The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Section II, Part III Eteban

[Tamara]

Please discuss the second section of The Bridge of San Luis Rey anything from the beginning through the end of Part III, Esteban. Use spoiler tags when necessary.

[Tamara]

Maybe it's because I read this section all in one sitting, but I liked it much more than the first section.

I'm starting to feel like the Abbess is a big "supporting" character in this book. Though I guess I won't know until I read the third section. But she has ties to both characters we've seen so far, Esteban and the Marquesa. I quite like her actually.

I found Esteban's death to be kind of a "Catch-22". Just when he had decided to live for something instead of thinking about situations he could put himself in to get killed, he dies. Twist of fate, really.

[Irene]

I think the Marquesa was similar. She had just decided to live rather than wine and she dies.

[Laurie]

Interesting, Irene, I had not thought of that. In a way la Perichole is the reverse: she gives up on life after losing her beauty, and does not realise what she truly has to live for until she loses it.

[Irene]

Yes, lots of opposites in these character sketches. So, will some common thread or element be found to link them in their tragedy?

[Katy]

All of our characters have interesting ties together so far. Some more direct than others.

This is my first Wilder book, he does seem to have the Latin American literary voice down -- I am impressed. A bit of the magical realism without really any magic.

[Laurie]

Kathy wrote: "This is my first Wilder book, he does seem to have the Latin American literary voice down..."

Kathy, I thought the same, that the voice seemed similar to many Latin American authors, especially in short stories. My copy had some context from Wilder's estate (notes from his diary etc.) and I was interested to see that he himself thought of the book as being in the tradition of French literature.