Reader discussion: The bridge of San Luis Rey

Public reader discussion about The bridge of San Luis Rey in the WeRead Catalog by Thornton Wilder.

What is your opinion of Thornton Wilder?

By notebookdeviate9725

Thornton Niven Wilder (1897–1975) was an American playwright and novelist. I guess he won three Pulitzers—one for The Bridge of San Luis Rey, which got adapted for film/TV, and it follows five people whose lives intersect right before a bridge collapse in 18th-century Peru. Then he also got Pulitzers for Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, plus a National Book Award for The Eighth Day. And apparently he was nominated for the Nobel Prize more than 16 times, which feels wild, but I’m not totally sure how that number works out.

2015 Roundup: What did you read this year?

By TGrand8

This is probably where we’ll post the books we finished in the 2015 calendar year.

Looking for thought-provoking novels with both depth and gripping prose

By red1983

Hey folks, I’m trying to find my next read and figured this crowd might have good ideas. I’ve been going for novels that make you think—stuff that feels pretty existential or philosophical, sometimes dystopian—but I also need it to actually suck me in. I don’t want it to feel dry or like it’s lecturing. A few things I’ve really liked: - Orwell (1984, Animal Farm) and Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451) were awesome. - Huxley’s Brave New World (and Brave New World Revisited) grabbed my attention, but didn’t keep me as hooked. - I liked the dark, sharp vibe in Palahniuk (Fight Club, Invisible Monsters), Wilde (Dorian Gray), and Moore (V for Vendetta, Watchmen). - Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment, Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground) and Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, The Death of Ivan Ilyich) really stuck with me. - Kafka (The Trial, Metamorphosis) and Camus (The Stranger) just didn’t fully work for me. I like their ideas, but the stories didn’t pull me in the way I wanted. Same with Saramago (Blindness) and Zamyatin (We). I’ve also read Kundera, Sartre, Hesse, Shelley, and a bunch of other similar stuff. So I guess what I’m hunting for now is something that has that philosophical/existential weight, but still keeps the page-turning momentum. Like, I want to reflect on it after I’m done, not just finish it. I know that’s a tall order, and I’ve read a lot in this lane already, so I’m kind of stuck. What would you recommend? Honestly, surprise me.

In dire need of new authors / books

By Mug-Couplet

Lately I’ve been stuck in a reading slump, mostly because I keep coming back to the same handful of authors and it feels like I’m not really getting anything “new” in. I’m honestly pretty hungry for fresh books—especially more obscure stuff, cult favorites, that kind of thing. I’m also into anything that’s experimental or just creative in some way. I don’t care too much whether you tailor suggestions to my tastes, but some of the writers I keep returning to are Don DeLillo, Michel Houellebecq, Beckett, Kafka, Ionesco, Krasznahorkai, Michael Chabon, and Saramago. I also like philosophy a lot—Deleuze & Guattari, Spinoza, Paul Virilio, and CCRU, plus other things. I’m kind of up and down with Pynchon and Gaddis. Sometimes I absolutely fly through them and love the challenge, but other times they feel kind of sloggy or impossible to get through. More recently I’ve been into Toni Morrison, Donna Tartt, and Joseph McElroy. Go ahead and throw any recommendations at me—authors or specific works. I’m not really picky about genre, themes, or whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. Thanks!

95K! + What cha readin’?

By violet_bottle

I’ve got a crazy Saturday going on—prom night for my kid and his date. Still, I just wanted to pop in and see how everyone’s doing.

Any underrated classic book recommendations?

By NovelYoung

I’ve already heard of Wuthering Heights, Dorian Gray, Persuasion, Great Expectations, Little Women, Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and all that… But what’s a good classic (or more modern classic) that *doesn’t* get talked about as much? Like something that still feels “classic-worthy” enough to belong on the same list. Also reposting because my first post apparently wasn’t “specific” enough, which is annoying since it’s still about books.

Short Historical Fiction (any era/time period)

By matrix-sampaloc71

So I’m in a class where I have to read a few books across different genres, and one of them is historical fiction. I don’t really know that genre that well, and the class moves pretty fast, so I’m hoping to find something shorter. Less than 250 pages would be ideal, but I can stretch to around 300 if it’s really worth it. Any time period is fine, too. A female main character would be a nice bonus, but I’m not picky. One thing though: it can’t be YA—has to be adult historical fiction. Edit: Thanks a ton for all the suggestions!! I’ve gotten some really good options from you guys, and I honestly appreciate it :)

Novels with poetic prose??

By yucateco_ocean

Hey everyone—I'm trying to find a novel that has that kind of poetic feel, but still keeps a really solid story going. I want something that makes you pause and think, with really pretty imagery. What would you recommend to start with?

