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Alexander's Bridge

3.28 of 5 stars 3.28 · rating details · 424 ratings · 56 reviews

Bartley Alexander, a construction engineer, is a middle-aged man torn between Winifred, his demanding American wife, and Hilda Burgoyne, his alluring British mistress. Alexander's relationship with Hilda erodes his sense of honor and eventually proves disastrous when a bridge he is constructing begins to collapse. Alexander's Bridge is an instructive, thought-provoking stu...more

Paperback, 84 pages

Published July 1st 2008 by Waking Lion Press (first published 1912)

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Feb 12, 2012 Sparrow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Princess Bridge

Shelves: beards-are-mesmerizing, reviewed

It is scientifically proven that Willa Cather is my favorite ever, so I took the opportunity over winter break to read this little gem. For a variety of reasons, I have stacks and stacks of books that I want to read because I think they will be terrible, or because someone recommended them to me so I feel an obligation. I often forget to read books I think I will love. And, you know, I think a lot of why I do that is because often I love the terrible books or the recommended books, and they are...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Chris Wolak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my second reading of Alexander's Bridge. When I first read this novel I was in my mid-20s and saw Alexander as a tragic hero. Now, in my mid-40s, it speaks to me as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you lead a life of action without reflection. It seems that Alexander has lost touch with who he is and what he wants. I see him as a victim of his inability to be true to himself.

In some ways, Alexander's plight made me think of a recent cartoon making the rounds on Facebook: “Insid...more This was my second reading of Alexander's Bridge. When I first read this novel I was in my mid-20s and saw Alexander as a tragic hero. Now, in my mid-40s, it speaks to me as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you lead a life of action without reflection. It seems that Alexander has lost touch with who he is and what he wants. I see him as a victim of his inability to be true to himself.

In some ways, Alexander's plight made me think of a recent cartoon making the rounds on Facebook: “Inside every middle aged person is a teenager wondering what the hell happened.” I can relate.

Alexander has been a man of action, but he's also been on autopilot. Underneath his hyper-masculine frame and worldly success, his foundation is weak. At one point Professor Wilson even says he thought he saw cracks in Alexander's foundation (and ironically declares him "sound" just before the cracks start growing). At home Alexander follows his wife's interests and at work he's gotten to the point where he consents to using improper materials and accepts the minimum safety standards for his latest and largest bridge project. With Hilda he can pretend he's young and free. He latches on to the loss of his youthful idealism and laments on how he feels trapped by demands. He doesn't dig deeper and reflect on how he can achieve what he desires--feeling free and powerful.

Up until the end, Alexander doesn't make a decision or take decisive action. The last time he and Hilda meet it's implied that he's going to leave his wife. He writes a letter to his wife, but then doesn't send it the next morning. Alexander never squares things with himself. The strain becomes overwhelming and, as they say, something's gotta give.

Had he lived, would he have have taken control of his life? He does say to Philip that anything he does can be made public, which up until now we know isn't true, but would he have eventually spoken his truth? Or would he never have given his wife that letter? And if he did, was the letter another garbled message like the one he'd once sent Hilda? Was leaving his wife necessarily what he really wanted? We'll never know. He died in his prime, his marriage intact, but he took down a whole bunch of people with him.

Read again for Willa Cather Novel Reading Challenge 2012 http://wildmoobooks.blogspot.com/2012...(less)

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Dec 19, 2008 Kimbolimbo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008

I am not sure what moral is being taught in this story...it seemed to set up a situation and never really resolve or develop it enough. I think in the end the lesson to be learned is to "not put off for tomorrow what can be done today", or "some guys are cowards ruled by hormones". The main character never really makes and carries out any tough decisions in his personal life, although he is an amazing engineer. He has his cake and eats it too, and in the end his hypocrisy is never really exposed...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Dave rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, literature

“Alexander’s Bridge”, published in 1912 is the first novel by Willa Cather, though it should probably be considered a novella. It is a fairly quick read, but unfortunately it lacks depth and is overly simplistic. The title character is Bartley Alexander an engineer of bridges. He is married to Winifried Alexander, a loving and supportive wife who would appear to be a sufficient companion for any man. But Bartley hits a mid-life crisis, and finds himself in an affair with Hilda Burgoyne, a woman...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Eh?Eh! rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: babble-added

A man is caught between the marriage of his adulthood and the love affair from his youth, loving both and realizing having both is not possible. The bridge can be an obvious metaphor but instead of the usual symbol overshadowed by the divisions it joins or the obstacles it crosses, there was some actual engineering speak. I approve.

