The locale is "huts by the river," a nameless Indian settlement deep in the Mexican bush, too small to appear on any map. Just as a party that has attracted many Indians from neighboring settlements is about to begin, death marches silently in. A small boy has disappeared. As the intimation of tragedy spreads among the people gathered in the jungle clearing, they unite, first to find the lost boy and then to console the grieving mother. The Bridge in the Jungle, regarded by many as B. Traven's finest novel, is a tale of how a simple, desperately poor people come together in the face of death. Traven never allows an iota of sentimentality to enter his story, but the reader finishes the book with renewed faith in the courage and dignity of human beings. "B. Traven is coming to be recognized as one of the narrative masters of the twentieth century."—New York Times Book Review. "Great storytellers often arise like Judaic just men to exemplify and rehearse the truth for their generation. The elusive B. Traven was such a man."—Book World.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
B. Traven is coming to be recognized as one of the narrative masters of the twentieth century. (New York Times Book Review )
The Jungle Novels constitute one of the richest portraits of revolution in all literature. (University Review )
Great storytellers often arise like Judaic just men to exemplify and rehearse the truth for their generation. B. Traven was such a man. (Book World )
Traven is a riveting storyteller. (Philadelphia Inquirer )
Readers who ignore the genius of B. Traven do so at their peril. (New York Times Book Review ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
The Jungle Novels constitute one of the richest portraits of revolution in all literature. (University Review )
Great storytellers often arise like Judaic just men to exemplify and rehearse the truth for their generation. B. Traven was such a man. (Book World )
Traven is a riveting storyteller. (Philadelphia Inquirer )
Readers who ignore the genius of B. Traven do so at their peril. (New York Times Book Review ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ode to Chiapas,
By
This review is from: The Bridge in the Jungle (American Century Series) (Paperback)
I confess that I am a major afficionado of B. Traven. My politics have mellowed over the years but I enjoy Traven's political perspective. I believe B. Traven was an ararchist at heart. He attacked big government and big business as evil but saw the uncorrupted individual as nobel and good. In the rural Mexican Indian community he found, for himself, the most ideal form of government he had ever encountered. His Jungle Books were a tale of conflict between good and evil; peasant and capitalism. His book, The Bridge in the Jungle, is his ode to the Indian peasant community. He brings us into their midst throught his vagabond American who stumbles upon a small village at the time a tragedy is unfolding. A young boy has drowned and we witness their suffering and their coming together. We see the corruption of their society by misunderstood influences from the outside world. The example I remember best is the musician who, when asked to play something during the funeral march, comes up with "Yes We have no Bananas". Neither the musician nor anyone else except our American narrator comprehends the total inappropriateness of the song. All in all, a beautiful story of a disappearing society.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's good, but it's not classic Traven.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Bridge in the Jungle (Jungle Novels) (Paperback)
"The Bridge in the Jungle" is one of those strange books you don't know how to respond to at first. On one hand it's absolutely tragic and, on the other, it's filled with some of the funniest passages imaginable. More or less condensed into a twenty-four hour period, Traven describes how an Indian community bands together, sometimes with folly but often with strength, when a young boy disappears into the bush.Throughout the story Traven gives an intimate account of peasant life in southern Mexico, nevering missing a detail of how the campesinos live, think and act. In fact the narrative is filled with so many astute observations that you feel, at times, Traven works better as an anthropologist than as a novelist. But, unfortunately, some of these observations sound a little sentimental. It's the only work by Traven that seems to run in circles, at times even becoming boring. He praises the spiritualism of Indians one too many times and focusses on their diet rather than moving on with the plot. He does, however, redeem himself with the character of Sleigh, an expat who's made the jungle his home. He's like a good-natured version of Kurtz -- wise, crazy, but harmless. On top of all this, Traven makes his usual attacks against the oil industry and organized religion. If you enjoyed any of his "jungle books," then gives this one a read.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A novel about death, motherhood and the jungle.,
By "ithuriel" (Mexico) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bridge in the Jungle (Jungle Novels) (Paperback)
This book was dedicated by Traven to the mothers of the world. It is a cold, crude and, at the same time, compasionate and tender view on a child's death and the terrible, extreme pain it produces on his mother. It also describes the quite particular, "uncontaminated" and honest reaction the event creates among a small Indian community in Chiapas. All this is told by Gales, the main character, an American adventurer that hardly tries to undertand what is actually going on and how he feels about it.Although the plot is very simple, this novel has some passages of an extraordinary literary intensity. It is also full of irony and sometimes sarcasm too. Well, it can be said The Bridge in the Jungle is a sad, tragic novel but it is beautifully written and that is what matters.
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