Cornflower Book Group 2010: Volume 10

 

     Slightly later than it should have been posted, here is the CBG's October book:

Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, "a little masterpiece", won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928. The story of the breaking of an Inca-woven osier bridge above a gorge on the road from Lima to Cuzco, and the investigation into the lives of those who perished by the Franciscan monk Brother Juniper, who witnessed the collapse, it examines whether "we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan."

    This is a short book (124 pages in my edition) and one which has attained classic status and influenced many other writers. Described as having a "deceptive clarity of style that masks pellucid depths", it sounds intriguing and very worthwhile reading.

    This should be readily available everywhere, though as I always say for Book Group books, if you can't get it locally The Book Depository will send it post-free, (and there's a Kindle version, too). Let's 'meet' back here to discuss it from Saturday, 23rd. October - that should give us enough time to read it as it's nicely compact!

Comments

[GeraniumCat]

I remember liking this when I read it a very long time ago, and I've always meant to re-read it. It was very considerate of you to choose a book with a Kindle version, thank you!

[Julie Fredericksen]

Thank you. I've never read any Thornton Wilder, and it's high time I do.

[Julie Fredericksen]

PS - What is your edition? I can't find it on amazon.com

[Dark Puss]

"deceptive clarity of style that masks pellucid depths"

Dear Karen, forgive me I just cannot resist a comment on this example that you quote!

I had to look up pellucid, it means transparently clear! Can you, or your erudite readers, explain to this simple physicist how deceptive clarity can possibly mask something that is transparently clear? Should this have said something like "obscure style that masks pellucid depths"?

[Cornflower]

Julie, mine is a Penguin Twentieth Century Classics one, but I'm sure any edition would be fine.

[Cornflower]

Perhaps all will become clear (or pellucid, or transparent, or something) as we read!!

[Julie Fredericksen]

Shallow me, I like the cover!

Thanks.

[Susie Vereker]

Wot he means is, though the style is simple and clear, the book has depths that are not immediately obvious. Ahem, I always like to think there are hidden depths in my own books, but nobody notices them - can't be pellucid enough.

Sounds a good choice, Cornflower. I know we used to have a copy but this is another book I've probably lost. Maybe I should have a sort out.

[Susie Vereker]

That was meant to be a general comment rather than addressed to Cornflower. Oh dear, quips don't always work out on the internet.

[Dark Puss]

Dear Susie I guess the quip was aimed at me; this scientist is not well versed in lit.crit. jargon!

However your explanation still leaves me puzzled as to why he uses the word pellucid if he wishes to say hidden. They are complete opposites!