Summary

The Bridge of San Luis Rey tells the story of several interrelated people who die in the collapse of an Inca rope bridge in Peru, and the events that lead up to their being on the bridge. A friar who witnesses the 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.

Themes and Questions

Is there a direction or meaning in lives beyond that of an individual’s own will? Powerful and compelling.

Author and Recognition

Thornton Wilder is a masterful storyteller and this was his most important novel. Pulitzer Prize Winner! #1 Best Seller!