The Other Side of the BridgeThe Other Side of the Bridge
Score Modern
What it's about
In a farming community in northern Ontario in the 1930s, two brothers grow up very differently: Arthur, slow, solid and dutiful, who will inherit the farm, and Jake, younger, charming, reckless and dangerous. When a beautiful young woman arrives, their rivalry turns serious. Twenty years later, a doctor's son takes a summer job on Arthur's farm and falls for Arthur's wife, without knowing the story behind the family.
Why it's worth reading
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It's a quiet, absorbing story about brothers, jealousy and the long shadow of one terrible day.
You'll love it if you liked
East of Eden
The Shipping News
GileadGood to know
It moves between two timelines. It's slow-burning, with a tragedy at its center.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics15 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Other Side of the Bridge worth reading?
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Its Must-Read Score is 68.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Other Side of the Bridge about?
In a farming community in northern Ontario in the 1930s, two brothers grow up very differently: Arthur, slow, solid and dutiful, who will inherit the farm, and Jake, younger, charming, reckless and dangerous. When a beautiful young woman arrives, their rivalry turns serious. Twenty years later, a doctor's son takes a summer job on Arthur's farm and falls for Arthur's wife, without knowing the story behind the family.
How long does it take to read The Other Side of the Bridge?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Other Side of the Bridge?
If you liked it, try East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx or Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.