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oxnard_montalvo's review
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
A collection of vignettes that tip from the realistic to the fantastical and back again. There were times I had to put the book down to digest the story or the line I had just read. Difficult to classify what they are ‘about.’ The futility of war? Of hubris? Of pettiness and the mundane existing even in the most horrific of circumstances? Not easy to get my thoughts together in order to talk about it. Some stories definitely more memorable than others.
A collection of vignettes that tip from the realistic to the fantastical and back again. There were times I had to put the book down to digest the story or the line I had just read. Difficult to classify what they are ‘about.’ The futility of war? Of hubris? Of pettiness and the mundane existing even in the most horrific of circumstances? Not easy to get my thoughts together in order to talk about it. Some stories definitely more memorable than others.
eliathereader's review
4.0
Savaşın insanda oluşturduğu tahribatı ve hayal kırıklığını çok güzel anlatmış. Kaktüs ve Kütüphane bölümlerini çok beğendim. Diğer kısımlarda ise kalemi elimden ayıramadım çok güzeldi.
myelen's review
emotional
sad
Страшная доўгаіграючая вайна ў Югаславіі была так нядаўна, так недалёка ад дома і ўсё ж я так мала пра яе ведаю. Гэтая кніга зусім не гістарычная праца, падзеі не выстройваюцца ў храналогію і паказаны быццам праз замочную дзірку персанальных гісторый. Вельмі простых гісторый вельмі простых людзей, якія сутыкнуліся з гэтай жахлівай у сваёй непатрэбнасці вайной.
ajkhn's review
3.0
A series of short stories about, during, or because of the breakup of Yugoslavia. All bitter, some also sweet. All in all, I couldn't really appreciate them as a whole because they hit most of the same notes. Some are particularly beautiful – especially the last two – but as a series they left me feeling a bit flat.
endovelico's review
5.0
It was stated in the introductory text of one well known version of this book that for a true appreciation of this work one must have had his share with the banalities and eccentricities of Sarajevo. Sifting through numerous reviews, many considered this a wicked statement, an affront to the critical skills of the reader or, if nothing else, their humanity.
Now, I make a point of mentioning this because not only do I not agree with the sentiments, I would also argue that the statement might have been misunderstood. As great as Sarajevo Marlboro is, it is not meant to elucidate. Such a thing can’t reasonably be asked of one author or work.
What this book does however, with masterful simplicity in both prose and narrative is humanize the victims of the Sarajevo besiegement by conjuring believable characters and commonplaces under the loop. This seemingly alien conflict becomes less alien, the characters in the book become real people you could have met and the numbers you once read concerning this conflict, all the more stark.
There’s twenty-nine stories, written in different flavors; some abrupt and anti-climactic, some poignantly sardonic, some fiendishly raw, some emotionally draining. The spellbinding quality of the stories is almost too easy to analyze and some even uninteresting when set down in plain words but as you go through each tale and thouroughly digest each one you can’t help but feel increasingly immersed and perplexed about the whole thing.
Now, I make a point of mentioning this because not only do I not agree with the sentiments, I would also argue that the statement might have been misunderstood. As great as Sarajevo Marlboro is, it is not meant to elucidate. Such a thing can’t reasonably be asked of one author or work.
What this book does however, with masterful simplicity in both prose and narrative is humanize the victims of the Sarajevo besiegement by conjuring believable characters and commonplaces under the loop. This seemingly alien conflict becomes less alien, the characters in the book become real people you could have met and the numbers you once read concerning this conflict, all the more stark.
There’s twenty-nine stories, written in different flavors; some abrupt and anti-climactic, some poignantly sardonic, some fiendishly raw, some emotionally draining. The spellbinding quality of the stories is almost too easy to analyze and some even uninteresting when set down in plain words but as you go through each tale and thouroughly digest each one you can’t help but feel increasingly immersed and perplexed about the whole thing.
sve100's review against another edition
4.0
В тази тъничка книга повествованието е сгъстено, наситено с образи и емоции, както може да бъде само военновременното повествование.
sameconversation's review
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
krissshto's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
abdelrahmanm93's review
4.0
an intense dose of war-induced melancholy that can easily leave you dejected for the entire day.