The Bridge of San Luis Rey
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"The Bridge of San Luis Rey," Thornton Wilder's second novel, won him the first of his three Pulitzer Prizes. The novel opens in the aftermath of an inexplicable tragedy--a tiny footbridge in Peru breaks, and five travelers hurtle to their deaths. Most townspeople think to themselves with secret joy,
… More »"The Bridge of San Luis Rey," Thornton Wilder's second novel, won him the first of his three Pulitzer Prizes. The novel opens in the aftermath of an inexplicable tragedy--a tiny footbridge in Peru breaks, and five travelers hurtle to their deaths. Most townspeople think to themselves with secret joy, "Within 10 minutes myself...." But for Brother Juniper, a humble Franciscan friar who witnesses the catastrophe, the question is inescapable: Why those five? Suddenly, Brother Juniper is committed to discover what manner of lives these five disparate people led--and whether it was divine intervention that took their lives, or a capricious fate. Wilder maintained in his works that true meaning and beauty are found in ordinary experience. This is especially true of "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." From the very beginning to the stunning conclusion, the listener is absorbed into the individual stories of the five victims, and how their destinies intertwine.
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Add a Commentvery odd writing style with which I am not comfortable. None of the characters matter as they tumble over the bridge into oblivian and the surprise burning of the author as a heritic has little appeal to human interest nor does it struggle to take its place as an interesting sidebar to the history of the inquisition.
Overall our evening book discussion found Wilder's novel to have a unique style, it was impactful, and spoke of universal truths. The theme resonates today with its message of love, our mission in life, and our purpose. The majority of our group found it excellent, but all agreed that it was a interesting, creative, and enjoyable read.
Dated, but well written with some memorable characters.
This book is brilliant. Writing is so good it almost makes you cry.