The Bridge of San Luis Rey, a Perennial Classic, was authored by Thornton Wilder and published by Harper Perennial Modern Classics in April 2003. The book features a print length of 138 pages and includes unpublished notes for the novel along with other illuminating documentary material, all encompassed within a new Afterword by Tappan Wilder. This edition begins with the celebrated sentence, “On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below,” marking the start of one of the towering achievements in American fiction. The story follows a monk named Brother Juniper who witnesses a tragic bridge collapse that claims the lives of five individuals. Driven by curiosity to uncover the truth behind this tragedy, Brother Juniper embarks on a quest to determine whether it was divine intervention or mere chance that led to their untimely deaths. His journey culminates in his own demise, but not before Wilder provides profound insights into the nature of love and the significance of human existence.

This new edition also includes a foreword by Russell Banks, enriching the reader’s experience with additional context and analysis. The book is available through Harper Perennial Modern Classics and carries the ISBN 978-0060088873, making it easily accessible to readers worldwide.