No comments about The Lords of Discipline Part 2 of 2.

2 comments about Southern Living Family Album (In Southern Words).

1. This is the second edition of the Southern Living tapes and possibly better than the first. No matter what part of the country you're from, you'll find moving, humourous eloquently told stories. Listening to it made me hate the morning commute was over!



2. Just the essay on "how folks should eat" makes this taped anthology worth the price! Anyone who has enjoyed family gatherings around a Southern dining room table will be instantly transported back to those meals upon hearing this piece.

5 comments about The Lords of Discipline.

1. Gorgeously crafted, eloquent, beautiful, gripping, powerful. Simply an amazing book. All of Pat Conroy's books have common ties to his childhood, and this one is perhaps the best of them all.



2. The mark of a successful coming of age story is that you, the reader, can see yourself reflected in the protagonist. For me, this book worked very well. Will McLean, the main character and first-person narrator, a second generation Irish boy, son of a Marine, a mongrel outsider in the pedigreed Carolina Military Institute searches for himself, the man within the boy who is being molded by a system of discipline and honor that doesn't match his internal morality. He's an English major in a college of warriors. He's a basketball player, a finesse guard, in a school of brute force. He's fighting against systems he doesn't understand within a life choiceless in it's inequality.
   
   Pat Conroy, himself a graduate of the model for the fictional Institute, The Citadel, weaves a compelling tension-filled story while eloquent in his setting, Charleston, South Carolina. Employing gracious proper Southern dialect filled with flowers, antiques, and tradition, he describes brutality, racism, sexism, and betrayal. The language works well because it provides within its description the biting irony of the scenes. Will McLean fights through every taboo the South has to offer in the 1960's: a black cadet in the all-white tradition of the military college, an unwed pregnant girl shunned by society for her shame while the father of her baby remains blameless, the brutal plebe system that crushes individuality while remaking young men as soulless military automatons, the classed society of high south old money and it's cruelty to those not born within the circle, and the fact that military honor doesn't equate to individual morality.
   
   Fighting through this maze of pitfalls, McLean has only his closest and dearest friends to rely on, roommates Dante "Pig" Pignetti and Mark Santoro, two brawny, Northern boys of Italian descent and Tradd St. Croix, an "old Charlestonian" (from a very rich and respected family). His moral guide through the story is the epitomy of hard military men, Colonel "Bear" Berrineau, a vulgar battle-scarred man whose character is unimpeachable and whose idea of duty includes awful repercussions.
   
   I loved this story and I couldn't put it down. If I had one criticism to give, it's that Conroy tried to put too much into the novel - too many problems and taboos and tried to fix hundreds of years worth of problems in one book. But, that's not really a criticism because he did it and did it well. Bravo.
   
   CV Rick



3. This is a great military/coming of age novel by Pat Conroy that I would put slightly behind The Great Santini (one of my favorite books of all time) in his catalogue. In this story, Conroy follows a young cadet at the fictional Carolina Military Institute (modeled partly on Conroy's time at The Citadel) as he endures his plebe year and then comes to grip with the fact that the school fosters a great deal of hate, racism and cruelty to accomplish its mission of developing the Complete Man. Conroy's writing always moves quickly with engaging dialogue, humor and entertaining story lines and this book is no exception. It is certainly deeper than your standard pop fiction book, but it reads just as easily and quickly. I would highly recommend it to Conroy fans, people who enjoy good fiction (even my mother likes this book) or people who have interest in military schools or the South in the 50's. A very good book.



4. About half way thru this book and had to set it aside. I'll return to it later as it is a little too intense and the language is shocking.
   
   I thought his books Beach Music and The Prince of Tides were much better. I could not put Beach Music down.



5. I received this book as a gift and was reluctant to read it as the subject matter was not of interest. I started to read it just to see what it might be like and was captured by the outstanding writing. It was just a joy to read and the characters will stay with me forever.

No comments about Beach Music Parts 1 - 6.

5 comments about The Prince of Tides.

1. If I could give more than 5 stars for this book, I would!
   This is probably one of the best 3 books I've ever read!!!
   You just have to read it to find out what I mean.



2. I could not put this book down. Pat Conroy is an amazing storyteller...and certainly brings his characters to life. I am currently reading his book Beach Music and I am enthralled again. Would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a wonderful reading experience.



3. This book was gorgeously written. The language was captivating and almost poetic. I couldn't put it down. The story was hilarious to gut-wretching, and everything in between. Characters so three dimentionally written, one would believe they were real-life acquaintances. One of the most moving books I've ever read.



