Beach Music

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Summary: A mandatory "slow" read! Don't miss a word!!!
Review: A fast paced story that is impeccably written. True "literature" at it's finest. You find yourself reading and re-reading paragraphs, purely for the beauty of the writing. Multiple stories and characters, incredibly interwoven to hold your attention from page to page. You never want it to end, and you'll never loan it to friends. Buy them their own copy!!

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Summary: MISTER Conroy... You've got me! I am a fan!
Review: Yes... I'm an emotional woman and easily brought to tears, but... this is THE only book that made me sob! It also had me laugh out loud. I felt that I NEEDED to write a fan letter to Pat Conroy and wrote it! I'm now searching the shelves for more of his works

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Summary: Pat Conroy, Beach Music
Review: Totally captivating! I sat on my couch throughout the last few chapters, unable to put the book down, crying the entire time. Beach Music is the story of every ordinary family and their dirty little secrets. It is a true account of an average family that has the honesty to admit that they are far from the perceived "normal." Pat Conroy has managed to blend together events that do not affect many people, with family emotions and betrayals that everyone can relate to on more than one level. Rich or poor, small town or city dwellers, it really doesn't matter. This story will grip your heart with it's honesty about families and what goes on behind closed doors

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Summary: huge dissapointment
Review: This book is a huge dissapointment from the man who wrote"Lords" etc. The main character was hiding out in Italybecause his family had apparently wounded him so. Then he goes back and after a few acidic exchanges everyone is friends again. What IS that?? The retelling of the holocaust story was well-handled but on the whole, only slightly better than a Jeffrey Archer novel.

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Summary: while unfocused, another fantastic conroy read
Review: After reading "The Prince of Tides", The Great Santini" and "The Lords of Discipline" you begin to expect perfection from Conroy. I would compare this book to the latest U2 CD. While not as good as its predecessors, it is still pretty darn entertaining. Conroy might be a master manipulator of the emotions, but I do not mind! You get lost in his language and can't help but to care for his characters. Here we are taken to different eras, often for ancillary characters, but these scenes (of Nazi-era Europe) are quite powerful and well done. The daughter in the book might as well have been 29 instead of 9, considering how wise and brilliant she is! Nevertheless, this is a must read for Conroy fans. For non-fans, try "The Lords of Discipline" (or another old Conroy favorite)first; if you like those, then this is the logical next step

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Summary: One of the Twentieth Century's best stories about life.
Review: Pat Conroy's Beach Music has fast become my favorite book and in my opinion is one of the greatest 20th century stories about life. Conroy weaves the tale of a man deserted by the woman he loved and left to fend for himself and his child in a world that he despised. As an escape, he pulls himself from all that he once knew and somewhat robs his daughter of her heritage. His life is full of anger and despise until he is brought back into the South by his mother. Throughout the course of the story, he regains the love he once had for his homeland and for his family. He also gives his daughter a chance to learn where she is from and to be a part of the family that holds her so dear. The most important thing is that he learns to love again. Conroy does a facinating job with this book. It leaves the reader spellbound and is a complete page-turner. I guarantee that if you love drama about the South, you won't be able to put this book down. But, as I heard a wise man once say, "You don't have to take my word for it."

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Summary: Should I finish the last 20 pages of this trite melodrama?
Review: I shouldn't but I'll hang in there just to find out how this incredibly lame books finally ends. The most interesting thing about this book is the truly dreadful dialog. Otherwise, its just one overtrumped human tragedy after another. I advise anyone who reads more than Harlequinn books to stay clear of this sap

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Summary: Reality Knocks Twice...Pat Conroy strikes Again!
Review: After Prince of Tides, what could Pat Conroy come out with that would carry the reader to another place and time, bringing the soul itself to the surface? Beach Music is warm, humorous, humanly tragic...Pat Conroy's flowing prose seems to make the real world disappear. Even months after reading this book, a profound sense of peace and perhaps a tender sadness for the characters, fills a place in my heart. There is a contentment to Mr. Conroy's writing which is rarely exhibited by other authors. Too sad for some readers? Perhaps those readers don't appreciate the honesty with which Mr. Conroy depicts life in general and not being capable to deal with the sadness, too many people also overlook the humor and joy. My thanks to Mr. Conroy for an exceptional book. I look forward to the next one

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Summary: This book was funny, sad, heart warming and well written
Review: This book made me feel a part of the story. It ran me through the gamet of emotions. It touched on some points of Jewish history, the struggle of an american family to come to grips with a terrible past and was sad, funny, and a little grusome too. A good book that keeps your attention

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Summary: The best reading I have ever experienced.
Review: The rich language, real characters, and emotional storyline of Beach Music had me so enthralled on a recent trip to Europe that I neglected my exciting and historic surroundings for a full two days, living only for the world of Jack McCall. I was so involved in the story that I've already read the book twice, and will read it again and again