The Bridge of San Luis Rey

By: Thornton Wilder

Narrated by: Sam Waterston

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize Winner, The Novel, 1928

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, first published in 1927, was Thornton Wilder's first major work and won him instant international recognition. The story concerns the lives of five people who fall to their deaths on July 20, 1714, when a rope bridge breaks on a road near Lima, Peru. A humble Franciscan, Brother Juniper, witnesses the accident and determines to learn about the lives of the victims in order to find out whether this accident happened by chance or by plan.

Again and again, the novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder explores in his works the connections between the commonplace and cosmic dimensions of human experience, always returning to fundamental questions about the meaning of life.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the true great American classics, has been translated into more than 30 languages. The book won Wilder the first of his three Pulitzer Prizes.

©1927 Albert and Charles Boni Inc., 1955 renewed by Thornton Wilder (P)1997 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• Pulitzer Prize winner

"A masterpiece." (New York Herald Tribune)
"A melancholy narrative of great power, simplicity and beauty." (AudioFile)

Compact novel about fate, destiny

I highly recommend this novel, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

The story begins with the end – in Peru in 1714 a bridge collapses, killing five people. Brother Juniper, a monk who witnesses the disaster and is also fascinated with the idea of scientifically proving God’s existence, collects and analyzes the evidence of these victims’ lives, hoping to witness God’s plan.

We then are taken into the lives of the individuals who died on the bridge – who they were, how they lived, and what forces drew them to cross that bridge at that fateful moment. Though seemingly unrelated at first, they are in fact indirectly related to Camila Perichole, a former Peruvian actress.

Upon reading, I had initial fears that TBOSLR would depict the predictable 20th century existentialist world, where “God’s plan” is synonymous with “panacea” and that each of our lives is purposeless. Though I will not reveal the ending, Wilder steeres clear of this conclusion.

Sam Waterston’s voice (Law and Order) is excellent. Perhaps some do not like his plodding, tired style, but I feel it fits this novel perfectly.

Wilder's masterful accomplishment rests upon his proficiency in theatre. Limiting himself to only a few short scenes for each character, he perfectly encapsulates their motivations, dreams, fears, and essences. Readers will enjoy the depth of characters enclosed in such a brief novel.

Sam Watterson

The story is beautiful and is undiminished by the reader. Sam Watterson is a horrible actor and even worse narrator.

Technical Issue Within My Recording

It appears Chapters 3 and 4 have been reversed in my version of the recording. Otherwise, I was very pleased with the book and Sam Waterston’s performance.

Intimate insight into lives

Interesting story, and I seemed to enjoy it a little better by speeding up the playback a little.

narration enormous disappointment

If you could sum up The Bridge of San Luis Rey in three words, what would they be?

disapointing garbled narration

What was most disappointing about Thornton Wilder’s story?

The story is good.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Difficult to understand his words in several parts.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no emotions except frustration

Monumental book and Sensitive Narration

This Pulitzer Prize winning book is poetic and touching. Don't let other reviews about Watterson's voice dissuade you - it may be unusually soft or breathy but is sensitive, and more than listenable. It suits the content of the work.

Complicated story worth the listen

Not a perfect recording. Possibly not the perfect narrator. But an interesting look at the impact of five lives. Worth the listen.

A well constructed and thoughtful story

Would you listen to The Bridge of San Luis Rey again? Why?

Excellent plot with well developed characters. Universal morality tale.

What other book might you compare The Bridge of San Luis Rey to and why?

Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory."

What does Sam Waterston bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good grasp of characters and ability to express many emotions.

If you could rename The Bridge of San Luis Rey, what would you call it?

A Bridge to Eternity

Chapter is out of place

The book is out of order in one place and is very confusing. If you know that ahead of time then you just skip the chapter and then come back a chapter.

Avoid this Performance

I seriously thought about asking for my money back because this performance is awful. The recording is muffled and low. Was this narrator wearing a mask giving the performance? I could barely understand him. I tried turning up the volume but the sound quality was so poor it quickly distorted. What little I could understand and follow in the book was good, but quite frankly I was lost trying to listen to a narrator with cotton balls in his mouth. I have over 200 titles in my library, this is the worst performance by far of any of them.