The Prince of Tides: A Novel by Pat Conroy
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Book Reviews of The Prince of Tides: A Novel
Book Review: bookcritic
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the book after I watched the movie starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand. Reviews of the movie were mixed, in part, because those who loved the book disliked the changes wrought by the movie. That being said, I loved the movie and I loved the book.
As promised in some of it's reviews, this book does make the reader laugh, cry, and ponder. After watching the movie, I learned a great deal more about Savannah's character by reading the book. She was so articulate and brutally honest about the family situation and her mental illness. I learned much more about Luke and understood why his death had affected Tom so deeply. I was given a deeper glimpse into the tumultous marriage of Tom's parents. I read about the history of Tom and his wife. It caused me to better understand why Tom returned to her at the end of the story.
It was interesting when Tom's wife, Sallie, telephoned Tom in order to reconcile. She did not say, "I truly love you more than the cardiac surgeon" (who was actually more in her league, socially). She had been having an affair. She spoke of how the cardiac surgeon betrayed her. Tom's response was, "Do you want me to beat him up? I will let you watch."
There were some thought-provoking tales, describing circumstances that caused the family's resistance to racism in the deep South and Savannah's comparison of racism to Naziism. There were football stories - one in Tom's high school years and one when he was a student at the university of South Carolina. For some reason, those stories made me cry. They showed Tom at his pinnacle. In the book, Tom provided a strong argument for the value of a good football coach in a boy's formative years.
The character of Dr. Lowenstein was developed well by the author. If you watched the film first, you will see that the character in the book differs some from the character played by Barbara Streisand. But that is to be expected.
Overall, this was a fantastic read.
Book Review: Pat Conroy at his best...majestic, lush, and beautifully tragic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is Pat Conroy at his best. Once again, he writes a novel that makes you laugh, cry, and evaluate your life (and sometimes he does this in the same paragraph!). As usual, he presents us with an anti-hero, someone we can relate to and someone we can dislike (yet love because they share so many qualities of yourself). Prince of Tides is an epic, sweeping novel that takes us back and forth between eras and locations, providing lush landscapes matched with some of the most beautiful passages in the English language. This is a book that makes you stop, stifle tears, and re-read the majestic beauty of a paragraph. As someone who is attempting to write a book himself, I become utterly jealous of his writing and wish it were mine! At times the book becomes slow though a lot of that becomes integral to the overall storyline. And the 90% of the book that is not slow, well, watch out! It will blow you away. And finally, if you are like me and have a bit of Tom Wingo inside you, then this book will capture you right away and stick with you after the final paragraph is over. P.S. if anyone has any other author (or book) recommendations besides Pat Conroy but like Pat Conroy, I would appreciate it. I absolutely loved The Great Santini and Lords Of Discipline and cannot wait to read the rest of his fictional novels!Book Review: Best Book I Have Ever Read
Summary: 5 Stars
My Grandpa gave me this book last Christmas as a present, saying that it was his favorite book of all time and that I need to read it before I go to college in the fall. I just finished reading this book and all I could say was "wow". It took me a few months to get through the first half because I was busy with school, but I just recently finished the second half over the course of a few days while on vacation. It is so easy to lose yourself in this book and become a part of the life - both past and present - of the protagonist Tom Wingo. This novel is truly a work of art and is impeccably well written. The basic concept of the novel is that Tom Wingo's sister Savannah is mentally ill, so Tom visits her psychiatrist in New York City and tells her everything he remembers from his childhood - thus creating a frame story that occasionally flashes back to the present. Tom's anecdotes range from lighthearted childhood memories that make you smile and laugh, to dark and tragic events that literally bring you to tears. I highly recommend this novel to anybody looking for a truly fantastic read. This is one of those books that I will read again and again and will never get sick of. Pat Conroy truly created a masterpiece with The Prince of Tides and it will continue to meaningfully impact readers for generations to come.Book Review: Prince of Tides
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read many books in my life. Hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand. I don't remember reading a book quite like The Prince of Tides. I have never written a review here although I have read many. Only one other book "A Perfect Silence" by Jeff Hutton, ever moved me to even think about writing a review. But this book, wow. No book I recall ever moved me to tears, laughter, brought about feelings of horror and utter euphoria, all within the same book, often in the same chapter. The story, sub-plots, characters are all memorable. But it is the WAY Conroy tells this remarkable story that has made such a powerful impression on me. His language evokes poetic, humorous, at times utterly hilarious, images. But it also a very serious book that stirs deep, deep emotions. It has certainly stirred something inside of me. Read this book, and put away the others you are currently reading. Just get lost in this one. Conroy has written a masterpiece. I want to read all of his works now, although I simply cannot imagine his others to move me like this one did. But I hope they do. A book to get lost in and when you're done, you just might look at yourself, your family, your town, and your life in a different, and better, way.Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I, as one reviewer put it, will be one of the "fools" who calls this a great book. I read this book for the first time when I was 15 years old, then again in my early twenties. I am now 33 and the images of this book still remain on my mind. I do not know how I would react to the book's take on psychoanlysis at this point in my life but what I am confident of is that Mr. Conroy's language would still both comfort and confront me. I can almost hear Tom Wingo's voice still to this day. The idea of a man at a cross-roads, trying to heal the past, trying to save another sibling from destruction only to find out he is the one who needs saving. But in the end, The Prince of Tides has always been, for me, about forgiving, others and yourself. The plot may be heightened soap opera, (then again wouldn't a lot of Greek tragedies and even Shakespeare sound a lot like modern soap opera if they were viewed by an analysis of their plot instead of looking at their themes?) but the message continues to sound in my head, like a warm deep Southern voice telling me I can survive the wounds of my past. For me, that's a great book. But then again, I'm one of the fools who doesn't appreciate good literature. Or am I?