Beach Music: A Novel

Loved everything about it

Much too long. The “court scene” is too contrived and strains credibility. Still, it was an enjoyable book, and I recommend. The WWII sections, while painful to read, could easily stand on their own: I recommend the book if only to read those sections. The graphic descriptions create such pathos and indignation, that it makes one want to “enter the story” to rectify the injustice and perversion.

Havent read a Conroy book in awhile but this was way to wordy for me. Liked the characters and their individual stories. Just seems like there was always 5 words where 3 would have been perfect.

I bought this book because of my love of beach music - the Catalinas, the Embers, The Band of Oz and so many others - but I had never read anything by Pat Conroy. I had the book for a long time because I didnt want to make the time commitment to read it (800 pages). But as I was reading it, I wished it would go on forever. My only complaint was Conroys penchant for dragging things out. Lucy was dying the whole book, but she kept rallying back to life to deliver yet another soliloquy to Jack or whomever would listen. I loved the descriptions of Charleston and the low country in general, and the food - oh my goodness it made me drool! I loved the characters, even John Hardin who, even in his craziest, darkest moments, provided an amazing insight into the world of a schizophrenic. The event on the bridge was described so vividly I laughed and blushed at the same time. All in all, Beach Music was many hours well spent. Ken Follett is my favorite author, but Pat Conroy is giving him a run for his money!

Pat Conroy wrote the beautiful introduction to one of my all-time favorite books, “Gone with the Wind”. My rule with classics, not that I read them as often as I probably should, is to read the introduction after completing the book. Once I finished “Gone with the Wind” and then read Conroy’s introduction, I knew that this would be an author that I need to look into. “Beach Music” is the first book that I have read by him. It grabbed me right from the start and I was hooked. Even though we were on vacation, it was often pretty much all that I could think about. Part of the story takes place in Italy, specifically Rome, and I finished this book right before we arrived there. Perfect timing! The writing is gorgeous. The story is riveting and had me laughing and crying. The characters are superb to the point where I missed them so very much after finishing the book. For me, that’s definitely a sign of a phenomenal book. While reading, I looked up Pat Conroy and was amazed at how quite a bit of the story is similar to his own life. I was reminded of a quote by P.D. James: “All fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction.” I can’t wait to read more books by him. How sad that he’s no longer with us. This is definitely my favorite book of 2018, and now one of my favorite books of all time. Some of my favorite quotes: “American men are allotted just as many tears as American women. But because we are forbidden to shed them, we die long before women do, with our hearts exploding or our blood pressure rising or our livers eaten away by alcohol because that lake of grief inside us has no outlet. We, men, die because our faces were not watered enough.” “When you have been hurt you lose your trust in the world. If the world’s mean to you when you’re a child, you spend the rest of your life being mean back.” “I don’t know why it is that I have always been happier thinking of somewhere I have been or wanted to go, than where I am at the time. I find it difficult to be happy in the present.”

At first I was dismayed to see the size of the book, big and long, but quickly was engrossed with the lyrical writing and beautiful storytelling. Its a book easy to put down and pick up again. I recently lost my husband and the storyteller in the book had lost his wife, so there was a lot of cathartic feelings expressed I could relate to. Im not sure how I missed knowing about Pat Conroy and his excellent writing skills and tales of the South, but I now will seek out more of his writings.

At around page 600 I realized this book was going no where fast but at that point I was too invested NOT to finish the book. My husband kept urging me to just give it up. I slugged through it as if I were running a marathon. I amused him with all of the happenings of this book given in plain narrative speak. The book was an absolute suspension of belief. It came highly recommended by a few of my friends who loved this book. I anticipated loving it. The author certainly has a way with words and is able to paint scenes visually with his beautiful prose, I will give him that! Unfortunately, instead of using this gift of prose when needed, he does it constantly and in painful depth. He never lets up. Every character comes with a larger than life back-story. While he was creating these multiple back-stories he should have been using some of that talent to develop these characters past two dimensions. Every woman in this novel is a Scarlett O Hara wannabe; Beautiful,vocal,strong and damaged. Did we ever figure out what Lucy did that was so harmful to her children, by the way? It was always alluded to but other than being a too young parent who stayed with an alcoholic husband I was not sure what she did to damage her children so much. The brothers and their humor-filled banter was painful. I could have done without them all together. So much happened in this book it would be hard pressed to find a recent event in history that the characters were not intimately involved in. Holocaust, Vietnam, bombs, terrorist, loggerhead turtle releases, alcoholism, suicide, bitter feuds of old friends, bitter feuds with in-laws, murder, Hollywood, the South Carolinas Governors mansion, trophy wives, schizophrenic hallucinations, romance,rape, spousal abuse,arson, protests,cancer, and one overly precocious kid whose charm is apparently lost on me. The book tries to weave this crescendo of drama only to resolve it with a quickness that made no sense. Ex: The feud between Capers and our hero is resolved because Mike tells them to wrap it up because the production crew is ready to be done? The battle with Mr. Fox ends because Mr. Fox tells his story? Why didnt he do that at the beginning? Can you tell how much I disliked this book? I usually read non-fiction and this book did everything it could to drive me back into the arms of a genre where the ridiculous is not held up as art.

I loved this book - almost all the way to the end. I found the wind up of the main conflict and the plot elements at that point a little bizarre. However, that being said, it was a very good book and of the quality I would expect from Conroy. I must admit that I did skip one very long chapter recounting the horrors of the Holocaust. I have seen enough movies, and read enough factual accounts of that tragedy that I felt I didnt need any further education on the subject. I understand how that element of backstory figured in the plot line and helped explain the demons driving Shyla. But, I didnt need the horrific details, so I spared myself the agony of reading the first hand account by Shylas father. Overall, I am so glad that I read the book, even though I have some slight reservations about parts of it. Leah is delightful and I was pleased that the very final bit the plot brought happiness to all the main characters.

This is not a new novel for me ... my 3rd reading as a matter of fact. I love Pat Conroys work and the realism of human nature he brings to it. The various aspects of war and how they affected the respective generations is very true in my mind. My husband was in Vietnam in 1966 and experienced the Tet Offensive. He came home in 1969, but Vietnam, the things he witnessed, and the horrors he fought through were part of his life and our family for the rest of his life. My husband volunteered ... his need to fight for his country and our freedoms foremost in his mind ... but I question if it was worth it. A man I worked for served in WWII and was part of the troops who cleared the concentration camps. He had pictures and the horrors they represented were unimaginable. Like any good recipe, the flavors of various ingredients combine to create a final dish. In life, the things we live through make us who we are (for good or bad) and determine how we relate to others as we grow older. There are so many layers in this book and so many things to think about once finished. I was very pleased to purchase a Kindle version because it allows me to mark passages that moved me or made me think. I doubt this will be the last time I read it. A few years ago, I visited Isle of Palms and, as I walked along the beach using my cane for support, I heard what sounded like a flute. Eventually, I realized it was the ever-present wind whistling through the height adjustment holes in my cane when it was turned just so. I immediately thought of this book and smiled at the idea I had found my own beach music.

I read this book in my 20s and loved it so much I wanted to read it again. Now in my 60s, it touched me in a much deeper way. Pat Conroy is a great storyteller and I highly recommend this book. But be ready; it will touch you deeply.