I’m reading Beach Music right now, and I read The Prince of Tides years ago. he’s not what I would usually read, but he’s horribly addictive nonetheless.
What I was curious about is; how are his earlier books?
My college roommate was an English major and he loved Conroy. Apart from the books you mentioned, his memoir of teaching in rural South Carolina, The Water is Wide, is supposed to be great. Plus, The Lords of Discipline was a great movie so, I’d bet the book is great. Don’t know much about The Great Santini.
Hope this helps.
I LOVE Pat Conroy. The Lords of Discipline is wonderful, as is The Water Is Wide. Beach Music was the first of his that I read, and my least favorite, ironically. The Great Santini is my favorite, about an abusive Marine and his struggling family.
I think he’s addictive, too, but terribly depressing! Sheesh. I’ve only read The Prince of Tides (Plot: disaster. You think that’s bad? Here’s something worse that happens to this poor family) and Beach Music, so I can’t help you on his earlier works. But my brother-in-law claims to read The Great Santini annually, so in his opinion, it’s a pretty good book. I don’t think I could take one more abusive father, personally.
I’ve only read a few, but I really liked the Great Santini and the Lords of Discipline.
I have read a few of his books, and I find the best to be the Lords of Discipline, because the typical issues that Conroy needs to work out in every one of his books (dysfunctional Southern family relationships, relationship with the military and discipline, etc…) are wrapped up in a less maudlin, more plot-driven narrative…
Nothing to add since I haven’t read any Conroy (it’s on the list), but my dad loved The Great Santini. Also, whenever Conroy comes out with a new book they always interview his dad, who seems (on the radio at least) like a very easy-going person who seems more bemused than anything else by the fact that his son has made a career out of demonizing him. Weird.
–Cliffy
Those are the two I read, and they’re both really good, but The Great Santini is (IMHO) a masterpiece. Yes, it’s depressing for large chunks (it seems to be a theme with Conroy), but it’s uplifting too (jeez, cliche much?). Read it. Definitely. And yeah, maybe it’s not plot-driven, but character-driven novels (when they’re done well) have a lot to recommend them.
I didn’t like the Lords of Discipline as it seemed very contrived and sophmoric. Just not very believeable although the general Citadel stuff was interesting.
The Great Santini didn’t do it for me either. Maybe I should reread it. I could never figure out what made Santini great. Again, it seemed pretty contrived.
I think he really grew as a writer in Beach Music and Price of Tides. Again, some of the plot lines seem contrived, but the dialogue and human interaction felt “real” to me.
I’ve liked everything of his that I’ve read. Let me add another recommendation for “The Water is Wide.”