Robert Waller's first big selling...
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Robert Waller's first big selling novel was The Bridges of Madison County. While the book made it to the bestseller list, it had mixed reviews, many of them quite negative. It is not a long book and not an exceptional literary piece. The mixed reactions are more about the story itself. Some say it glorifies infidelity. Others suggest it is a model of fidelity. Some deem it anti-feminist. Others argue it portrays a wholesome view of the family roles. How then can one account for its great popularity if the reviews did not encourage its reading? No doubt, people were hungry for a warm human relations story. It could be that people are sick of the violence and tired of the mechanistic, technocratic, and antiseptic lifestyles. Probably most of the readers did not weigh the story in terms of its moral and social implications. What they looked for and found was a puzzling but quiet story of human relations. The story of how a beachhead was established for the Gospel in western Europe is a remarkable story about good human relations. The bond that was created between Paul and the people at Philippi remained constant throughout his ministry. -- Huxhold