4. I read the book after I watched the movie starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand. Reviews of the movie were mixed, in part, because those who loved the book disliked the changes wrought by the movie. That being said, I loved the movie and I loved the book.
   
   As promised in some of it's reviews, this book does make the reader laugh, cry, and ponder. After watching the movie, I learned a great deal more about Savannah's character by reading the book. She was so articulate and brutally honest about the family situation and her mental illness. I learned much more about Luke and understood why his death had affected Tom so deeply. I was given a deeper glimpse into the tumultous marriage of Tom's parents. I read about the history of Tom and his wife. It caused me to better understand why Tom returned to her at the end of the story.
   
   It was interesting when Tom's wife, Sallie, telephoned Tom in order to reconcile. She did not say, "I truly love you more than the cardiac surgeon" (who was actually more in her league, socially). She had been having an affair. She spoke of how the cardiac surgeon betrayed her. Tom's response was, "Do you want me to beat him up? I will let you watch."
   
   There were some thought-provoking tales, describing circumstances that caused the family's resistance to racism in the deep South and Savannah's comparison of racism to Naziism. There were football stories - one in Tom's high school years and one when he was a student at the university of South Carolina. For some reason, those stories made me cry. They showed Tom at his pinnacle. In the book, Tom provided a strong argument for the value of a good football coach in a boy's formative years.
   
   The character of Dr. Lowenstein was developed well by the author. If you watched the film first, you will see that the character in the book differs some from the character played by Barbara Streisand. But that is to be expected.
   
   Overall, this was a fantastic read.



5. The Prince of Tides was my first Pat Conroy book. It is an eloquent masterpiece in my opinion. Conroy writes what he knows and he creates characters that are so rich in humanity and a story so deep in conflict yet he writes with a magical prose. Years after reading this book, some of the images are still indelibly imprinted in my mind. He reminds me of modern day Tennesse Williams in his portrayal of flawed, tragic Southern characters. Truly a wonderfully gifted writer. I decided to write this review after perusing through a list of Conry books to find my next one to read. Forget the movie, read the book first then see the movie. It will only richen the experience.

5 comments about The Water Is Wide.

1. I was really impressed with this book. Not only did I enjoy the story, which is true, but I also enjoyed the writing of Pat Conroy. This is the first book I have read by Conroy. This is about the experience Conroy had in the early 70's teaching in a one room school house on Yamacraw Island (which is the pseudonym for Daufuskie Island), an island off the coast of South Carolina. This island was populated by mostly African Americans. The experience was truly eye opening . It really depicted the society of that time: Civil Rights, Segregation and Southern Culture and it's resistance to change. Conroy took a true life experience and put in down on paper in such a way that the reader felt like they were there on the island with him. Add to that an exceptional sense of humor that was drizzled throughout the story and you have yourself a masterpiece. I have added all of the rest of Conroy's books on my wishlist and I feel a little bit more with the program after finally reading one of his works.



2. The author has an excellent command of words in describing characters and action. Unfortunately, they are not used to good effect in this autobiographical novel.
   
   For me the book lacked interesting characters, a fascinating plotline, and impending danger and escalating conflict. Consequently it lacked ongoing suspense, failing to involve and absorb me in this so-called story.
   
   I say so-called because the book seems more like a a series of isolated incidents, hardly focused on a particular end or goal, and therefore take on a rambling, babbling, numbing quality, one which I, for one, found increasingly boring.
   
   There was no point in the book where I felt I couldn't put the book down and wonder or care about what was going to happen to the main, or even the subordinate, characters. It was all ho-hum. To me, a good book compels me to keep reading, even if I have to stay up all night doing so. Not this one--if anything, it threw me into an uncaring state of somnolence. And many of its points that are continually repeated contribute to this
   
   At page 115 I tossed the book into the trash can so that I could better use my time by reading something better, hopefully a book that is more involving and fascinating.



3. While reading The Water is Wide, I experienced exactly the kind of heart-warming, comical, enjoyable reaction Pat Conroy had in mind while writing the book. Several themes are apparent throughout, and it was easy for the reader to recognize the most important one. Pat Conroy taught his students and readers that no matter a person's race, literacy level, age, or gender, everyone matters, and everyone is equal.
   Pat Conroy moved many times as a child, since his father was in the military. His first job was teaching English in Beaufort, South Carolina. He then found himself teaching on the remote Daufuskie Island, which was referred to as Yamacraw Island in the novel. This teaching job provided the inspiration and plot for The Water is Wide.
   Pat Conroy, referred to as "Conrack" by some students, has an excellent way of teaching readers the importance of acceptance and equality. He does not preach or lecture his message, but his delivery of it through countless situations is just as effective. Sometimes his point is concealed by the amusement of the Yamacraw students, but by the end of each chapter, the reader will be reminded of the seriousness at hand.
   The Water is Wide never failed to entertain me. The book takes countless turns in the plot, and each turn results in comedy, sincerity, or amusement. The reader finds him or herself relating to each character, even though the lifestyle on Yamacraw Island is much different from most of the United States. Pat Conroy made me realize how lucky I am to live in a society where education is important and emphasized. This book opened my eyes to how people in other, less fortunate areas of the world live. I recognized that education is imperative, and how much the average student takes for granted.
   While Pat Conroy had no problems capturing my attention with plenty of interesting stories, he sometimes overwhelmed readers with his personality. Several parts of the book were filled with Conroy's strong opinion on characters and school rules. This sometimes interrupted the plot. Other than the occasional rant by Pat Conroy, the book flowed smoothly.
   The Water is Wide was an excellent read for teenagers and adults, especially those interested in teaching. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover, and it influenced me in ways only exceptional literature can.



4. After having read the book, we had an opportunity to tour Daufuskie Island (Yamacraw Island in the book). After the tour we stopped at the General Store and noticed that The Water Is Wide was not offered for sale. We asked about this. We were told the Gullahs thought the book put them down and they did not want the book available on the island. ..... Interesting.



5. This is an early example of the promise of Pat Conroy. Everything I have read of his has been extraordinarily beautifully written. There are pages I have to reread just for the joy of the wording, the descriptions, the expressions of thoughts.
   
   As a teacher he must have been a treasure. It is an indictment of the school system in which he worked that he was not fostered and encouraged. America's children are the losers in the situation. I know the people of "Yamacraw" felt the loss when he was not allowed to return to the school there.
   
   America's readers have reaped the benefits of Conroy's education and experience and his exemplary use of the language.
   
   Enjoy!

5 comments about My Losing Season: The Point Guard's Way to Knowledge.

1. Conroy's fiction has always been a biography of sorts (Great Santini in particular) but I think his choice to chronicle his life through his final basketball season at the Citadel was brilliant. It brings together all the elements of his fictional life that we have come to love and respect: His overbearing father, the south in the 1950s and 1960s, and the one character common to all his books: Sports.
   
   I think that Pat Conroy is the kind of person who most would envy the life he's had, it's ups and downs, and this book only solidifies that belief for me.



2. I have a message for Pat Conroy: STOP YOUR WHINING. I read the book on a recommendation from a friend - however, I wish had not wasted my time on it. Mr Conroy did a masterful job of weaving the story of his life into his expereinces at the Citadel. But, personally, I could not take his whining attitude - the tough plebe system at the Citadel, his "Great Santini" father, his demeaning basketball coach, the reaction from Citadel alumnists over his bashing of their school. This book seemed to infer that he was suffering some inhumane, life-long injustice. Give me a break!! I regret that Mr Conroy's reputation as a great writer and the publisher's willingness to support this project allowed the book to be published in the first place. For anyone paying attention to the rest of the world, this book is a crock...one word of advice for Pat Conroy: suck it up!! Alas, I think it's too late for Mr Conroy. One other note: You would never, ever see wrestler write a book like this!!



3. My Losing Season is the story of The Citadel's '66-'67 season. Pat Conroy begins the book with a little background as to how he got into basketball and fell in love with the game, as a child in a military family moving from town to town every year. He takes the reader through his journey up until he arrives at The Citadel for college. While Conroy does give tremendous details about his experience at The Citadel, the majority of the book deals with the '66-'67 basketball season. Conroy takes the reader game for game through the ups and mostly downs of the season - their crazy coach Mel Thompson, the Green Weenies, the loss of confidence of the starting 5, and all the teams they play in the Southern conference.
   
   As a reader you'll get to know these guys - DeBrosse, Cauthen, Kennedy, Zinsky, Tee Hooper, etc - you truly feel for them especially because they're real people and these games really happened! It's a great lesson on what one can learn from losing. Are those lessons more important that having a winning season? My only complaint was that since every chapter was really a different basketball game it got tedious at times. You definitely have to be a sports enthusiast to enjoy this book!



