A review by bespectacled
The Three-Arched Bridge by John Hodgson, Ismail Kadare

mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

It's fitting that a bridge is the main setting, character, and metaphor of this book. "The Three-Arched Bridge" is about in-between spaces -- bridging life and death, Europe and Asia, treachery and loyalty, legend and history, construction and destruction. When you see someone standing in the middle of a bridge, you cannot be sure which side they are coming from or going to. In a similar way, this book balances you between legend and history, telling the tale of the binding of a river that mirrors the tale of the binding of a nation.