The Bridges of Madison County earlier about "the dreams of a woman named Francesca," gave him the idea for the novella, which was completed in eleven days. After he had written "Bridges", Waller came to believe that he had based the character of Francesca Johnson on his wife, Georgia, whom Francesca physically resembles. According to Marc Eliot, Waller's novella is a modernization of the Noël Coward play "Still Life" (1934), which was adapted into David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" (1945). "Still Life" is about 'the desperation, guilt, and temptations of two married people who meet, fall in love, commit adultery, and then separate forever." In
Post Mortem (Coward play) "the play is outstanding as a polemical, vitriolic attack on British disregard for World War I victims". When the play was staged in London in 1992, the critical response was mixed. "The Times" and "The Independent" were hostile. Benedict Nightingale of "The Times" wrote, "It is the sort of anti-war play you might expect from someone who never swapped a shot in anger and at some level feels guilty for having survived the slaughter: shrill, awkward... It is just the sort of didactic plod that Coward hated when others were writing; and with good reason. "The Independent" praised the production,