The Bridge - Definition and Overview

This article is about a novel by Iain Banks. The Bridge is also an album by the band Ace of Base; The Bridge is also an album by Billy Joel.

The Bridge is a novel by Scottish author Iain Banks.

The book switches between various protagonists who turn out to be different levels of the psyche of a man who crashed his car on a bridge and now resides in a coma.

Most (in)famous of these is 'the Barbarian' as the most primeval expression of the psyche with its close relation to violence and libido (Sigmund Freud's Id). It is also the funniest to read due to its rendition of the barbarian's prose.

The book is not typical for Iain Banks as it has a happy ending. The author has been on record as saying that of the novels he has written, this is his personal favourite.

An amusing diversion while reading the book is working out the name of the central protagonist - it is not given, but Banks leaves enough clues to work out his forename and surname.