4. Pat Conroy, the brilliant novelist, brings his fantastic writing style to his own memoirs in My Losing Season. Pat describes his life from his early childhood through his college years at The Citadel. His father, a Marine, was both physically and verbally abusive throughout Pat's lifetime. When Conroy Senior wasn't beating Pat's mom, he was taking his aggressions out on any one of the seven Conroy children. They learned to avoid him whenever possible and do what they could to avoid raising his ire. Pat found solace in the game of basketball anywhere he could find it. In school he found structure and guidance, on the street courts he found art and guts. But no matter where Pat played he loved every aspect of the game and the various nuances that he could learn.
   
   Conroy chronicles the difficulties of his home life and then the hardship of being a plebe in a rigorous military college where athletes were practically loathed. In many ways, Conroy's situation did not improve when he escaped his father's daily wrath. But what Conroy explains is that these tribulations were the basis of his personal character building and moments that he now looks back on with feelings of gratitude and appreciation. He writes of his journey to becoming a writer and how he balanced his academic studies with the rigors of college athletics.
   
   Conroy has written a delightful book that reads like his novels but with the added touch of his reality. He does not hesitate to address his own shortcomings as a human, writer, and athlete. This lends credibility to his descriptions of his youth and how that youth shaped his adulthood. My Losing Season contains many references to Conroy's works of fiction and at times discusses the outcome or plots of his novels that may be considered spoilers by those that have not read the novels. However, mostly, it is a unique insight into the author's thought process that will likely lead to a more enjoyable reading of these fictional books. My Losing Season will be enjoyed by those already loyal to Conroy and those that are finding him for the first time.



5. Pat Conroy hasn't written a basketball book in the style of the wonderful "A Season on the Brink". Here, the actual season takes a bleacher seat compared to the main theme of coming of age and dealing with a wide emotional range, from great pleasure to enduring abuse that can make a reader squirm.
   
   The basketball itself is interesting enough, with details pulled together after 30 years thanks to a concerted mining expedition with former teammates, a rather successful lot in middle age. As Conroy says, winners develop bonds with each other that last, with memories they want to keep. Losers, well, they move on and don't need any reminders.
   
   The Citadel team underachieved, losing several close games, with the finger-pointing going to themselves and their mediocre coach Mel Thompson. One might think of Bobby Knight or some other screamer as a coach, but at least Coach Knight knew what he was doing and could usually motivate his boys. On Coach Thompson, we hear plenty of how he brought out the worst or sapped their energy with an ill-timed remark or action. Plus, the average college player didn't have to survive the brutal hazing of freshman year and the other challenges of a military school.
   
   In Conroy's case, life intervenes even more in the presence of his father, well-known to people already aware of Conroy's work. A vision of Robert Duvall as the obnoxious Dad was impossible to avoid, with never a kind word and, in reality, degrading insults even when Pat was at his best. How he could (usually) shrug off the abuse is beyond me, other than it must have come from the same reservoir that make him a tough scrapper on the court.
   
   Other threads include some fine mentors on campus who helped Pat survive and develop his literary interests, a distressed pregnant girl he falls for, the honor system, and a nice summary of high school hoops while on the move. As with many survivor stories, a key individual often makes the difference at a critical time or over a sustained period, and Conroy had his benefactors. There is no doubt that he is a very loyal person who appreciates what others did on his behalf. He even had enough loyalty to Coach Thompson, for some reason, leading to some strange appreciative remarks at the end, and he even had some surprising partial reconciliation with Dear Old Abusive Dad. Conroy is one guy who is all over the map emotionally.

5 comments about The Great Santini.

1. I began reading this book with trepidation, because I worried that a book about the Marines and basketball might be a little too masculine and juvenile even for someone who tends to enjoy books with that character, but I was pleasantly mistaken. This is a great book--not just good, but great--about a career Marine who has established himself as a hero in war, leader within the Corps and one of the most bombastic, foul mouthed and party-hearty personalities anywhere, but a man who has no idea how to alter his personality at home. His family, which dutifully follows him around the South, admires his professional abilities and follows his orders almost without question also live in terror of the man who rules with an iron fist and absues them emotionally and physically. Bull Meecham is truly one of the great characters and personalities from any fiction I've read.
   
   The other members of the family, however, are also just as valuable and interesting in this book. Bull's son's attempts to be a man, his wife's attempts to rear her children with Southern charm and grace despite their father, the oldest daughter's attempts to be an independent woman despite both of her parents. The Great Santini goes further, however, and explores racism in the mid-century South, the power of sports in youth culture, the troubled existence of military families, etc.
   
   Pat Conroy is a beautiful writer who creates lifelike characters, produces huge laughs and equally large tragedies, and never lets a dull moment slip into this book. This is one of my favorite books I've ever read and will highly recommend it to anyone I meet.