I haven't read much of Willa Cather's works so I'm not sure how it compares to her other writings, or to that of other authors. I guess I could say she does paint her...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-1910s

Guess what this review contains?

Project Gutenberg really is the most amazing website in existence (*cough* except for GoodReads of course *cough*): I love being able to pick any classic I want at the click of my mouse pad, and then read it in bed in the dark. I've just come to the end of my Willa Cather jag (for now) and am moving onto Gothic novels (*EVIL SOUNDING ORGAN SOLO, FLASH OF LIGHTNING, AND SOPRANO SCREAM*). Oh the Victorian thrills and chills I shall have.

Before you get *too* excited,...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Marcia Lonteen-Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is Cather's first novel, vastly different from the pioneer novels for which she became known. It concerns an architect for bridges, Bartley Alexander, and his downfall over the love of a beautiful woman. The setting switches among his home in Boston with his wife, Winifred; to London with his old flame and newly reattained mistress, Hilda, an actress; to Canada, the scene of his latest bridge construction. He begins to suffer emotionally after he and Hilda reacquaint after many years. He tr...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lydia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, willa-cather-challenge

A slight story with loads of drama at the end. Spoiler Alert. (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 05, 2013 LuAnn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I decided it was time to read (and re-read) some of the classic novels. This Willa Cather book is one that had been sitting on my shelf for ages and it was a good one to start with. Written in 1912, this is the story of a young successful architect/engineer who has designed and built the world's longest bridge. But that's only a small piece of the story. Alexander is in love with two women. The most important woman in his life is his wife, who he absolutely adores. Yet, into his life come anothe...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Francisca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, read-in-english, american-literature, 2012, 1900s

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Alexander's Bridge foi o primeiro romance publicado pela escritora Willa Cather.
Devo confessar que quando comecei a ler este livro, não achei que conseguiria lê-lo até ao fim. Não sei, ao certo, a partir de que momento fiquei presa na história.
Alexander's Bridge conta-nos a história de Bartley Alexander, um engenheiro civil, cuja especialidade é a construção de pontes. Bartley é casado com uma adorável senhora de nome Winifred. Tendo em conta a sua profissão, Bartley tem que se submeter a viagen...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading the preface to this is pretty interesting; it is Willa Cather's somewhat pained explanation of why this book isn't as good as O Pioneers! or My Antonia. But I actually think she underestimated herself. I found this work pretty amazing. It isn't as nuanced as her other writings, but it is cutting and I don't mind saying that some of the people in here are easily recognizable for East Coasters.

Some of my favorite excerpts:

"He was a natural force, certainly, but beyond that...he was not an...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, classic, novel

Bartley Alexander is a force. He moves always. He doesn't sit quietly and reflect. His personality is felt by everyone he knows.

He is a civil engineer and he is building big awe inspiring bridges at a time when the really large suspension bridges are just being created.

He also has a wife. A very respectable and financially secure wife. His life is picture perfect. Until he decides he isn't happy.

Apparently mid-life crisis occurred 100 years ago too.

This is Willa Cather's first published book, al...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Casey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: americana, classic

This is a light and easy read, but certainly not up to standards as O Pioneers! or My Antonia. The characters were not developed in depth and I didn't have emotional connection to Bartley by the end. I'm not sure if I truly understood his character. Perhaps if the story was longer, and there was actual conflict between Bartley and Winifred, some stronger characters would have been created. More time was spent on the relationship between Barley and Hilda, and their relationship seemed far simpler...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Jean rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some beautiful writing in this first novel of Willa Cather. I have enjoyed some of her others more, but definitely hints of future excellence here. I did identify with the mid-life feelings of the main character, though his way of dealing with regaining his lost youth was,sadly, not the right way to go. I never really felt like the characters in this novel were quite fleshed out. The analogy of the bridge was a good one, I think, but not very subtle. Early on I predicted what the end would be an...more

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Feb 02, 2010 Sharyn L. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I listened to this Librivox.org recordas I worked around the house. There were two different narrators; both read at a reasonable speed and I had no difficulty understanding them.

