The Bridge (Gandolfo novel)

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The Bridge
The Bridge book cover.jpg
AuthorEnza Gandolfo
GenreFiction
Publisher Scribe
Publication date
14 May 2018
Publication placeAustralia
Pages384
ISBN 9781925713015

The Bridge is a 2018 novel by Enza Gandolfo. The novel is about the 1970 West Gate Bridge collapse, which killed 35 construction workers and remains Australia's deadliest workplace accident. [1] The novel has two protagonists: Italian migrant Antonello, a 22-year-old rigger on the West Gate Bridge in 1970 and a survivor of the bridge collapse, and 19-year-old student Jo, who is blamed for a car accident in 2009. [2] The novel was shortlisted for the 2019 Stella Prize. [3] [4]

Contents

Reception

The novel received generally positive reviews. In a review in Australian Book Review , Carol Middleton wrote that Gandolfo's prose lacked a degree of subtlety and elegance, but that she was a skilled storyteller and that her characters were highly compelling. [2] Julienne van Loon described the book as "an ambitious, multi-generational story from a skilled writer" in a review in TEXT, praising both Gandolfo's depiction of Melbourne's working-class multicultural suburbs and the depth of her characters. [5] The Stella Prize judging panel praised the evocative nature of Gandolfo's writing and wrote that the novel was "a story with many layers that is deeply intellectual and unashamedly working-class, showing Footscray and Melbourne's west in ways we’ve not seen before". [3]

Awards

Awards for The Bridge
YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2019 Stella Prize —Shortlisted [3]

References

  1. ↑ "The Bridge". Scribe Publications. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 Middleton, Carol (June–July 2018). "The Bridge by Enza Gandolfo". Australian Book Review. No. 402. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Enza Gandolfo – The Bridge". Stella Prize. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  4. ↑ Nelson, Camilla (7 April 2019). "Stella Prize 2019: your guide to the shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  5. ↑ Van Loom, Julienne (October 2018). "Coming to terms with culpability and grief in the face of catastrophe". TEXT. 22 (2). doi:10.52086/001c.25187 . Retrieved 27 April 2025.
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