The Prince of Tides: A Novel by Pat Conroy
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Book Reviews of The Prince of Tides: A Novel
Book Review: The Prince of Tides
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best written, most moving novels I have ever read. There were times I had to put it down it was so powerful. I highly recommend it. Conroy is a great writer and this is his best novel. The movie does not do it justice. You must read the book.Book Review: Been years since I've read, but one of my favorites
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Loved the writing, characters, story, and style. Couldn't put it down. One of those books that keeps you up until 3:00 in the morning reading.Book Review: Better than 5 Stars?
Summary: 5 Stars
If I could give more than 5 stars for this book, I would!
This is probably one of the best 3 books I've ever read!!!
You just have to read it to find out what I mean.
Book Review: 30% Great. 70% Good, But Less Filling
Summary: 4 Stars
I was spellbound for the 30% of the book set in New York. The culture clash between Tom Wingo, the main character, and the New Yawkas was fascinating. Loved Dr. Lowenstein, Bernard, grown-up Savanah, the whole Manhattan crowd.
The 70% of the book set in Carolina, not so much. A grim telling and retelling of myriad dark incidents in a seriously dysfunctional family. Not quite as dysfunctional as the Child Called It family, but close.
Much of the language is overly ornate, contrived; much of the rhetoric repetitive. [I was like, "Okay, you've explained to me for the 30th time that you are a person of the South Carolina low country. It's in your blood, your heart, your soul. I get it."] But when you can write like this, about New York, all is forgiven:
"In the falling light, the window became both mirror and fabulous portrait of a darkening city. The huge buildings of the lower city turned sapphire and rose in the descendent retreat of sunlight, then began to answer back with their own interior light. The city was laid out before me in a forest of transfigured architecture, devotional and splendid. The sun, exhausted, caught one building whole in its last sight and imparted the hues of a coral reef in a thousand grateful windows, then slid down that building from window to window, losing itself halfway down as the whole city rose like a firebird into the singing night. The city shook off the last foils of sunset and in a thrown-back, overreaching ecstasy transformed itself into an amazing candelabrum of asymmetrical light. From where I sat, in complete darkness now, the city looked as if it were formed from glass votive candles, lightning, and glowing embers. In the beauty of those rising geometrics and fabulous metamorphosed shapes, it seemed to enlarge the sunset, improve upon it."
Grade: B, overall.
Book Review: A great book for all Pat Conroy fans!
Summary: 4 Stars
Annotation:Prince of Tides is about Tom Wingo, an ex-football coach from South Carolina, who is in New York after the attempted suicide of his gifted sister/poet Savannah. Tom finds himself in a troubling time, as he must recount his families harsh past to Savannah's psychiatrist, Lowenstein, right after the finding out that his wife is cheating on him. The story is one of loss, love, and the loyalty that you can only find in a home, born of great and horrific experiences as a family. Moral values are questioned and so are the ties that bind a family close. This story is an epic of a southern American family that must relive the events in their lives, in order to get rid of the hatred that was born from them.
Author Bio:
The first of seven children, Pat Conroy was born in 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia, to a career military officer. He wrote his first novel, The Great Santini, which was published in 1976. The Lords of Discipline was published in 1980. The novel, another that was made into a film, exposed the Citadel's harsh military discipline, racism, and sexism. Beach Music is Conroy's sixth book, and Prince of Tides was written shortly after. At present, he divides his time between San Francisco and South Carolina.
Evaluation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great storytelling. Especially for past Conroy readers, I would surely recommend this one. Conroy has the ability to make you hate the characters throughout half book, but learn to love them for what they truly are. He captures the setting through detailed descriptions, that frankly make you feel like you are there, and actually witnessing the story. Overall this novel is saddening and I will wore warn anyone who reads it of that fact. Death, murder, and rape are all witnessed and I would also like notify those who have a weak stomach.