Bridge of Sighs: Oprah's Book Club

De: Richard Russo

Narrado por: Arthur Morey

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the beloved Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls comes “a magnificent, bighearted” novel (The Boston Globe) about small-town America that follows Louis Charles Lynch (“Lucy”) and his wife of forty years as they prepare to embark on a vacation to Italy.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor

Louis Charles Lynch is sixty years old and has spent his entire life in Thomaston, New York, married to the same woman, Sarah, for forty of them, their son now a grown man. Like his late, beloved father, “Lucy” is an optimist, though he’s had plenty of reasons not to be—chief among them his mother, still indomitably alive. Yet it was her shrewdness, combined with that Lynch optimism, that had propelled them years ago to the right side of the tracks and created an “empire” of convenience stores about to be passed on to the next generation.

Lucy and Sarah are also preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, where his oldest friend, a renowned painter, has exiled himself. Once a rival for Sarah’s affection, Noonan leads a life in Venice far removed from Thomaston. In fact, the exact nature of their friendship is one of the many mysteries Lucy hopes to untangle in the “history” he’s writing of his hometown and family. And with his story interspersed with that of Noonan, the native son who’d fled so long ago, the destinies building up around both of them (and Sarah, too) are relentless, constantly surprising, and utterly revealing.

Not Empire Falls, but better than most.....

Empire Falls was better, but this still stands head above most other books. How a 27 hour book can have no wasted words is huge. Loved the story and the characters.

Narration was a bit sticky at first for me especially on the heals of Empire Falls narration but by hour three, when things really began to take off, it was spot on.

Another Gem

I've listened to Empire Falls, Nobody's Fool and Bridge of Sighs and I loved each one of them. John Irving used to be my favorite for this genre of novel, but Russo has nudged him aside. Until someone else comes along, Russo is the best at revealing human nature in such a creative, unexpected, close to the bone, sad, serious, humourous, and relateable way. For more on Richard Russo read my review of Empire Falls.

Slow place

I loved the book. I got used to the narrator. Not the worst I've heard -- his tone is fine, not annoying, but he speaks soooo slooowly. As I say, I did finally get used to it but it took quite awhile. That said, just loved this book.

Epic Story and Characters

Ultimately, awesome story with deep rich characters. Took me a while to be on board with novel. The narration was good - a few chapters confusing, felt almost out of place. Stay with story - wonderful journey of a small tannery town in upstate New York. Deeply moving character studies... Russo fabulous writer. Narrator was intermittently very good.

Peace in death

Small towns like Thomston may be dying, but Russo find the grace and dignity in those deaths. Far from maudlin, a story of decay becomes a story of triumph.