I was first introduced to Willa Cather when I lived in Sweden in 1992-1993. The public library had a substantial English language section, primarily classics. I read several of Willa Cahter's books and was mesmerized how her simple words painted such wonderful pictures. Alexander's Bridge held some surprises for me. I e...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have loved reading Willa Cather over the years. But I was quite disappointed with Alexander's Bridge. I never seemed to grab me. I couldn't identify with any of the characters. I've vowed to only read one tragedy a year and unfortunately this is the second in six months, so I believe I've already hit my plimsoll line on depressing books. The only saving grace to this book was that it was so short that by the time I realized it was a tragedy it was pretty much over. How's that for giving away t...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: virago, 2011, 1910s

Alexander’s Bridge tells the story of Bartley Alexander, an American engineer famed for building bridges. He lives a perfect life in Boston with his loving, supportive wife Winifred. However, his life starts to unravel when business takes him to London and he meets Hilda Burgoyne, an Irish actress with whom he had been in love when he was younger. He begins to question how happy he really is and soon finds himself divided in two and under the terrible strain of leading a double life.

It seems tha...more Alexander’s Bridge tells the story of Bartley Alexander, an American engineer famed for building bridges. He lives a perfect life in Boston with his loving, supportive wife Winifred. However, his life starts to unravel when business takes him to London and he meets Hilda Burgoyne, an Irish actress with whom he had been in love when he was younger. He begins to question how happy he really is and soon finds himself divided in two and under the terrible strain of leading a double life.

It seems that I picked a particularly interesting author for my reading in order experiment, as Cather later distanced herself from this first novel of hers, saying that it ‘does not deal with the kind of subject matter in which I now find myself most at home‘ and that: "The difference in quality in the two books is an illustration of the fact that it is not always easy for the inexperienced writer to distinguish between his own material and that which he would like to make his own. Everything is new to the young writer, and everything seems equally personal. That which is outside his deepest experience, which he observes and studies, often seems more vital than that which he knows well, because he regards it with all the excitement of discovery."

She continues: ‘The writer, at the beginning of his career, is often more interested in his discoveries about his art than in the homely truths which have been about him from his cradle.’ Certainly, this book was not what I was expecting from what I have heard about Cather’s later and more famous works. Alexander’s Bridge has quite an urban focus, which I hadn’t anticipated, and the way that it develops puts me in mind more of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence than what I had been awaiting from Cather. The plot does feel a little strained at times, and this may well be because she is trying to mimic other literature than to write her own, although equally it may reflect the tensions between the characters, echoed in the bridges that Alexander builds.

However, I do not agree that this makes Alexander’s Bridge a book filled with ‘youthful vanities and gaudy extravagances’ as Cather terms these early works of a writer; although the plot is somewhat lacking there are moments in the writing of quiet introspection and deep beauty. For all it feels as though she is writing someone else’s plot, she still does so from her own perspective and with her own perceptive vocabulary, allowing the emotions of her characters to shine through in a way that is instantly understandable. Take, for instance, her description of Bartley Alexander’s thoughts as he becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his perfect life: "His existence was becoming a network of great and little details. He had expected that success would bring him freedom and power; but it had brought him only power that was in itself another kind of restraint. He had always meant to keep his personal liberty at all costs… He happened to be a engaged in a work of public utility, but he was not willing to become a public man. He found himself living exactly the kind of life he had determined to escape. What, he asked himself, did he want with these genial honours and substantial comforts? Hardships and difficulties he had carried lightly; overwork had not exhausted him; but this dead calm of the middle life which confronted him — of that he was afraid. It was like being buried alive."

Moments like this one make the novel worth reading, despite the disappointing storyline. It shows a thoughtfulness, an insight and an awareness of humanity which hopefully develops into something really special in her later works. I can’t wait to continue on my journey through Cather.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Schmacko rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, everyone has to start somewhere. This is Cather’s first novel (and if you know me, you know I adore Cather). In Alexander’s Bridge, Cather is trying to ape contemporary Henry James. It’s so obvious that it’s a little painful, even though Cather already has her amazing sense of character and place well intact. Her story – her plot – is awkwardly romantic, and she tries to be just a little too urbane (something she gave up for her next novel – her fist success – O’ Pioneers!)

