The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway

A lyrical, understated and moving novel detailing the lives of three people who struggle to deal with life during the seige of Sarajevo in the early 1990s.

Galloway writes beautifully and simply, describing the lives of Kenan, a man dicing with death trying to get his family a supply of water, Dragan, a man attempting to cross the streets under the gaze of snipers and Arrow, a female counter sniper who struggles with her unwanted talent of killing the enemy. All three characters are united by one man, The Cellist, who plays music at the same time every day in memory of 22 people killed in the street while queueing for bread.

By writing about the horrors Kenan and Dragan witness trying to do simple day-to-day tasks, Galloway has created detailed scenes of war, harrowing in their apparent normality and the characters' often muted responses. Kenan and Dragan are emotionally shut off, terrified and fighting against their consciences as they realise they prize their survival above helping others. Both silently rage against the injustices and indignities of war.

Arrow starts out as a confident counter sniper, working to her own agenda and moral code. But as the conflict deepens, she finds her control slipping away and she is faced with choices she never believed she would face.

As it slowly reveals the harsh lives of civilians caught up in war, The Cellist of Sarajevo plays with gender roles, showing just how skewed their lives have become. Kenan is a petrified father, emasculated and fearful for his wife and his children. Parted from his wife and son, Dragan struggles with selfishness and cowardice as he leaves a friend lying bleeding in the path of a sniper. Repressed and numb, Arrow is the only main character to fight in the novel. She distances herself from her femininity and emotions, even adopting a new name in order to feel able to kill her male enemies.

Thought-provoking, illuminating and haunting, The Cellist of Sarajevo is a stunning novel which investigates the sickening depths and the comforting highs of humanity during war.

My next read: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.