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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I had no prior expectations of this book. I read it primarily because I am attempting to finish the Time 100 Novels list. At first I found the concept of the story to be very promising but quickly fell into boredom. Wilder's writing style felt very dry and overly eloquent. I failed to connect with any of the characters and got lost in their individual story lines. I have to admit that I quite enjoyed the first and last chapters of this book but everything in between felt slightly wasted to me.
When I needed to pick a book for the year 1927 in my 1900's reading challenge, it was slim pickings. There wasn't much that sounded interesting outside of this book. And that is the only excuse I can give for how the hell this book ever won the Pulitzer.
It is honestly mind-blowing. I don't know that I've ever been so outrageously BORED while reading a book. The prose was certainly not beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. The characters were ill-defined and unmemorable. I never once felt like I was actually in Peru. At the very least, I thought I would be able to praise its brevity--for at least I wouldn't be bored for a great while--but holy s*** this book was an atrocity of dullness even at 107 pages. There are no redeeming qualities in this novel other than Uncle Pito's chapter might have been an iota more interesting than the rest.
The marketing team for this book must have been made up of unparalleled geniuses to sell so many copies and manage to score it the Pulitzer. It honestly lowers my esteem of the award after reading this.
It is honestly mind-blowing. I don't know that I've ever been so outrageously BORED while reading a book. The prose was certainly not beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. The characters were ill-defined and unmemorable. I never once felt like I was actually in Peru. At the very least, I thought I would be able to praise its brevity--for at least I wouldn't be bored for a great while--but holy s*** this book was an atrocity of dullness even at 107 pages. There are no redeeming qualities in this novel other than Uncle Pito's chapter might have been an iota more interesting than the rest.
The marketing team for this book must have been made up of unparalleled geniuses to sell so many copies and manage to score it the Pulitzer. It honestly lowers my esteem of the award after reading this.
A light, easy read; not as theologically profound as I expected it to be.
I listened to the audio of The Bridge of San Luis Rey written by Thornton Wilder and read by Timothy Andrea Pabon. Published by Blackstone Publishing on 27 June 2023.
It is a short book but one filled with beautiful prose and quotations.
On Friday noon, July the 20th, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below. With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction.
By chance, a monk, Brother Juniper, witnesses the tragedy. He then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that
led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death …. and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."
It is a short book but one filled with beautiful prose and quotations.
On Friday noon, July the 20th, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below. With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction.
By chance, a monk, Brother Juniper, witnesses the tragedy. He then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that
led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death …. and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."
Read my full review here: http://thepulitzerblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/entry-6-1-the-bridge-of-san-luis-rey-by-thornton-wilder-1928/
I listened to the audio of The Bridge of San Luis Rey written by Thornton Wilder and read by Timothy Andrea Pabon. Published by Blackstone Publishing on 27 June 2023.
It is a short book but one filled with beautiful prose and quotations.
On Friday noon, July the 20th, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below. With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction.
By chance, a monk, Brother Juniper, witnesses the tragedy. He then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that
led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death …. and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."
It is a short book but one filled with beautiful prose and quotations.
On Friday noon, July the 20th, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below. With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction.
By chance, a monk, Brother Juniper, witnesses the tragedy. He then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that
led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death …. and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."
So complex for such a compact and concise book. The plot is part Rashomon, part Matryoshka dolls (I was not surprised to see that David Mitchell was influenced by it) and the stories demonstrate both careful research about Peruvian culture and insight into human nature.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is one of the best first sentences I’ve ever read, and the premise really pulled me in. But the rest of the writing was completely emotionless, and the characters’ lives were bland and nonsensical (did one guy’s leg become gangrenous because he gave up on an unrequited love?!) to the point of being completely uninteresting. Maybe it was more impactful when it was originally published, or maybe tastes have just changed too much in the last century, but the whole thing felt like one big nothingburger.
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced