Details Books Concering Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1)
| ISBN: | 0865470561 (ISBN13: 9780865470569) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1 |
| Literary Awards: | National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (1960) |
Evan S. Connell
Paperback | Pages: 246 pages Rating: 4.05 | 4479 Users | 670 Reviews
Describe Out Of Books Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1)
| Title | : | Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1) |
| Author | : | Evan S. Connell |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 246 pages |
| Published | : | 1981 by North Point Press (first published October 1955) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Classics. Historical. Historical Fiction. Novels. Literary Fiction. Literature. American |
Representaion During Books Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1)
Alternate-cover edition for ISBN 0865470561 / 9780865470569 can be found hereThe wife of a successful lawyer in 1930s Kansas City, India Bridge, tries to cope with her dissatisfaction with an easy, though empty, life.
Before Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique there was Mrs. Bridge, 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 Mr. Bridge, builds a world with tiny brushstrokes and short, telling vignettes.
Rating Out Of Books Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1)
Ratings: 4.05 From 4479 Users | 670 ReviewsWeigh Up Out Of Books Mrs. Bridge (Mr. Bridge & Mrs. Bridge #1)
I can't believe Mrs Bridget was Connell's debut, it's so damn good. Over the course of 117 chapters (some as short as a paragraph), we follow Mrs Bridge as she goes about her day-to-day life as a housewife and mother in 1930s Kansas City. She's been brought up in a certain way, and wants to bring her children up in that way too. She can be bigoted and racist, but she knows this isn't right, and yet she can't seem to work out how to break out of her narrow boring existence of the country-clubI can't for the life of me figure out what makes this novel so great, but damn it is great. I wish I knew why.You might protest and cry, "Oh but I have already read so many novels about repressed twentieth-century housewives!" But that is like being offered a plate of chocolate chip cookies and saying, "No thank you. I've tried those before."Chocolate chip cookies are delicious and aren't less so for being frequently baked. And anyway, you haven't had a cookie quite like this one before.Told in
3.5 star rating-I struggled with this book, even though Mrs. Bridge was so much like my adored grandmother and very true to that era and lifestyle, BUT there were times I just wanted to shake her.
Disaggregated, cool, remote. The book has its share of dramatic events, but nearly all of them happen "offstage," with the characters describing what happened or trying to piece together what has gone on. Most of the narrative and dialogue focus on everyday tasks, rainy days, and small talk. Weirdly, this novel reminds me of the nonfiction Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which is not nearly as polished or as powerful but has a similar sense of detachment.Grace Barron is my favorite character (I
3.5 stars
This is the saddest book I've ever read. This book makes 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 of craft, and it would never, NEVER get published today.
I finished Mrs. Bridge on the last day of my trip to the Midwest. I found this book as a recommendation from Meg Wolitzer in a January 2018 opinion piece in the New York Times titled In Praise of Evan S. Connell. The book is told in a series of 117 vignettes, small chapters, many less than a page. These episodes all describe an event in India Bridges life from dating to her elder years.I loved this book and Im surprised it doesnt get more praise, but it appears to be a forgotten classic. In many
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