The Bridges of Madison County
by Abigail Villemont
1. THE AUTHOR
1.1. August 1, 1939, Rockford, Iowa
1.2. Several of his books have been on the New York Times bestseller list (The Bridges of Madison County was the top best-seller).
1.3. Professor, Dean, Writer; but also a photographer and musician.
1.4. Puerto Vallarta Squeeze (1995) Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend (1993)
2. THE CONTENT
2.1. Novel, (fiction)
2.2. Robert Kincaid, travels from Washington to Iowa, in order to take photos of the covered bridges of Madison County. When he arrived, he decided to ask for information on one of the bridges' location not to get lost. That is how he met Francesca Johnson, a farmer's wife, who kindly purposed him some help. After they went to see the bridge, Francesca invited the photographer to stay for diner, as her husband and children were away at Illinois. They continued seeing each other for the following days, as he was staying a while to complete his work. Francesca and Robert fell deeply in love on the second day they could spend and lived a four-days love affair that changed Francesca's life forever.
2.3. They became lovers the second time they saw each other.
2.4. Francesca Johnson: Italian woman, 45 years old, attractive, slim and beautiful. p108: "long black hair", "high-cheekboned, Latin face", "tan from working outdoors","slim legs". // Robert Kincaid: artistic and liberal lifestyle, reflected on the way he dressed and thought. 52 years old. p29: "he was tall and thin and hard", "silver-gray hair", "looked disheveled", "narrow face", "high cheekbones"
2.5. Richard Johnson (husband): He is conservative and traditional. p39 "She had smoked years ago but gave it up under the steady thump of criticism from Richard."
2.6. The story takes place in Madison County, Iowa, during the summer of 1965. Iowa is today a major agricultural state. With its beautiful green countryside, many historic sites, and outdoor activities of all description, Iowa is an attractive family destination.
3. THE BOOK AS AN OBJECT
3.1. On the cover there is a small photography of a covered red bridge on the top of the book's title. The main character, Robert Kincaid, had to travel to Madison County to take photos of the covered bridges for an article.
3.2. the title in big black letters at the bottom, old photography of a red covered bridge on top of it, author's name on top of the photography. At the very top of the cover, a black stripe informs that the book is a bestseller, golden background. There is also a circle at the right corner of the photography that indicates the book's genre: "novel".
3.3. 1992
4. MEANING
4.1. Author´s style
4.1.1. Third Person Omniscient: "The blood was in her face. She could feel it. She hadn't done anything or said anything, but she felt as she did." p 44.
4.1.2. Describing tone: "They both smoked, saying nothing, drinking brandy, drinking coffee." p 77. He is objective.
4.1.3. formal language
4.2. meaning
4.2.1. The author recreates the story of Francesca and Robert Kincaid by describong their love story as faithfully as possible. He wants to tell the story in an objective way.