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rebleejen's review against another edition
For a book that starts with a murder, it's oddly tedious.
lnatal's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of two American families, living part by a murder of one father committed by the other.
The escape of John Ashley, the accused killer, on the eve of his execution, will show the distress suffered by both families. On the other hand, the author explores the American society by that time (in the 1960’s), showing all cultural and moral aspects of the main characters.
I should confess this was not an easy reading since for me it was a “dry reading” perhaps due the book’s structure. The murder mystery plays a small role in the book’s background.
This novel won the National Book Award in 1968.
3* The Eighth Day
TR The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The escape of John Ashley, the accused killer, on the eve of his execution, will show the distress suffered by both families. On the other hand, the author explores the American society by that time (in the 1960’s), showing all cultural and moral aspects of the main characters.
I should confess this was not an easy reading since for me it was a “dry reading” perhaps due the book’s structure. The murder mystery plays a small role in the book’s background.
This novel won the National Book Award in 1968.
3* The Eighth Day
TR The Bridge of San Luis Rey
quintusmarcus's review against another edition
2.0
I guess I understand now why critics were for the most part so hard on Eighth Day. The book just doesn't seem to work, to come together in any meaningful way. The machinations of the story are just too contrived, to false to function as readable fiction. Wilder's philosophizing I do find rather more enjoyable, unlike the professional critics who mostly hate it. I do love Wilder's works, and I wanted so very much to enjoy this book, but whatever Wilder was trying to achieve, I couldn't grasp. I'll come back to the book later, 5, 10 years from now perhaps, and maybe it will make sense to me then. In the mean time, I would rather go back and re-read the Ides of March, his earlier and far superior novel.
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