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A review by thestoryprofessor
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
3.0
I understand the appeal this book has for many people: a sensual romance surrounded by beautiful prose and musings on life, masculinity, and femininity. The setting also is incredibly rendered, hence the title.
But other than that... these characters are lacking depth, motivation, and history beyond their actions. Both seem reduced to their sexual attraction for each other, which is not the greatest way to characterize. Robert Kincaid may be the better rendered of the two given that he has this whole "last cowboy" persona, but other than this label and what it brings to the table, neither of these characters have much more to offer than "oh, I love his/her body".
Also, I am surprised by the amount of women who love this story given that Francesca is reduced to a sexy piece of conquered meat for 90% of the story. The letter she writes her children gives a small insight into a more complete human, but it still isn't enough to characterize her with any depth. What this leads to is a fluffy, fantastical relationship that only has room for "we're perfect for each other on a spiritual level, not to be trite" and goo-goo eyes. Any human, interesting relational interactions that could have been born from such an intense sexual attraction and NOTHING ELSE are completely unconsidered.
But other than that... these characters are lacking depth, motivation, and history beyond their actions. Both seem reduced to their sexual attraction for each other, which is not the greatest way to characterize. Robert Kincaid may be the better rendered of the two given that he has this whole "last cowboy" persona, but other than this label and what it brings to the table, neither of these characters have much more to offer than "oh, I love his/her body".
Also, I am surprised by the amount of women who love this story given that Francesca is reduced to a sexy piece of conquered meat for 90% of the story. The letter she writes her children gives a small insight into a more complete human, but it still isn't enough to characterize her with any depth. What this leads to is a fluffy, fantastical relationship that only has room for "we're perfect for each other on a spiritual level, not to be trite" and goo-goo eyes. Any human, interesting relational interactions that could have been born from such an intense sexual attraction and NOTHING ELSE are completely unconsidered.