Summary
Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a literary masterpiece that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1928. Set in 18th-century Peru, this thought-provoking novel explores the interconnected lives of five individuals who perish when an Inca rope bridge collapses. Wilder's profound examination of love, fate, and the human condition has captivated readers for nearly a century.
First published in 1927, The Bridge of San Luis Rey quickly gained international acclaim and became a bestseller. The novel's enduring popularity has led to several adaptations, with the most notable being the 2004 film starring Robert De Niro, Kathy Bates, and Harvey Keitel. At its core, The Bridge of San Luis Rey grapples with profound philosophical questions about the nature of existence, the role of divine providence in human affairs, and the intricate web of relationships that bind us together.
Plot
On July 20, 1714, a bridge in Peru collapsed, killing five people. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan friar who witnesses the accident, decides to investigate the lives of the victims to determine if their deaths were part of God's plan. He spends six years compiling information and writing a book about the incident, hoping to provide evidence of divine providence.
The novel focuses on three of the victims. The first is the Marquesa de Montemayor, an eccentric noblewoman known for her beautiful letters to her estranged daughter in Spain. She dies alongside her companion, Pepita, a young girl from the local convent. The second victim is Esteban, a twin who becomes suicidal after his brother's death and is on the verge of starting a new life when the bridge collapses.
The third story revolves around Uncle Pio and the young boy Don Jaime. Uncle Pio is a former tutor and confidant to the famous actress Camila Perichole. When Perichole retreats from public life after being disfigured by smallpox, Uncle Pio convinces her to let him take her son, Don Jaime, to Lima for education. Both perished in the bridge collapse.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the novel explores how the deaths affect those left behind. The Abbess of the local convent becomes a central figure, offering comfort to Perichole and the Marquesa's daughter. Brother Juniper's book is eventually deemed heretical and burned along with its author. The novel concludes with the Abbess's reflection that love is the bridge between the living and the dead, the only thing that gives life meaning.
