Bookmarks--Between The Bridge And The River

Between the Bridge and the River by Craig Ferguson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


One might think, a few pages into Mr. Ferguson's novel, that the author is trying to piss off as many people as possible. I know I took a little offense at some of the jabs, not so much at organized religion (which has, by and large, earned the disdain), but at the pictures of Christ and St. Francis and other religious figures.

I also have trouble with any stories where there are no characters with redeeming qualities. And one almost has that in Between The Bridge And The River. Almost every main character in this rollicking novel is about as contemptible as can be drawn. Of course, like many people, as the reader gets to know some of these people, it is difficult to keep from liking or at least sympathizing with them.

On the other hand, these characters redeem themselves for me as a reader because they are interesting. They are not caricatures of bad people, but very human beings who have taken paths of what they would never call unrighteousness. Because we see their falls (or rises, if you prefer) from the beginning and from their perspective, they are much more compelling. If you read this novel and think any character is evil, then you cannot help but connect that evil to what we have come to accept.

Sure the book is philosophical, but that may only be my take on it. This is a very funny book, though not in the way viewers of Craig Ferguson's late night show have come to expect. Highly entertaining, sharply written, and thought provoking. What more could you ask for?


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