Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A lovely book for anyone who liked Our Town
This was a wonderful book.It reads a bit like Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, but more modern.There is humor and heroism, as well as grand thoughts of life."Great happiness was given to me once, yes... butshall I forget that now?And forget the one who gave it to me?All thathas happened since came from the same hands that gave me the happiness.Ishall not doubt that it is good and has a part in something I cannotsee..." ... Read more

Product Description
These letters of Adaline Glasheen and Thornton Wilder, written between 1950 and 1975, reveal the probing energy and encyclopedic knowledge they each brought to their study of James Joyce's final novel, 'Finnegans Wake'. ... Read more

Product Description
1928. This Pulitzer Prize winning author's novel is set in Italy. Contents: First Encounters; Marcantonio; Alix; Astree-Luce and the Cardinal; The Dusk of the Gods. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

FROM BACK COVER
THE CABALA is an unusual novel by a writer noted for the unusual.It is a modern story of good and evil, of the last struggles of paganism to survive in the world of today - seen through the eyes of a young American of Puritan background living in Rome in the 1920's.Its title comes from the name Thornton Wilder gave to his group of present-day pagans, talented and wealthy aristocrats, clever esoterics, who have mysterious influences in affairs of Church and State.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 - December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. His best known work is his play Our Town.

Wilder's first novel

When Samuele, a student and writer, goes to Rome with his friend James Blair, Blair introduces him to a group of strange people known as the Cabalists. As he gets to know them Samuele gets more involved with their activities, and on the surface they seem very mysterious and odd: a priest who doesn't believe in prayer, a 16-yearold boy who commits suicide after committing incest with his sister, and a girl who believes she is the god Mercury. In fact, she reveals who the Cabalists really are to Samuele: they are the pagan gods of ancient Rome, grown old and useless now, thanks mainly to their human-like weaknesses. Just before sailing back to America, Samuele has a "conversation" with Virgil (or at least his spirit), a rather sophomoric complaint by Virgil against Milton and Shakespeare for not "honoring" him enough. It's part of Wilder's satire, but that particular scene is unfortunately weak. The importance of the book goes beyond the storyline and the characters, neither of which seem that compelling or memorable, and rests on Wilder's attention to style and form, which is as classic and formal as the ancients themselves.

A Book To Truly Cherish!
I became aquainted with this novel shortly after reading Wilder's later and more famous novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey".That is also well worth reading by the way....Initially I simply liked it but shortly before reaching the middle of the book I became 100% entranced.And I think you will too!Bur there are things that you will have to be ready for.
Basically this is a book for people who love to admire literary construction.If you are a DEVOUT Hemingway person this will not please you.Wilder writes long and descriptive paragraphs and describes his characters down to the tiniest detail.The reason I love this is because he so obviously cared about what he was writing.If you're like me and tired of the stream-lined effect of much of "modern" writing you will love this.Even if this jewel-like prose is not your cup of tea perhaps you can still appreciate what I find a forgotten masterpiece.
So what is it about?Well to begin with it concerns a young, unnamed American student who is pursuing his Archeological/Classical studies in Rome between the wars.Here he runs into a strange group of people known locally as the Cabala.They are made up mainly of aristocrats and have great prestige if little real power."Samuele" (as the student is called by one of the Cabalists) proceeds to chronicle this group's last exploits.Last because the group begins to drift apart right in front of "Samuele".What is the book really about?Well I for one am still figuring that out.The Cabalists are to a certain extent symbolic of decadent and dying but still important and lovely Europe while "Samuele" represents the "new Rome" America.But Wilder goes far deeper than that.I really don't want to spoil anything but certain themes that are raised are acceptance (of change, death, etc.), unrequited love, the reasons behind love, loss of faith and the nature of a civilization's construction.That sounds like alot but Wilder manages to ballance it brilliantly and create a huge number of great characters and interweaving storylines.
All of this is expressed in some of the most lovely prose I've ever read.You can just loose yourself in the warm sea of Wilder's writing.Sample: "As a mere girl, if I may presume to reconstruct the growth of her personality, she sensed the fact that there was something that a little prevented her from making friends, namely intelligence.The few intelligent people who truly wish to be liked soon learn, among the disappointments of the heart, to conceal their brilliance."This is the start of a charachter's description.All of which in this book are magical.Wilder creates people who are real yet we truly love with all our hearts.That is the key to some of this book's greatness.Much of the love thrown around in this book is un-earned and yet it is love all the same.Why do we love some people and not others?Why do we love people who don't deserve it?There are no answers in words but this book SHOWS us how and why that happens.This could only be done by an author who had a truly mature and yet warm heart."Samuele" and Wilder pull no punches in pointing out flaws yet they do so with deep and profound love and understanding.This leads to lines that can simply pierce the heart: "They dreamed of one of those long conversations that one never has on earth, but which one projects so clearly at midnight, alone and wise; words are not rich enough nor kisses sufficiently compelling to repair all our havoc."Those words define both the futility and the absolute necessity of forgiveness and reconciliation.Wilder also knows history, music, literature and art FAR better than most writers and with that at his fingertips he can often rise to an amazing quiet eloquence: "Nay, I have heard of your city.It's foundations have knocked upon our roof and the towers have cast a shadow across the sandals of the angels."I could go on forever and ever but I'll just mention the amazing, breathtaking end a little.One thing: it features an cameo that you won't soon forget!Find this book, read it and make it a part of your life.You will not regret it!