Alexander is a f...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the novel. It was a love triangle between, Bartley, Winifred, his wife and Hilda, a friend. He loves his wife and starts to appreciate his life at his age while he loves being reminded of his youth when he is in Hilda's presence. He decides to stop seeing Hilda and she cannot let him go. Winifred continues to be in Alexander's corner concerning his work. Unfortunatley, Alexander is killed in an accident at the Moorlock Bridge. Winifred lives her life in sorrow while remembering her hus...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexander is an architect. He designs bridges. Right now he has two problem bridges. One is in Canada; it's an actual bridge. The other is his relationship bridge; he has two women, one of whom he is married to in the USA, the other in London. He loves both and doesn't want to lose either of them, but he is essentially a monogamous person, and he doesn't feel so good. He's cheating on his wife and she doesn't know about it; he keeps meaning to end it with Hilda, but when he sees her, he can't.

Th...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Betty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm reading Cather's novels in order of publication this year (a challenge from the Cather Foundation picked up by a blog I follow). She was 39 when this was published, which accounts for the maturity of the theme (mid-life crisis). It wasn't too hard to predict the outcome of the story, which made it entirely satisfactory when it transpired. I think I would have felt tricked by any other resolution. I look forward to the next work.

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Dec 31, 2010 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

This is her first novel and as her preface states, she wrote about things that she didn't necessarily know at the time and was imitating other writers of the time. While it is not as great as her other books like My Antonia, the writing still is strong and her imagery is beautiful. The conflict in the main character is also an interesting part of the story. It is very short (80 pages) and a great introduction to Cather.

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Jun 01, 2010 Tom rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For the first time, I've read a Willa Cather novel and not been all that impressed. The second half was better than the first, and there's certainly something going on here, but she was soon writing much better books. (The leap from this to O Pioneers is considerable.)

Alexander's Bridge is certainly not awful, and it hints at Cather's future greatness. But I'd recommend any number of her novels over this one.

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Jan 01, 2008 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another book on tape. "Alexander's Bridge" is a novella with a dated morality. Bradly (I think) Alexander is an architect/engineer who builds bridges. He is seen by his friend and teacher as a somewhat unstoppable force with flaws. He's idolized by his clever and self-contained wife. He is in love with his wife but when he encounters an old flame, he plans to meet her in London where he is scheduled to be the next summer. He agonizes over his lust for the old flame and his loyalty for his wife a...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can't stop reading Cather. It's like I just discovered chocolate-chip cookies...
I think I prefer the female-centered story lines and the prairie setting.
This one had some interesting introspection from the viewpoint of an unfaithful husband struggling to come to terms with his lost youth but overall it was just okay.
2.5 stars, rounded up because it's Cather.

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Mar 14, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was awfully sad! ): There was a whole lot of symbolism in there too. First the bridges Alexander is building, you notice in the beginning, are all going so well. He is succesful , he has an adoring wife, a good career, he is well renowned and he is young. As he goes to London and meets the ex-love-of-his-life he falls for her again and so does all his bridges. The more wrong choices Alexander makes the worse his career gets, it starts with complaints with the bridge in New Jersey the h...more

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May 19, 2013 Susanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had not read this first book by Cather before, but found that I did enjoy it. However, I did see the influence of Henry James and Edith Wharton in it. Her ability to make her characters come alive began with her even in this first book.

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Jan 10, 2009 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this her first published novel, Willa Cather is still relying highly on the Jamesian settings and style. But the story is an interesting one that examines the role of the artist and the artistic process, metaphorically

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Aug 03, 2011 Lauren Hu added it · review of another edition

I loved this book! It was written about an architect named Bartley Alexander, and his two loves, Hilda and Winifred. The entire book was written so clearly that I felt like I was there for every moment of the story.

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May 13, 2013 Joem rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was OK-ish. Not really my thing. Kind of stiff. Some of the time I felt like I didn't like it in the same way I don't like Mad Men (too rosy a view of a not-that-good and not-that-worthy character).

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