the bridges of madison county

For the first time maybe i liked the movie adaptation better than the book. i remember watching the film at Nandan and i loved the film. Of course, i thought Francesca should have left with her lover - now, i think i understand why she did not leave her husband
and children – oh, the curse of maturity.

The book is by Robert James Waller. i picked it up at a second hand shop on saturday when we went shopping. i cannot pass an old book shop without feeling a tug at whatever portion of my brain that is so obsessed with books. i was actually looking for old M&B (ha ha) and i found it tucked away between M&B. So i bought it along with "The French Lieutenant's Woman". i have not watched the movie. i think i will read the book first and then decide whether the movie is worth it. Interestingly, the screen adaptation of the two books i picked up stars Meryl Streep.

The book is thin – too thin for my liking…i love thick books..the thicker the better. i found the book OK. Till now, i was under the illusion that it was based on a true story. Was saddened and maybe a wee bit relieved to know it is pure fiction. Relieved because i don’t like people in love having to part. What i didn’t like about the book was how she kept on harping that the guy was out of this world, an alien sort of, leopard like, half man-half animal who never tired of loving (Viagra?). It made me feel as if the guy was unreal. i don’t approve of adultery. Call me old fashioned but it just does not strike me as right. i have always believed in closing a chapter before starting another one instead flipping between chapters.


I'm not sure you can [be yourself] with me along. Don't you see, I love you so much that I cannot think of restraining you for a moment. To do that would be to kill the wild, magnificent animal that is you.. I have feelings of responsibility here.. To Richard (her husband), to the children. Just my leaving, taking away my physical presence, would be hard enough for Richard. That alone might destroy him. On top of that, and this is even worse, he would have to live the rest of his life with the whispers of the people here.. the children would hear the snickering of Winterset for as long as they live here. They would suffer, too. And they would hate me for it.. I cannot live with the thought of [abandoning my responsibilities]. If I did leave now, those thoughts would turn me into something other than the woman you have come to love.
---The bridges of Madison County