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Book Summary and Reviews of Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay

by Markus Zusak

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  • Oct 2018, 544 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

An unforgettable and sweeping family saga from Markus Zusak.

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father's disappearance. At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge - for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle. The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome? Written in powerfully inventive language and bursting with heart, Bridge of Clay is signature Zusak.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

BookBrowse Review
"Markus Zusak's first novel since his best-selling The Book Thief, left me feeling exasperated and at times utterly bored. While Bridge of Clay possesses a compelling, breezy narrative voice that immediately draws you in, this tale of five Australian brothers reconnecting with their estranged father is too often meandering and sluggish. Furthermore, its fragmentary style (with chapters broken into small scenes that only last a few paragraphs) never allows you to fully settle into the story and will surely test many a reader's patience. Despite some excellent, lyrical prose this is a novel that would have greatly benefited from an unsparing edit." - Dean Muscat

Other Reviews
"Starred Review. With heft and historical scope, Zusak creates a sensitively rendered tale of loss, grief, and guilt's manifestations." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. Zusak pushes the parameters of YA in this gorgeously written novel: a character has scrap-metal eyes; rain is like a ghost you could walk through. In the end, it always comes back to Clay, that lovely boy, as a neighbor calls him. A lovely boy and an unforgettably lovely book to match." - Booklist

This information about Bridge of Clay was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Anna Rowe

Oh My Heart
It all starts with the Dunbar boys: Matthew, Rory, Henry, Clayton & Thomas. "A family of ramshackle tragedy". It is a tragic and beautiful story about a family that I grew to love more than anyone should love a group of fictional characters. But let me tell you what expect. This is not an easy read. It is not something you can casually and comfortably read. It is a bit of hard work, especially in the beginning when you won't know what is going on. The writing will challenge you. It is often fragmented and sometimes almost poetic. It will force you to concentrate and you'll find yourself re-reading sentences to make sure you got it right. It is not at all linear. Downright patchy! However you do get used to the style and I grew to love it. I really can't imagine it being written any other way without diminishing the effect of the narrative. The relationships in this book touched me deeply, both the romantic relationships and the connection between the Dunbar brothers. I think it is probably now one of my favourite books and a real labour of love from the author. I feel like he must have left a little piece of himself in the pages. If you have the patience and time to do right by this book, I would highly recommend it.

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Author Information

Markus Zusak Author Biography

Photo © 2005 Bronwyn Rennex

Markus Zusak's novels include Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting The Girl , I Am The Messenger, The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay. He received the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year Award for I Am the Messenger. He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and children.

Author Interview
Link to Markus Zusak's Website

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