A wistful, magical first novel by an underrated writer.
Lots of people took great pleasure in lambasting Thornton Wilder'sinclusion on the Modern Library list of the 100 greatest novels of thetwentieth century.Setting aside that publicity stunt, Wilder is anunderrated writer, whose finest books, such as THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REYand the wonderful THEOPHILUS NORTH, mingle shrewd observation, fine andwistful writing, and profound insight into the human heart.

THE CABALAwas Wilder's first novel, written when he was in his late twenties andappearing the year before his most famous book THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY. It chronicles a young man's sojourn in Rome and his involvement with amysterious group ofeccentric and charming individuals who are known asthe Cabala.In many ways, THE CABALA presages THEOPHILUS NORTH -- in itssharply observed yet movingly nostalgic depiction of its setting (Rome), inits affectionate yet shrewd portraits of the men and women who make up theCabala, and in its deft storytelling of each of the linked incidents intowhich Wilder's narrator finds himself drawn as he gets to know the Cabalamore and more intimately.The indescribable last chapter presages magicrealism -- and, for my money, is better than any of the more ponderous andbetter-known recent examples of the genre.

In sum, this early novel by afine yet under-appreciated writer is well worth reading and may well (andshould) spur the reader to explore more of Wilder's works.

Early novel from a great writer....
If you've ever been young, travelled while young, and met memorable characters in exotic places, here is a wonderful book from one of the masters.Wilder is always the observer, (as he is in his last, great book, Theopholis North).Great Summer reading! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excelente
El Puente de San Luis Rey. Thorton Wilder.

Mas, hasta cuando estaba hablando, otros pensamientos pasaban detrás de su mente. " Hasta ahora---pensó---casi nadie a no ser yo, recuerda a Esteban y a Pepita. Solo Camila recuerda a su Tío Pío y a su hijo; esta mujer, a su madre. Pero pronto moriremos y con nosotras todo el recuerdo de aquellos cinco que dejaron la tierra, y a nosotras mismas nos amaran un poco de tiempo y nos olvidarán. Mas el amor habrá bastado; y todos los impulsos de amor retornaran al amor de donde vinieron. Ni siquiera el recuerdo es necesario para el amor. Hay una tierra de vivos y una de muertos, y el puente que las une es el amor, lo único que sobrevive, lo único que tiene sentido."

P 123.

Junipero, un franciscano que presencio la caída del puente de San Luis Rey se embarca en la misión de establecer el significado de la vida de esas cinco personas que en ese momento perecieron. La historia de esas cinco vidas es una tarea demasiado copiosa para el religioso y al final su obra es quemada junto con él, quien es acusado de herejía, cuando lo único que trataba de hacer era demostrar que Dios tiene un plan para cada ser humano y que el fin de esas vidas iba de acuerdo a Su Plan.
Esta historia, situada en el mítico Perú de 1714, podría estar situada en cualquier país y en cualquier tiempo remoto, es mas una alegoría, una disección de la vida de los personajes hasta el momento en que susvidas se ven cortadas por la caída del puente. Al final solo nos quedan sus recuerdos, como son recordados por las personas quienes los amaban. Pero como dice el autor, el amor vuelve al amor y eso es lo único que importa.
La obra esta escrita de la forma hermosa a las que nos tiene acostumbrado el autor. Para los que no han tenido la oportunidad de leer a Wilder, les diré que es un escritor en quien lo poético se realza por encima de la obra contada, llegando en ocasiones a escribir obras de hermoso virtuosismo literario, pero carentes de sentido o dirección, como en el caso de Teophilus North. En este caso, El Puente de San Luis Rey, la novela tiene sentido, se mueve. La vida de los personajes es intensa, como en el caso de la Marquesa de Montemayor, solitaria, como en el caso de los gemelos y aun naciente como en el caso del hijo de Micaela.
¿Quién nos recuerda?Al morir solo las personas que nos aman y que aun viven. Después de su muerte, morimos la segunda muerte, la del olvido de nuestras cualidades que se tornan difusas y después se olvidan para siempre. ¿Acaso no tiene sentido la vida y el esfuerzo, cuando la muerte y el olvido nos borran? ¿Acaso volvemos después en otra vida y en otro tiempo, o acaso hay un plan maestro del cual somos meras piezas? Noestamos destinados a saberlo y el autor en lugar de caer en pesimismos nos da una obra bella que realzael amor como sentimiento que no se elimina con la muerte y el olvido sino que retorna a sí mismo y crece.

Luis Méndez. ... Read more