Rating: 
Summary: 5 books in 1. But that's ok.
Review: The book goes through many subplots that made me felt like I was reading a different book each time I came back to the original thread of the plot. Also, although the book would've been sufficient and a good read in it's own right, it leads you through the sub-characters lives, giving the impression of a first-hand interview or an emotional documentary. If I hadn't read this book, I'm not sure stories of backwoods America, or the Jewish ghetto and holucaust would've ever have come onto my bookshelf. The only part I would ask to be changed is how Conroy handled the adult character of Mike. While all the others stayed true to their original personalities, Mike, the least likly to change in my opinion, took on the hollywood cliche of an egotistical producer, possilbly just to have to means to get everyone together for the ultimate "climax" to make a movie. But that's it. It's a good read without all the profanity and such.
Rating: 
Summary: The most difficult of Conroy's novels
Review: Pat Conroy is my favorite author--I just wish he produced a new book every three months like John Grishom. There is absolutely nobody else who has the power of "description" and "Imagery" that he has. I love Conroy's writing because it is always so contradictory. He makes you love and hate his characters at the same time. I started out by being completely annoyed with John Hardin in this novel, and then he ended up being my favorite character--he was so funny and outrageous. I felt the same about his mother--loved and hated her at the time time. I remember this was also true of his characters when I read "Prince of Tides." He has such an ability to play with the reader's emotions. Beach Music was harder than his other novels because of so many subplots & characters, but instead of wishing it hadn't been so long and gone into so much, I found myself wishing it was longer, and he had developed the characters & subplots even more. There is always a feeling of "letdown" when you finish one of Pat Conroy's novels because you don't want it to end. Nobody writes about "dysfunction" with his sense of humor.
Rating:
Summary: A novel of the highest caliber...
Review: This novel was, in my opinion, one of the finest novels to emerge in the English language in the Twentieth Century. His characters are extraordinarily vivid, and Mr. Conrroy's powers of description never cease to move me. The story is powerful, but more important, he writes with a brutal honesty about human nature. The characters are complex and sometimes unpredictable, as in the case of the good-hearted but confused John Hardin. The McCall brothers, in particular, moved me because of the familiarity I felt when reading about them; they remind me of my own brother. Conroy's dialogue is witty and his narration resonates with the echoes of Faulkner and Wolfe. Mr. Conroy is a storyteller in the finest sense of the word. He writes about the extreme beauty of the South with a golden pen, and it is a beauty that I, for one, can happily appreciate.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally fulfilling but occasionally overdone
Review: I would give this novel three-and-a-half stars if I could. Conroy is certainly a gifted writer. His writing has been described elsewhere as "lyrical" and there's no arguing with that. The problem is that he occasionally seems to lose touch with the story in order to embark on his flighty turns of phrases. The first three-quarters of the novel are mostly engaging (with an occasional out-of-nowhere subplot, ie., a terrorist bombing at an airport, thrown in for good measure). The familial emotions between the McCalls come across as very genuine, touching and simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting: a tricky balance to achieve, but one which Conroy manages nicely. There are problems, however: from the minor (little Leah seems *far* too precocious for her age, both in her dialogue and actions) to the not-insubstantial (Conroy merely recycles many of his of his previous plots - ie, dealing with the relationship between a military father and his son. Some of his picturesque journies into the characters pasts - even the beautifully-written accounts of Poland during WWII - do little to advance the plot, and achieve startlingly little bang for the buck) to the major (the ending of the book, in which all of the main characters come face-to-face, is horribly unsatisfying and surprisingly unemotional). Beach Music is by no means a bad book. I would even consider it a good read - parts of it made me laugh at loud and/or feel a pang of sadness. But Conroy can (and should have) done better, especially with regard to his awkward and artificial climax.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Conroy
Review: In the classic Conroy spirit, he took the life of a Southern boy, and developed it from childhood in a small Southern town to being all grown up and cultured in the cosmopolitan world of Rome. This book is long and is composed of many different subplots and background stories, but they are all good. The story of Max in Russia and the story of the Foxes reveal a lot about the struggles of being Jewish in a time of great persecution. You learn about struggle very closely. This was intense. Conroy's descriptions are graphic at times, but visually stunning. You wish there was a movie made out of this one. His stories make you laugh, and they make you cry. Be prepared to go through the full spectrums of emotions with this one. It is probably more intense than "Prince of Tides", yet the ending leaves you with such joy. There is some profanity and some graphic scenes of a sexual nature, but the overall quality of the story and his prose makes the book well worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: I just don't get it!
Review: I understand Pat Conroy is an excellent writer. And I won't argue that Beach Music has more than a couple well written sentences. But it takes more than good sentences to make a good book. This book felt like it was sucking the lifeforce out of me-- absolutely terrible. The author seems to lack the ability to build tension & love of the characters. Instead, the characters seem like cardboard, lacking substance. And the storyline, moves slower than a stagnate back water ditch. In one section a caricature of a Hollywood producer tells how terrible foreign films are because they go on & on with people talking while they eat. The funny thing is that this conversation ocurrs while eating & goes on & on in the same manner. How can an excellent book such as "Jean-Christophe" by Romain Rolland be out of print & Beach Music enjoys such success? I just don't get it!
Rating:
Summary: Quite simply, a very terrible book.
Review: The book was not simple, but anyone who thinks it is a good read must be. It is hard to believe the number of people that have given this book rave reviews. It is not so much a work of fiction as it is completely and utterly ridiculous science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL!
Review: Pat Conroy's writing in Beach Music was like reading poetry! I held my breath with each chapter waiting for the conclusion of yet another story of a family member of Jack McCall. I usually jump to the end of books to find out the ending, then I go back to read the middle,...not with Beach Music. You didn't want it to end, even after 800 pages! Please Mr.Conroy, write a sequel! The best book I have every read...hands down!
Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a Classic of Southern Literature
Review: Having recently finished Beach Music, I find myself wishing the experience had never ended. Conroy writes some of the finest descriptions I have ever read because of his keen eye and ear for detail combined with his virtuosic control of the language. Therefore, Conroy is able weave a seamless narrative that captures the essence of the South--and Rome for that matter--as few others can. A joy to read and to experience. I give this book my highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: A book that will always stay in your heart!
Review: Beach Music really touched my heart. It made me laugh and it certainly made me cry. I loved the characters - actually they were not just characters they became friends. Conroy is a great storyteller. He takes his readers into another world and make us taste, smell and feel the same things as his characters. I will always keep this book in my heart and sometimes I will read it again and it will feel like meeting an old friend.
| 
