Questions:
1. What is a common theme apparent in your novel so far? Find two examples of events in the authors life that illustrate this theme and explain how. Provide page numbers and direct quotations from the book.
2. Describe the main character’s personality traits, motivation and inner qualities.
3. Pick one specific passage that triggers an emotional response from you as a reader. Explain the context of the story surrounding the line with the page number. Then explain your personal response to it.
4. Discuss the book’s structure and the author’s use of language/writing style. How does the author draw you In/keep you engaged? Would you recommend this book to anyone? Who and why?
5. What response do you think the author is trying to elicit from the reader? Why?
6. Is this novel relevant to today’s society? Explain.
7. Who is the target audience for this novel? Be specific of the target group and justify your response.
Answers:
Book Review
- One of the primary central of the novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo” by author Steven Gallowayis the theme of war civilians and humanity that was prevalent during the Bosnian War in the year 1990 when Sarajevo was seized. The novel primarily focuses on the three weeks of the life of the civilians. The authors with the help of the various characters of the novel mainly focus on the various people that affected in a war even those who are not directly taking part in the war. War tends to make people realize what to prioritize, it tends to make people act and behave in a certain manner and most importantly think in a certain manner. There is a constant struggle for survival for the people of Sarajevo with the threat of being shot down by the enemy from the nearby surrounding mountain at any point of time. There was also a shortage of supply of food and water at the time of war. The three main characters of the novel where coping up in their own manner in order to overcome the situation of war and the continuous treat. The character of Arrow was working as a sniper in order to protect her city of Sarajevo. Daragen use to cross-dangerous locations in order to get good food. Kenan use to travel for miles in order to get clean water for his family members and the whole neighborhood. The following novel highlights the hardship and struggle that the common citizen had to incur in order to get the basic amenities for the survival of human life in addition to threat to life. As mentioned by Kenan, “You’ve never lived through a war. You have no idea what it will be like.” (Galloway, 2008) (Page 17, last line) Those who have not experience a war liked situation; they would not understand the actual gravitas of the whole situation. The people also had to go through various emotional and psychological stresses.
- One of the Main character of the novel is “Arrow” who was the sniper of the Sarajevan Defense cops, who had transformed herself into a deadly assassin in order to protect the city of Sarajevo from its enemies. By taking the new name of “Arrow”. Alisa`s main focus and motivation was to kill as many as enemies as possible and save Sarajevan. She decides her own targets and kills only those men who she feels deserved to die because they took away the freedom from the citizen of Sarajevan. She was not a kind of a person who would like to introduce hate and violence in a situation of war but since the situation demands so she is ready to sacrifice her life for her motherland. Arrow tries maintaining her moral compass and would not to kill any innocent civilian. She is a kind of her who had devoted her whole life for the protection and well being of Sarajevan and its people.
- The passage selected is from the chapter of “Arrow”. Line 12, page 11
“For most people, long-distance shooting……. why other snipers can’t do this” (Galloway, 2008).
The following paragraph is about a sniper “arrow”. In the following paragraph, the immense talent of the sniper “Arrow” is being discussed. She is extremely talented and can shoot arrows to long distances, which require lots of calculation and analysis with ease. As a reader I fell that the following paragraph is very vital and curtails for the overall character development of one of the lead character of the novel, the “ARROW.” The paragraph is also written in a very captivating manner, which would hold the interest of the readers and is very vital for the forward movement of the narration and plot of the novel.
- The novel is written in a very well coherent structured and captive manner, which could be understood by all the reader.
I would recommend this book to my cousin Aunt, whose great great grandfather was from the Second World War and had told the children stories about the hardship and challenges of that time. As a result, she could relate to it well.
- Through the given novel, the writer wants to highlights the nuances of war which not only effects the people involved but also the innocent civilians. The situation of war does not only cause lots of physical torture but also a huge amount of mental stress and trauma. Violence is never beneficial for any one. It always needs up people getting hurt.
- Yes, the novel is relevant. It gives the message to prevent war, stop hatred and spread love, which is essential in today’s volatile scenario around the world.
- The main target audience for the following novel is all the people who affected by war mainly the veterans and their family members who could relate to the novel deeply.
References
Galloway, S. (2008). The cellist of sarajevo. Alfred A. Knopf Canada.
