The Bridges of Madison County was a publishing phenomenon. Initially re leased with little fanfare, at first it grew in popularity by word of mouth and finally reached the New York Times best seller list where it remained for over two years, sustained by advertising campaigns, mega-store discounts, book-club editions, and author appearances. It is difficult to always accurately gauge why books become large sellers or why people read them so avidly. Once a novel becomes a best seller, it seems to take on life of its own beyond its individual merits as a work of fiction. Simply being on the best seller list guarantees that some readers will read the work because it is a best seller. The media hype may also explain some of the sales. But in order to sustain the level of success achieved by The Bridges of Madison County, the book must have...