I thought it was a beautiful piece.
I have most of this book underlined. The four, mostly three, different stories were all moving in their ways. I found myself liking each of the characters and relating to them in ways I wouldn't have expected. The descriptions of the cellist are devastating and profound. I particularly loved the scene from Arrow's perspective where she says, " It is a rare gift to understand that your life is wonderous, and that it won't last forever." The whole scene has stuck with me each day since reading it. This book was incredible, and such a quick read.
VG. The story of the siege of Sarajevo. The book follows 3 citizens of Sarajevo, a sharp shooter, a family man and an older retired baker and describes their life avoiding snipers on the hill. The cellist enters the story when 22 people were killed in a bread line & the cellist plays an adiago for 22 days-in line with the snipers, but protected by the sharp shooter. He ultimately gives hope that one day Sarajevo may return.
This book is not really about the cellist 😅. It's an interesting piece on the human condition during conflict and seige. But the cellist is literally just "background noise" in this book. I was hoping that the different storylines would intersect a bit more, and that wasn't really delivered on either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.