The Prince of Tides: A Novel by Pat Conroy
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Book Reviews of The Prince of Tides: A Novel
Book Review: Haunting & beautiful
Summary: 4 Stars
his has long been one of my go-to books for reading & re-reading when I need something well-written & familiar. Pat Conroy has a beautiful way with language & tells a good story & this book is no exception.
The narrator's family & the Carolina Low Country are the stars of the show in this book as Tom Wingo tries to tell the story of their past in an effort to save his sister from her suicidal tendencies. In the end, of course, he saves himself along with her (& maybe that's the point).
I love the stories of the Wingo family & the dignity & humanity that Conroy gives every member. Yes, there is tragedy & darkness, but there is also eccentricity & humor & survival & love. There is nothing simple about these people & nothing simple about their stories. The creeping & awful dread that sits in the middle of the end of these stories is palpable throughout & painful to experience & behold.
I still think Tom Wingo's a wonderful storyteller & an ineffectual chicken - that's what makes him tragic, I suppose. I still identify with his sister, Savannah, craziness & all. & I enjoyed this book yet again. It's always good to visit old friends.
Book Review: Tragic and Engaging
Summary: 4 Stars
Conroy writes with exceptional poetry and describes the South with such passion. He creates characters with immense intensity and life, regardless of how flawed they are. Prince of Tides is not a joyful book. While there are uplifting scenes, there is a pervading sadness. The topics of suicide, abuse and despair bestow a melancholy that cannot be redeemed regardless of how many inspiring anecdotes Conroy includes, though there is an underlying hope that timidly presents itself. I found Prince of Tides to be Conroy's darkest book, but as always, I appreciate his extraordinary writing. He narrates Tom Wingo well, exploring the history of his troubled family. Between his abusive father, his delusional and infuriating mother, his unfortunate brother, his suicidal sister and the tragic things that happen to them, it is no wonder Tom is a deeply unhappy and conflicted man. The history of the Wingo family is splendidly detailed and instilled with a magic that only Conroy can convey.Book Review: good southern book
Summary: 4 Stars
i think being from the south makes this book what it is. i suppose that most of the lower ratings are from non southerners. they just don't get the experiences that are in this book. several reviewers said the humorous espisodes were over the top. one must have southern family members to relate.
the depression is somewhat intense. most of my southern relatives do not have time to dwell on themselves and to analyze each thought and action . they refuse to believe that they need help because they are too busy helping others. going to get a new hairdo is their therapy. dwelling on the need for therapy as a given arrived with the influx of people arriving from outside the south.
loved this book.
Book Review: Great book & amazing writer
Summary: 4 Stars
This author has an amazingly descriptive way of writing and the book is MUCH better than the movie!Book Review: Prince of Tides series
Summary: 3 Stars
Good stories in the five book series. A little wordy, at times slow, but all and all interesting enough to keep purchasing the next book in the series. The greatest reason not to "like," the series more is the end of the final book. The ending was very disappointing. It seemed to break from the well thought out progress through the first four books. The fifth book seemed like the author was forced, less coherent, wanted to finish a long job, tired of writing so much. The final chapters of the last book were "Cute." Different. and that's all they were. It's almost as if the author abruptly pasted on the last portion of the book. If you aren't interested in the whole, long, well worked out world the author created with three dimensional characters, and just want a shallow, different ending.
I wish the author would rethink the last book sometime, and do a major revision. It has the potential to become a "Classic," of it's very unusual type.