The Cellist of Sarajevo

The Siege of Sarajevo was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the self-proclaimed Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from April 5, 1992 to February 29, 1996 during the Bosnian War. The aim of the siege was to create a new Serbian State of Republika Srpska (RS) that would include part of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the latter had gained independence from Yugoslavia. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 people died during the siege while thousands of others were wounded.

Steven Galloway’s The Cellist of Sarajevo is based on the grim, harsh and unrelenting life in the city during these days. The author beautifully and poignantly captures the emotions of a few characters and their approach to even simple tasks during the dark period. There is Arrow, a woman who has become a counter sniper for the government forces. She has given up her old life, her old name in order to protect the city she once loved from the Serb forces attacking the city from the surrounding hills. But as time goes on she starts wondering… What is the difference between her and them? Her hate for them has crossed all noble intentions and now she seems to be at times driven by the lust of the kills. Will she give up on all her ideals in the battle to defend her city?

Kenan is a normal man who used to work as a clerical officer before the siege began. He lives with his wife and children and still dreams of the days when the city was a safe place and when he could take his kids out for a walk and an ice cream without worrying about being hit by shells or sniper fire. Now he hides away in his apartment, and goes out only when it is time to replenish their water supply. Crossing the streets to go to one end of the city to fetch water from the brewery is not as simple as it seems. Every intersection, every road has to be treaded with fear as the snipers could strike at any moment on an innocent passerby. Kenan’s attempts to cross the city safely to get safe drinking water for his family one day forms another thread of the narrative.

Dragan still has a job, in the bakery. He had managed to get his wife and son out of the city before the siege began and now lives with his sister and brother in law. He makes a similar trip to Kenan’s to get bread for them. However, he is so disturbed by what the people in his once happy and friendly city have become that he doesn’t want to talk to anyone he knew once, for fear of losing even more hope than he already has. Then a chance encounter with an old friend of his wife forces him to rethink his position.

Interlinking all of this is the Cellist. This is probably the most beautiful character in the story, and is actually based on a true life character. The Cellist witnesses a mortar attack which kills 22 people who were queuing up to buy bread. From that day on, he decides to take a stool and sit at that spot to play Albinoni's Adagio everyday at the same time for 22 days. To honor each person who died there. Despite the obvious danger to be sitting in the open everyday and the perceived futility of this task, why does he do it? And will he survive without being shot at?

Galloway has beautifully interspersed each thread of the story with poignant memories each of the characters have for the city and the life they once knew. As the shelling and shooting goes on day after day, they start wondering, will it ever get back to what it once was? When even the simple task of crossing a road becomes a race to save your life, how long can our hopes and memories keep us going?