THE-BRIDGES-OF-MADISON-COUNTY

1THEBRIDGESOFMADISONCOUNTYWashingtonPosthaspraisedthebooklikethis:Vividlyromantic…Wallerisanamazingstoryteller.It'sremarkablewhenafirstnoveldoeswell,butwhatwasmoreremarkableabouttheBRIDGESOFMADISONCOUNTYwashowpassionatelypeoplerespondedtoit.Everywhere,thestorywasthesame.Peoplewouldbuythebookandbebackthenextdaysayingthey'dstayedupallnightreadingandsobbingandbecomingenrapturedbyastorysowonderful,theywantedtobuymorecopiestogivetootherfriends…RobertWaller'sBRIDGEShasthenationbelievinginromance.Indeed,thisisasmallbook,buttheauthorhasfashionedanold-fashionedlovestorythatgrabsreaders'mindandheartandwon'tletgo.Intheverybeginningofthestory,photographerRobertKincaidwanderedintothelifeofhousewifeFrancescaJohnsonforfourdaysinthe1965.Thenthewholestorybetweentwoprotagonistsallhappenedwithinthefollowingfourdays.Oneday,whileherhusbandandchildrenwereawayattheIowaStatefairinthesummerof1965,RoberthappenedtocometoheryardandaskedfordirectiontoRosemanBridge.Astheauthordescribedinthestory,hiseyeslookeddirectlyather,andshefeltsomethingjumpinside.Thelovebetweenthemisthetrueloveandistheloveinheart.AfterheexplainedthathewasonassignmentfromNationalGeographicmagazinetophotographthebridgesofMadisonCounty,2Iowa.Unexpectedly(maybeit'salsooutofherownexpectation),sheagreedtoshowhimtothebridgeinpersonandthusbeganthebitter-sweetromanticloveofherlife.Afterreadingthestory,Ihavetosaywhentwopeopleareinlove,communicationinheartisverynecessary.Ifyoudon'tsharesomething,likeinterests,values,educationdegree,lifegoalsandsoforth,incommon,thenIcanconcludethatyouwillnotbehappythroughyourlife.BecauseIthinktheemotionalsupportismuchmorethananythingelse.Inthestory,Roberthadhisownideaaboutart,ashesaid,Idon'tjusttakethingsasgiven,Itrytomakethemintosomethingthatreflectsmypersonalconsciousness,myspirit.Itrytofindthepoetryintheimage.Themarketkillsmoreartisticpassionthananythingelse.It'saworldofsafetyoutthereformostpeople.Fromallthesewords,wecouldtellRobertisjustnotanordinarypeople,atleasthisisoutstanding.Thefirstmarriageofhisisafailurebecausehiswifecouldnothislongabsenceforworkalthoughshewasawareofwhathedidbeforetheygotmarried,finallyshecouldn'thandleit.Butnow,it'schanged.Francescanotonlycompletelyunderstoodhiswork,butshealsoadmiredhimverymuch.Ithinkthisisthemainreasonwhytheylovedeachotherdeeplyforsomanyyearsinspiteofdistantseparation.Theolddreamsweregooddreams;theydon'tworkout,butI'mgladIhadthem.”Iappreciatethissentenceverymuch.Itwassaidby3RobertwhenFrancescatalkedabouthercurrentlife.ThereasonwhyIlikeitisthatfromthissentence,Ilearnthatwhetherdreamscometrueornot,itisessentialforeveryonetohavedreams.Ifthereisnodreaminourheart,thennottomentionrealizingit.Havingdreamsmeanshavesomethingtoguideourlifetoworktowardsomedirection.Besides,havingdreamswillprovokeustomakeeffortforitandoftenremindustogoforwardwhenwearelazy.Althoughdreammaynotcometrue,wedidn'ttobesadordiscouraged.Onthecontrary,weshouldthinkinthisway:theydidn'tworkout,butIwasgladIhadthem.Duringthefourdaystheyspenttogether,theyexperiencedalottogether:theytalkedaboutart,dreams,life,workandfamily,andtheyate,drankbrandy,dancedbycandlelightintheiroldkitchen.AsFrancescasaidinthelettershewrotetoherchildrenafterherdeath,infourdays,hegavemealifetime,auniverseandmadetheseparatepartsofmeintoawhole.ForFrancescaandRobert,thosefourdaysmeanalifetimebecauseafterthosefourdays,theyhadneverseeneachotheragain.Loveissweet,butsometimesitcanbeextremelysorrowful.WhenIcametoreadthescenewhereFrancescaandRoberthadtopartfromeachother,Icouldn'thelpsobbing.Howcanyoubearthatapairoftrueloverwouldneverseeagain?Thosedescriptionslikebeginningtocry,shesawthetearsinhiseyes,…wipinghereyes,hermindwasgone,empty,turning,tearsrunningdownhischeeks,tearsrunningdown4hercheeks,…wasreluctanttostart,allmovedmedeeplytotears.Ihavetoadmirethegreatsacrificetheybothmadefortheirlove.Facingwithdestineddeparture,theybehavedthatrational.ForFrancesca,shesaid,don'tyousee,IloveyousomuchthatIcannotthinkofrestrainingyouforamoment.Todothatwouldbetokillthewild,magnificentanimalthatisyou,andthepowerwoulddiewithit.Whatdidshemean?Loveisnottorestrain.Inourrealourreallife,howmanypeoplecanreallydothat?It'squestionable.ButFrancescadid.SheknewRobertwasoldknapsacksandatrucknamedHarryandjetairplanestoAsia,whichwaswhatshewantedhimtobe.ForRobert,heknewwhatshewassayingabouttheresponsibilitiesandhowtheguiltcouldtransformher.FrancescaoncesaidtoRobert,youaretoosensitivetooawareofmyfeelings.Yes.IndeedRobertcompletelyunderstoodthedamesenseofresponsibilitythatFrancescahadtoRichardandtoherchildren,toherfamily'sreputationandsoon.Takingmanyobstaclesintoaccount,theyhadtotearthemselvesawayfromeachother.Ibelievetheyreallydidrespecteachother'sdecisionanddidn'tforceowninfluenceuponeachother.Thatwas,forthem,tragically,butcharitable.AfterRobertleftin1965,theirlovestorymaybecanbesaidinthisway,onlyjuststarted.Thoughtheyneverspoketooneanotheragain,theyremainedboundtogetherastightlyasit'spossiblefortwopeopletobebound.Roberthadsaidthefollowing:wearereallynotinsideofthat5being,wearethatbeing.Wehavebothlostour