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The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins
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The Bridge of San Luis Rey
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Summary
The publication of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Bridge of San Luis Rey established Thornton Wilder as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century.
An ancient bridge collapses over a gorge in Peru, hurling five people into the abyss. It seems a meaningless human tragedy; but one witness, a Franciscan monk, believes the deaths might not be as random as they appear. Convinced that the disaster is a punishment sent from Heaven, the monk sets out to discover all he can about the travellers. The five strangers were connected in some way, he thinks, so there must be a purpose behind their deaths. But are their lost lives the result of sin... or of love?
An acclaimed novelist and playwright, Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) won three Pulitzer Prizes: for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and for the two plays, Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth. Wilder’s other honours include the Gold Medal for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the National Book Committee’s Medal for Literature.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Welsh Mafia
- 08-05-13
Unexpectedly and totally brilliant...
There is a real excitement in stumbling into a writer that you’ve only vaguely heard of, of whom you hear little and, on reflection can’t quite remember why you’ve started to read...only to find that within a couple of pages you know that you’ve made a lifelong find.
I can’t really understand why Thornton Wilder is not better known and more widely read here. This book has the refreshing smack of an Umberto Eco, with the humour and authority of a James Joyce and the invention of Haruki Murakami - and yet this book is nearly one hundred years old? Quite unbelievable - unbelievably good from start to finish. Really, really give it a try - here’s a novel that delivers on a breadth and depth with no indication in the biography as to where this might come from. Peru? A collapsing bridge? July 1714 I mean, come on.....
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lynda
- 25-07-13
Ghastly!
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
Sadly, I did not get a chance to review the story due to the narrators highly irritating voice.
Would you ever listen to anything by Thornton Wilder again?
Not if this narrator is chosen.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The narrators voice was terrible! Schreechy and irritating characterisations.I could only listen for a very short time before giving up.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Severe irritation!
Any additional comments?
Very disappointing
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- L
- 02-05-18
Well-written but
Well-written but, ultimately, quite boring. The narration was quite dry, which didn't help. The stories were sprawling and not tight whatsoever. The prose was also not beautiful enough to make up for that fact.
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