The Three-Arched Bridge

By Ismail Kadare, John Hodgson (translator),

Book cover of The Three-Arched Bridge

Book description

In the Balkan Peninsula, history’s long-disputed bridge between Asia and Europe, the receding Byzantine empire has left behind a patchwork of warring peoples who fight over everything, from their pastures of sheep to the authorship of their countless legends.

One such gruesome tale declares that a castle under construction cannot…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Three-Arched Bridge as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Another parable, another legend, another work of manual labour turned mystical. In this tale of a bridge-building gone wrong, Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare considers the harms and inevitabilities that come from spanning disparate cultures. This book features a human sacrifice at the altar of erection; it feels antique and yet timeless; it explores the boundaries of human endeavor. Notes the narrator, a silenced sceptic, “all great building works resemble crimes.” It is a recognisable concern from Kadare, an exile of Hoxha’s totalitarian regime.

If you love The Three-Arched Bridge...

Ad

Book cover of The Last Bird of Paradise

The Last Bird of Paradise By Clifford Garstang,

Two women, a century apart, seek to rebuild their lives after leaving their homelands. Arriving in tropical Singapore, they find romance, but also find they haven’t left behind the dangers that caused them to flee.

Haunted by the specter of terrorism after 9/11, Aislinn Givens leaves her New York career…

Want books like The Three-Arched Bridge?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Three-Arched Bridge.

Browse books like The Three-Arched Bridge

Book cover of The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Book cover of The Spire
Book cover of The Stone Book Quartet

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,581

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Three-Arched Bridge, you might also like...

Book cover of Caesar’s Soldier

Caesar’s Soldier By Alex Gough,

Who was the man who would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? 

When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet,…

Book cover of The Road from Belhaven

The Road from Belhaven By Margot Livesey,

The Road from Belhaven is set in 1880s Scotland. Growing up in the care of her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, Lizzie Craig discovers as a small girl that she can see the future. But she soon realises that she must keep her gift a secret. While she can sometimes glimpse…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Balkans, metaphysics, and human sacrifice?

The Balkans 22 books
Metaphysics 104 books
Human Sacrifice 10 books