I’ve avoided his books because (as a guy) the covers made them look like something my mom would have read on a beach vacation in the 90s. I just assumed it wasn’t something I’d enjoy, but I’ve seen a lot of people talk about how good his work is. Am I wildly off base here? I feel like I might be missing out on something because I’ve literally judged a book by its cover for a long time. Where should I start with his work?
by bookdoom
11 Comments
The Great Santini and My Losing Season are great “guy” books.
Lords of Discipline and Prince of Tides are two of my favorites.
Prince of Tides. It’s crazy good, my dad loved it as well.
South of Broad is a must read. Fabulous. The Prince of Tides, wonderful.
Pat Conroy is a terrific author.
The Lords of Discipline is a easy entry point. It is a page turner of a thriller in an environment so foreign that it might as well be set in space.
I have liked rereading Conroy and Irving for the same reasons. They were both writing in the ’80s about the ’60s and had a weird post first wave feminism view of masculinity. It’s interesting to see the evolution.
I really enjoy all his books. Beach Music stands out off the top of my head.
I agree with the others about starting at the beginning. At my age, I have really come to enjoy the evolution of the author along with his or her storytelling. He had an extremely difficult life and it is reflected in his writing. When I was younger, it was his vulnerability (and demons) which drew me to him.
The Great Santini is one of Conroy’s best novels.
Absolutely my favorite author, the true rockstar of authors to me. Another book that’s excellent that hasn’t been mentioned is (yet) The Water Is Wide. I have listened (twice) to his book My Reading Life, which inspired me to read War and Peace and A Dance To The Music of Time.
What a shame you believed such an untruth. All of Conroy’s novels are excellent. I especially like Prince of Tides.
I recommend all his books (except The Boo). He is a male writer who exorcises his personal demons through his writing. He has an anti-Southern idea of what it means to be a man, and much of his writing explores that sentiment. I’m almost positive all his books have some autobiographical parts included: characters or plot that reflect his own life. He once said that he would hear his wife in her office laughing as she read over things she wrote. He said he had never laughed at anything he wrote. Gives you an idea of the weight of some of the things he deals with.
I have read them all, and for me, my personal favorite is Beach Music, with Prince of Tides placing a close second.