The Prince of Tides: A Novel by Pat Conroy
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Book Reviews of The Prince of Tides: A Novel
Book Review: Southern Living
Summary: 5 Stars
I had to read this for a lit class of mine and it was a lot better than most of the feminist books they make us read. It's about the many hardships and problems surrounding a Southern family in South Carolina. The writing style relies heavily on flashback which is both annoying and cool. Some of the family stories I could care less about, but most of the dull moments seems to have an overall purpose in the chapters that follow. The author's writing is descriptive to the point of exhaustion. I'm all for imagery, but Conroy will drown you in a sea of language that soon has you forgetting what the current storyline is supposed to be about. The plot is good, my professor says it is exceptional because its character driven rather than plot driven. This means the stories reflect the personalities of the characters instead of the characters being forced into prescripted plots. I agree with her because the characters have made an impression on me that I will probably remember years from now. That's how you know it's a good book or not. Something will happen in your life and it will remind you of a character or a powerful event that occurred in a book. The Prince of Tides has many of these.Book Review: Great and moving book
Summary: 5 Stars
I think Prince Of Tides was the third Pat Conroy novel I read after The Great Santini and Lords Of Discipline, and along with Beach Music, is my favorite. The timelines are a bit skewed, as in the Wingo kids, Tom, Savannah, & Luke going on a rescue mission to Miami, encounter an Orca named Dreadnought, but chronologically, it's a couple of years before Ted Griffin captured the first Orca, Namu. Hey, it was the 60's, baby boomers are excused some faded memories.
Prince Of Tides is funny, tragic, and I became so involved with the characters that I was immediately castin a movie version in my mind. Unfortunately, the actual movie was a disappointment, chiefly due to Barbra Streisand's domination of it. Saying that, it was a good movie, despite Streisand(who I love as an actress, normally).
One thing I loved was the Wingo family dog, Joop, or rather, I loved it when some company named a men's cologne after him Joop! Jump By Joop! For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz . Cool, a cologne named after a flatulent & lazy hound!
Book Review: A book I wish I wrote
Summary: 5 Stars
Every writer dreams of writing a book that people will love like they love Prince of Tides. As a professional writer I have never reached these heights. But, as some have noted, a truly great book is a rare achievement. If you're an avid reader, out of the hundreds of books you've read, how many would you classify as masterpieces? Probably only a few. I, too, consider this one of the better books I've read. I must also say that there are very few books I read more than once. This is one I really look forward to reading again. I have no idea how Conroy could express so perfectly the emotions of this man and his siblings without going through something like this personally. However, I have no idea what Conroy's growing up years were like. The narrative/prose, the commentary, the dialogue, the plot and sub-plot, the character development, the conflict, the metaphors---everything is just right. Did Conroy labor for years over this, or did it pour out of him like a verbal fountain? I don't know. All I know is that this is great writing.Book Review: lyrical masterpiece...
Summary: 5 Stars
The Prince of Tides was my first Pat Conroy book. It is an eloquent masterpiece in my opinion. Conroy writes what he knows and he creates characters that are so rich in humanity and a story so deep in conflict yet he writes with a magical prose. Years after reading this book, some of the images are still indelibly imprinted in my mind. He reminds me of modern day Tennesse Williams in his portrayal of flawed, tragic Southern characters. Truly a wonderfully gifted writer. I decided to write this review after perusing through a list of Conry books to find my next one to read. Forget the movie, read the book first then see the movie. It will only richen the experience.Book Review: A Family Clings to Hope Despite Tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a beautiful and powerful book, lyrical and horrifying in its intensity. It is alternately like a punch in the stomach or like butterflies fluttering around the soul. It is a gift to have had the opportunity to read this.
This book is about the love and terror that bonds families together - - of that close and nebulous boundary between love and hate. It is the story of pure and unquestionable love between siblings in the face of abusive parents - - in a world made psychotic by unexplained terror. How each of the children deals with their lives and relationships and how their lives remain intertwined throughout time is this novel's theme.