What’s the best novella you’ve ever read?

By Cricket1980

Our book club is doing a whole week of novellas—some folks are really into it, others are more casual. What’s the one thing in a novella that really stops you, like instantly?

Week 49 What are you reading?

By amber22

Hey all! Wow.. December already, huh? GAAHHH how is it here so fast Keep an eye out the next few weeks since the roundup posts will start showing up around here This week I’m on 3 books God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim. It took me a little while to get into it, but now I’m totally hooked. I really like the Korean stuff in it since I don’t know much about that area. Seokga and Hani are both great too, so I’m having a really good time with this one Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall. The letter format was a bit weird for me at first, but now that I’m used to it, it’s been a really nice way for the story to come out. I love E, her brain feels so much like mine, even though I don’t have OCD, and it’s kind of comforting reading someone who’s dealt with some of the same things. I honestly have no clue where it’s going next and that’s making me keep turning pages How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler. This one is so funny. I love all the modern-world references and Davi is just so sarcastic and witty. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all and is just a ton of fun What are you all reading?

A classic book that no one talks about?

By blueletter

Okay but I’m so tired of the usual BookTok classics—can someone recommend that one amazing story that’s actually a real hidden gem?

Books like "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (Wilder) and "Death Comes for the Archbishop" (Cather), a specific type of historical fiction

By CipherSaxonian8564

I’m trying to find more fiction like the two books listed above. I can’t really pin down what it is I love so much, but it feels like Wilder and Cather just know how to use their words—like they never waste anything, but still somehow get this really lyrical feel. I don’t think I’ve seen that with other writers who are praised for being so economical with language, like Hemingway (though I haven’t read everything he wrote), so I’m kind of stuck trying to describe it.

Recommend your top five all time reads?

By islandPangenic

I picked up a few that really stuck with me: *Slaughterhouse-Five*, *Flowers for Algernon*, and *The Illustrated Man*. Also *The Death of Ivan Ilyich* and *The Giver*—not totally sure why, but they all hit a similar nerve for me.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, a 2004 film based on the novel of the same name. Set in Peru in the early 1700s. Stills from the 2022 remastered version.

By granddoor

Wait— is that Kathy Bates?? The movie looks really pretty, and I’m into the 18th-century costume vibe. Think I’ll give it a watch.

Please post your 2023 list of 52 books

By marginFox

I’m hoping I can use someone else’s list for ideas, since I’d rather pick things at random instead of letting my own “I want to read this” feelings steer me.

Historical fiction books that were popular at their time (>10 years ago), but are less common now

By wise_island7124

I read a lot of historical fiction, and most of the time I’m grabbing whatever the newest big popular titles are when they come out. But recently I picked up *Memoirs of a Geisha* again—haven’t read it in more than ten years—and even though I know people have called it out as problematic more recently, I’m still really enjoying it and I forgot how much I loved it the first time. That made me start wondering: what other historical fiction books that were popular a few decades ago do people not really talk about anymore? Like *The Red Tent* was a huge bestseller in the 90s and you basically never hear about it now. Other examples of what I mean are things like *The Thorn Birds*, *Pompeii* by Robert Harris, or the Courtney novels. Any recommendations?

May Overview: What Did You Read this Past Month?

By lost-raven

Sorry if I’m stepping on anyone’s toes here, but I didn’t see the monthly thread up yet. Hope you’re all on track and hitting your goals—more than anything, I just hope you’re actually enjoying the books.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

By Ink_Tide

I don’t usually go for a moral fable type of story, so I basically grabbed this one with no real expectations. The only thing I knew was that *Death Comes to the Archbishop* had been compared to it for the style and how beautiful it is. Honestly, the whole thing about the five souls and the bridge had me hooked, and it still worked even when I reread it. Just really well done.

Suggest me your favorite books under 150 pages. I get too tired to read long, extensive books, so suggest your favorite book under 150 pages.

By weather-eagle5

I’m not really sure what to make of this. The whole thing felt heavy and confusing, but I couldn’t stop reading.

My boss gave me this copy of The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Anyone able to provide any information on the original binding? (it has a different title)

By CanyonLavender1985

I keep coming up with a bunch of theories about why it got rebound, but does anyone actually have a guess about what “To My Mother” is supposed to be? This whole rabbit hole has made me end up digging through stuff about Albatross Press and the Third Reich. I tried searching for a book with that exact title and couldn’t find anything, so I’m pretty stuck. Also, I can’t find any info about “The Bridge…” ever being dedicated to the author’s mother. If it is, I really doubt it would show up on the spine, so now I’m just confused.