Cornflower Book Group - The Bridge of San Luis Rey

 

   Linked stories given a fable-like telling, an investigation into the 'science' of theology, a desire to find a plan, a pattern, a cause or reason for what happens to us, and a meditation on love. That, I suppose, is the essence of Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey and I had great hopes of it as the premise was so interesting and it came strongly recommended, but it failed to make an impact on me, I'm afraid. I found myself feeling glad it was short, and that I'd had enough when I reached the end.

    Why was that? I can't love every book I pick up, though I can certainly appreciate the beauty and precision of the writing here, the economy of the prose, the intellect behind it. Is it because it reads like a collection of short stories rather than a novel and thus my appetite for something more substantial, something with more marked rhythms was not satisfied? Maybe that's it, or perhaps I just read it on the wrong day, in the wrong mood.

    I'll say no more and hand it over to all of you in the hope that you fared better than I did.

Comments

[Julie Fredericksen]

I completely agree with you on this one. I don't know why it won the Pulitzer Prize. In a way, it reminded me of Death Comes For The Archbishop, but the Cather book is redeemed by the vibrancy of the landscape. This book was just so flat, so monotone. I cared not a whit about the five people who fell to their deaths. And as for the priest who wants to learn why they were chosen, of course he doesn't find an answer, but I felt that his quest was totally swept by the wayside.

[Susan in TX]

I have to second your opinion on this one. It promised so much on the blurb, but felt unfinished to me. I, too, was grateful that it was short (and that my library had it). I'm looking forward to a change of pace with the Elizabeth Taylor, though! :)

[Sandy]

Well I spent the first 35 pages or so feeling just like Cornflower, Julie & Susan but then the book seized my enotions and attention and by the end I was just so pleased to have read it.

The premise of the monk trying to find evidence for the hand of God in the disaster by examining the past lives of the victims was not for me the best part. I enjoyed the relevation at the conclusion that the course of events was different because of the disaster (and consequently you would need to examine all time to find the evidence!).

No for me the enjoyment was the interlinked stories of unsatisfied love of differing genres - mother for child, between twins, an older man for a protégé. In particular the description of the relationship between Pio & Camilla where out of the denial of a sexual relationship comes a 'ghost of a passion', which remains central to Pio's life.

Héhé - I know I can't convert you and I dont want to - but this book was a jewel for me.

[Barbara MacLeod]

Yes, I found the book did not live up to my expectations but am glad to have read it to the end. It seemed a bit like someone sitting by the fire telling you a long yarn "And then ... and then". Maybe the author is a born story-teller but not a writer. M-m-m-m ... is that possible?

I kept losing the thread of the story. Maybe it should be read at one sitting as it is not long. I think if someone was looking for a story examining the idea of whether we are guided by a divine plan or not, they might enjoy Thomas Hardy's writing, e.g. Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

I'm on to the next book with anticipation!

[Susie Vereker]

Well, I'm pro the book. Thank you for choosing this, Cornflower – I don’t believe I’ve ever read it and I did find it thought-provoking and interesting. I enjoyed reading about Peru as a C18 Spanish colony, the posturing of the Viceroy and his snobbish court, and the six or seven main character studies, including the Abbess and the actress. A sad book, though. Embarrassingly I cried on the train while reading the end. Yes, it seems to me to be a book about the dangers of different kinds of obsessive love: maternal, fraternal, avuncular, dutiful love, even the love of social climbing. The innocent young died along side the elderly in the random way these things happen, despite Brother Juniper’s attempts to prove a celestial plan. Apparently Thorton Wilder was inspired to write the book because of a theological argument with his strict Calvanist father, but, no, using Brother Juniper as a framework didn't work for me either.
I did like the style and the flavour, though, in that one had the illusion one was reading the novel in Spanish. I usually enjoy books that transport me to a different world and this one did.

[Susie Vereker]

Had a pellucid depths moment. Rather than a straight forward novel the book is more of an essay about love in all its forms, including Brother Juniper's intellectual love of God. That didn't save him from a worse fate than that of the Bridge victims though, alas.
(This is a bit of a blinding glimpse of the obvious, I admit.)

[Sandy]

Thanks for those pelluccid depths Susie - which express exacly what I felt about the book and I dont think it's so obvious to everyone!

[jodi]

I loved this book. For all the reasons above. I loved the style of writing. "poverty of interest" were three words that were so well written that I stayed on that sentence for quite awhile. (Uncle Pio chapter pg 103 in my book.) They could describe so many situations - past and present.
The only downside was that I had to concentrate on the names on the first chapter (Marquesa) so that I did not confuse the characters. And in that chapter Mr. Wilder would go too long without mentioning the name of the character he was talking about. Then I would find out that I was thinking of the wrong person while reading and have to read the passage over.
Thank you for picking this book. It is definitely not one that I would have picked. I enjoyed it.

[Anne]

I agree with you Cornflower, in fact after finishing the book I felt that the book had no impact on me. Having read the piece on the back, I was looking forward to meeting the characters ,but I found I could not get very interested in them.

[m]

It felt too contrived for me; everything connected so neatly that it felt rather trite.

[Mr Cornflower]

I liked it but can see why others didn't. What some find contrived, I thought stylish and expressive - eg (from memory) the rupture of the bridge made a sound 'like the breaking of a string on an old musical instrument in a dusty room'. And it does put across quite well, I think, the same point that Larkin makes : "What will remain of us is love."

[Rose Harding]

I really enjoyed the book as it was a suitable size to add to my 'carry on' for four days in Florence, a suitable length (as a distraction from my other virtual book group read War and Peace) and for me the 'central characters' were not those who lost their lives but the female 'leads' that remained/survived, touched by a common thread. Through tragedy the Abbess got what she was seeking for the longevity of her work (remember she had hoped that little Pepita would take on the work of the orphanage/convent), the hands-on very real bed-side assistance from the actress and, presumably sustained, financial in-put from Clara. It wasn't the tale of the Bridge after all........

[Susie Vereker]

Another interesting view of the pellucid depths from Rose. Hope Dark Puss is reading all this.

[Dark Puss]

Yes he is, sorry I took so long to reply to your comment, I've just returned from a conference in Tennessee. I try to read all the comments on every Cornflower & Cornflower Books post. I would have read this book too except that despite my library having sixteen copies I could not borrow even one of them, nor read one in the library itself. Why? The irony, they were reserved for a Book Group!

Miaaaooowww

[Cornflower]

No!

[Marybel]

I love books that transport me, that in some way educate me and especially ones that move me and this book did.It's end reminded me of the conclusion of A River Runs Through It, a novella by Norman Maclean, which moved me to tears and left me changed.I too thought this was a book translated from spanish and I can not comment on its finer details like others I only know I am glad I read it.

[Cornflower]

I'm so glad you got a lot out of it, Marybel.