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The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

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The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

by Wilder, Thornton

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
See description
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
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About This Item

New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1927. First edition of the author's masterpiece and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "For Milton J. Lesser with the regard of Thornton Wilder New Haven March 1930." Also laid in is a signed handwritten letter to the recipient from Wilder. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light wear. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Illustrated by Amy Drevenstedt. A superior example of the dust jacket, which is prone to wear.

Synopsis

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel, first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. It tells the story of several interrelated people who die in the collapse of an Inca rope-fiber suspension bridge in Peru, and the events that lead up to their being on the bridge. A friar who has witnessed the tragic accident then goes about inquiring into the lives of the victims, seeking some sort of cosmic answer to the question of why each had to die.

Read More: Identifying first editions of The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

Reviews

On Oct 5 2010, Sergerca said:
We all have a worldview (don't we?) that influences just about everything we encounter. Literature is no exception. Perhaps that is why I thought the main point of Thornton Wilder's outstanding The Bridge of San Luis Rey was so obvious.In many of the reviews I've read, many have stated that Wilder leaves the main conclusion up to the reader. I must disagree. The final line, so quoted by many of the reviewers, makes it all very clear to me. "All those impulses of love return to the love that made them." Perhaps, had Wilder capitalized the second "love" more would have drawn the same conclusion as I. That love is, of course, the love of the Father. This short book is rooted in Christian realism -- summed up in that final page. Life and God's ways as they pertain to life, are a mystery to the believer. Seemingly saintly people die far too early in inexplicable circumstances-- a bridge that has lasted for centuries one day breaks under the weight of an old woman, a cripple, an old man, a young girl, and a young man. But the "why" is not for us to know. We all must live in the comfort that it is His will that reigns, not ours, and that the love which sustained us in this life will see us to the next. Perhaps Brother Juniper found his answer. I know I recognized mine.

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Details

Bookseller
Raptis Rare Books US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
5564
Title
The Bridge of San Luis Rey.
Author
Wilder, Thornton
Book Condition
Used
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Albert & Charles Boni
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1927
Keywords
Bridge of San Luis Rey First Edition, Bridge of San Luis Rey Thornton Wilder Signed First Edition, Thornton Wilder Signed First Edition

Terms of Sale

Raptis Rare Books

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About the Seller

Raptis Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida

About Raptis Rare Books

Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Clamshell Box
A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Octavo
Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Inscribed
When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
Morocco
Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...

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