Okay, I just finished Thornton Wilder’s Bridge of San Luis Rey and I’m confused. I read most of it while riding on a bus, and when I read in public I get flustered and don’t pay as much attention to what I’m reading. From the chapter about the Marquesa and especially from the chapter about Esteban, I got the impression the bridge collapsed while the Perichole was still performing as an actress.
Here’s what I get from the Esteban chapter: The Perichole, while still an actress, went to Manuel and Esteban’s room to get Manuel to write a letter. Then a few weeks later, Manuel died. Then a few weeks after that Esteban went away with Captain Alvarado and fell with the bridge. But from the chapter about Uncle Pio it seems the Perichole retired from acting years before the collapse. Which is it? I skimmed through a few passages but couldn’t figure out what I missed. The book wasn’t so great I want to read it all over again but I still want to know what happened.