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rosekk 's review for:
Mr. Bridge
by Evan S. Connell
I was a bit surprised when I picked this book up just after finishing the first one, and found the print was half the size. Usually books that are part of a set look the same within and without, but I guess it was done so that the two could be made to fit together. Still, it was a bit jarring.
As to the contents of the book, I remain impressed. There's a lot more politics in this one compared to the first (probably because Mr. Bridge moves around in the world a bit more, and is much more conscious of current affairs), but in spite of those differences it still feels like a companion to Mrs. Bridge. It's also a great example of the kind of double-think that allows people to possess and act on prejudices they refuse to be conscious of. Connell's skill at producing a multi-faceted character who is at once full of natural inconsistencies but always feels constant is more on show in this volume (simply because Mr. Bridge is more complex in that way). I was originally a bit concerned that this book would just be a re-hashing of the first one, with the focus on a different point of view, but I needn't have worried. There's enough variation and focus on different details and incidents to make this a separate story worth telling, which expands the view of the world while discussing a shared life.
As to the contents of the book, I remain impressed. There's a lot more politics in this one compared to the first (probably because Mr. Bridge moves around in the world a bit more, and is much more conscious of current affairs), but in spite of those differences it still feels like a companion to Mrs. Bridge. It's also a great example of the kind of double-think that allows people to possess and act on prejudices they refuse to be conscious of. Connell's skill at producing a multi-faceted character who is at once full of natural inconsistencies but always feels constant is more on show in this volume (simply because Mr. Bridge is more complex in that way). I was originally a bit concerned that this book would just be a re-hashing of the first one, with the focus on a different point of view, but I needn't have worried. There's enough variation and focus on different details and incidents to make this a separate story worth telling, which expands the view of the world while discussing a shared life.