In Lima, Peru, an ancient Incan rope bridge breaks and plunges five people to their deaths. A Franciscan monk witnesses it and decides to investigate the lives of the five people, in order to prove that God is just, that He had a purpose in choosing those five to die, on that day, on that bridge. And so we learn of the lives of the Marquesa de Santamayor and young Pepita her companion; of Esteban, a young man of the city; and of Uncle Pio and Don Jaime, the mentor and son, respectively, of a famous actress in Lima. We see ...
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In Lima, Peru, an ancient Incan rope bridge breaks and plunges five people to their deaths. A Franciscan monk witnesses it and decides to investigate the lives of the five people, in order to prove that God is just, that He had a purpose in choosing those five to die, on that day, on that bridge. And so we learn of the lives of the Marquesa de Santamayor and young Pepita her companion; of Esteban, a young man of the city; and of Uncle Pio and Don Jaime, the mentor and son, respectively, of a famous actress in Lima. We see how many of their lives intersect, we learn of their dreams, their struggles, and the events that led to them being on the bridge that day. The Bridge of San Luis Rey earned Thornton Wilder the first of his three Pulitzers. The novel's structure, in which a major event is presented followed by the backstory of the people involved, has been duplicated countless times in books, plays, and movies. It was the best-selling book the year of its release, and has never been out of print since.
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Add this copy of The Bridge of San Luis Rey to cart. $9.14, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2023 by Waking Lion Press.
Add this copy of The Bridge of San Luis Rey to cart. $17.58, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2023 by Waking Lion Press.
...It was written by Thornton Wilder. For anyone interested in technique, look what Wilder achieves in novella length. Remarkable!
Mythos
May 25, 2007
Bridge of San Luis Rey
This is the first time I've ever read Thornton Wilder and I was unprepared for such a masterpiece. In The Bridge of San Luis Rey Wilder is able to simplify, like Voltaire, forms that other writers take pages or even chapters to convey as the most human, life wretching experiences, the suffering of love, of adoration that throws itself into the unwanting hands of those it's closest to. I will need to read this book over again and again to absorb it fully. I saw a piece of myself in all the characters and I'm very perplexed by such a power to distub and console my fear of letting go.
