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Author Quotes: “This is how....life happens. One small thing at a time. A series of inconsequential junctions, any or none of which can lead to salvation or disaster. There are no grand moments where a person does or does not perform the act that defines their humanity. There are only moments that appear, briefly, to be this way.”
― Steven Galloway, The Cellist of Sarajevo |
Book Club Extraordinaire is reading The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway for October.The novel opens with the real-life story of 22 people who were murdered by snipers in full view of Vedran Smailovic, the principal cellist of the Sarajevo Symphony. In response to the tragedy, Smailovic vows to play Albononi’s Adagio every day for 22 days at the site of the carnage.
Galloway takes this real-life act of courage — this insistence on imposing humanity upon an inhumane situation — and builds a rich fictional narrative around it. The cellist’s genuine act of sorrow and remembrance galvanizes many around him, especially three characters at the center of the novel, and inspires them to regain their strength and dignity. Read alternate chapters written by Washington University students as part of contest held during orientation week. Please comment on the BExtraordinaire Blog. Together we can better understand this novel through a shared conversation. |
