false 129972 7 Before Betty Friedan wrote <i>The Feminine Mystique</i> there was <i>Mrs. Bridge,</i> an inspired novel set in the years around World War II that testified to the sapping ennui of an unexamined suburban life. India Bridge, the title character, has three children and a meticulous workaholic husband. She defends her dainty, untouched guest towels from son Douglas, who has the gall to dry his hands on one, and earnestly attempts to control her daughters with pronouncements such as "Now see here, young lady ... in the morning one doesn't wear earrings that dangle." Though her life is increasingly filled with leisure and plenty, she can't shuffle off vague feelings of dissatisfaction, confusion, and futility. Evan S. Connell, who also wrote the twinned novel <i>Mr. Bridge</i>, builds a world with tiny brushstrokes and short, telling vignettes. 1496628 1959 Mrs. Bridge: A Novel total:345|5:143|4:125|3:63|2:12|1:2| 345 1430 509 69 5 2 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jul 20 05:24:08 -0700 2007 Mon Jan 28 15:19:18 -0800 2008 Mrs. Bridge is a collection of heartbreaking vignettes, glimpses into a Kansas City housewife's life (or what passes for one) in the 1920s-40s. Our title character is a member of the leisu...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 13:14:56 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 13:16:07 -0700 2009
Tiny Bricks Build an Exquisite Structure: The Effects of Teensy Chapters in Evan S. Connell’s “Mrs. Bridge”

Writers use lots of words. Sometimes too many. What a contrast, what a pleasure and relief, to read the work of...more...]]> 0 1 false false Tue Jul 10 09:31:50 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 11:22:13 -0700 2007 King Lear look like a bedtime story.

What's remarkable is that nothing that sad ever happens in it-- no genocide, loss, hardly even any death. It's just this relentless collection of tiny moments in a life. It's a huge achievement o...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 21 08:19:45 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 21 19:46:40 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 2 false false Sat Jul 14 16:16:02 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 17 21:59:03 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Tue Jun 14 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sun May 17 11:55:22 -0700 2009 Sun May 17 12:04:40 -0700 2009 2 Text Book Manuel of Ironic Writing

This book is such a pleasure to read that it took me a second reading to realize how enviously brilliant the writing is. EVERYTHING is ironic! Another reader said its amazing that a book can be such a tragedy when nothing tragic appears to happen. Anothe...more...]]> 5 1 false false Thu Jun 21 14:40:47 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 21 14:59:42 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Tue Sep 25 09:17:49 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 25 09:22:42 -0700 2007 I LOVED this book. I cannot wait for the book club to hear what the others had to say - it was well written, poignant, clever and dealt with a lot of ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Thu Jul 26 17:47:38 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 26 18:13:42 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Sep 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 13:07:18 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 03 18:33:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 22 20:08:12 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 20:14:54 -0700 2009
"He wondered...if this is how they would end their lives, accompanying each other so closely, loving each other, touching one another with affection and sympathy, yet singularly alone."...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 07 09:28:19 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 07 09:34:15 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Sep 24 18:01:02 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 27 20:11:20 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jun 08 09:24:25 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 09:24:55 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sat Jul 25 22:06:49 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 25 22:06:59 -0700 2009 written, in little short chapters,
little scenes from Mrs. Bridge's
life. Each little chapter is like
a Zen story, a little piece of a
...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jul 07 17:10:07 -0700 2008 Sat Jul 12 13:34:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Mon Jul 02 08:57:17 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 05 15:51:20 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 17:20:55 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 15:48:57 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Nov 28 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 15:58:18 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 16:03:52 -0800 2008 1 5 0 false false Fri Jul 27 12:43:01 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 27 12:43:01 -0700 2007 more...]]>