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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Unfortunately, I read few stories these days. I read non-fiction and perhaps some novels, but few stories such as tales of Hans Christian Anderson get my notice. That is why is book was refreshing. The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a masterpiece and ranks among the best stories. Composed of three tales of different, yet interconnected, characters, it is the most thematically dense work I have read in a while. It has some understated dark sides, and it puts the spotlight on the dioalogues, emotions, and characters. The story is rendered special by recounting character's lives as opposed to recounting an event. When read together, the novel is greatly moving and deeply profound. I cannot pretend to grasp all its themes messages--a reread (or even multiple) will be necessary for that.
Are book reviews supposed to give the themes away? Or are they rather to give recommendations to readers considering the short novel? Or are they here merely to record my afterthought of reading a book?
It it is viewed as a biography, the is of the most moving sort. If it is viewed as a story, it is of the least linear and the most layered sort. This book invented a foreign yet subtly likable world with its melodious narrative, and the world must be visited, not just read through.
Are book reviews supposed to give the themes away? Or are they rather to give recommendations to readers considering the short novel? Or are they here merely to record my afterthought of reading a book?
It it is viewed as a biography, the is of the most moving sort. If it is viewed as a story, it is of the least linear and the most layered sort. This book invented a foreign yet subtly likable world with its melodious narrative, and the world must be visited, not just read through.
This book was so strangely good. It gave my Chronicle of a Death Foretold vibes.
A great cynical exposition on love. The love that is the desire of an ego to be fed, the love of jealousy, the love for shallow looks, the love for legacy, etc. The conclusion seems to me to be that it's the dream of or hope of love that sustains us - yes, all of these cynical forms of love. Does real, pure love exist? Probably not and this novella makes a good argument for that.
A brief and beautiful book about a sudden catastrophe and the lives lost in it. Human weakness transformed into strength. The bridge between oblivion and persistence. Ordinary and extraordinary lives in Peru who resemble people everywhere, at all times. Wilder is wise.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
A fairly profound book, addressing nothing less than the purpose of life, an whether our lives are pre-destined or not. Wilder is a literary writer, capable of touching on the deepest aspects of human nature, as well as the absurdities. This is one that will bear repeated readings.
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Glad I finally read this classic, but it left me unmoved, despite the tragic deaths of five random people. I think I'm just a bad match for this book. 2.5
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts