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lilithesquid 's review for:
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
by Thornton Wilder
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My Dad gave me this book twice across about ten years, so I guess I had to read it eventually. Reflective, very sad, hopeful. Not quite my kind of book but glad I read it. I enjoyed the faux-archeological style to it. The poignancy and seeming pointlessness of the characters' lives cut short also really got me ('As they drew near the bridge of San Luis Rey, Jaime tried to conceal his shame, for he knew that one of those moments was coming that separated him from other people... Uncle Pio said that when they had crossed the bridge they would sit down and rest, but that turned out not to be necessary.' god damn it). The conclusion about love should have been a nice touch, but felt a bit rushed for me, and maybe a bit too obvious? But then I also spent about 3 weeks reading this rather than an afternoon, so maybe that would have had more of a cumulative effect and felt more satisfying. A good book!