2. While this is an excellent and well written story, the Blackstone Audio version is horribly read. It is painful to listen to. The reader is very "nasal" and the attempts at accents and characterizations are just simply horrific. Find another version, or read the book if you can. I can't, and had to endure this version of the audiobook. I listen to a LOT of audiobooks and this experience was a nightmare!



3. The Great Santini is Colonel Bull Meecham, husband to his lovely Southern enabling wife Lillian, father to Ben, Mary Anne, Matt, and Karen, Marine, fighter pilot, bully, creep, alcoholic, and all around jerk. Bull rules his family as he does the marines that serve under him. A bad drunk, Bull experiences violent mood swings, which send his family into chilling bouts of fear, hatred, and battles with the brute. Ben, most of all, the oldest, is most challenged by Bull, most humiliated, and most deeply touched, although his sister Mary Anne is a very close second. Ben is a very transparent stand-in for Conroy, although how much of this work is autobiographical is hard to know, but I suspect most of it is. Conroy could not write with such depth of feeling if he didn't experience this material firsthand. All I can say is that experiencing Bull Meecham is like experiencing brutality and hell in order to discover kindness, heaven, and love.
   Clearly written, brilliant, scintillating, this work sharply etches an unhappy family and the inner life of a boy and his love/hate relationship with his father. It also presents life in the racist south of the early 1960s, its beauties, and its nightmares. I was deeply moved by this work in spite of the ugliness of Bull Meecham and the marines he loved. This is a genuine work, an American novel, and a major achievement.



4. Let me start out by saying that I think Pat Conroy is one of the best authors out there. He can paint a picture so vividly with is words you truly feel like you are there. I first read Beach Music and it rocked my world. Each of the stories told in that book were amazing. So, even though I'd seen the movie Prince of Tides, I decided to read the book. I loved it also. Now having a hunger for more of his amazing writing, I picked up The Great Santini. I must say, I was disappointed. I loved the characters and the general concept of the story. A tough Marine, a true southern belle and two of the four children with depth that you admire throughout the entire story. I just felt that there was no storyline. I get what Conroy was trying to portray by creating the characters, and the relationships between the characters were great, but I just felt as if something was missing from this story. I also didn't feel like a whole lot happened until half way through the book.
   
   There were also a couple of highly dramatic scenes(Sammy's girlfriend and Toomer and Red) that had you at the edge of your seat. However, once that chapter was over, no mention of it whatsoever. I would think these things happened for a reason (e.g. character growth, forming a bond between two characters)and would be explored through the eyes of the characters some more. This was a disappointment to me also.
   
   All in all, the book had a lot of good in it, but just didn't measure up to Beach Music and The Prince of Tides. I plan on reading Conroy's other books in hopes to feel the magic of his writing again.



5. I discovered Pay Conroy as a young adult many years ago and in short order read everything he ever wrote. In my youthful, relatively uneducated mind, I couldn't help but think he was one of the greatest writers of all time. I distinctly remember the unmitigated joy of reading The Lords of Discipline for the first time, unable to tear myself away from the thing, staying up some nights until 4am with it. It was and maybe still is the most engrossing book I have ever read.
   
   Well, many years have passed and many more books are under the belt and I guess I've come to the conclusion that maybe Pat Conroy isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread after all, but, all the melodrama notwithstanding, he still has to rank up there somewhere. This one, The Great Santini, is a fine example of Conroy in his prime.
   
   We are introduced to the Great Santini--aka Bull Meacham, Marine fighter pilot--at a wild, drunken, hilarious going-away party in his honor in the first scene of the novel. We see immediately that he is a brash, loud, cocky and arrogant; traits that serve him more or less to good effect with his Marine subordinates, but traits that serve him far less effectively with his wife and four children.
   
   The story, of course, is truly about them, and especially Ben, the oldest of the siblings. The relationship with his father is of the classic love/hate variety. He is proud of his father: his exaggerated toughness, his extraordinary discipline, his status in the world as a true warrior. But he loathes him as well: his bullying, brutal, unbending tactics are too often unnecessarily thoughtless and cruel.
   
   There are so many fine scenes. One of the most famous is the one-on-one basketball game between the maturing seventeen-year old Ben and his insanely competitive father. Ben beats him, finally--a great moment in his life--but instead of getting the congratulations he deserves and has strived for since childhood, his father instead humiliates him, calling him a girl and systematically bouncing the basketball off of his head as he walks into the house.
   
   But as brutish as Ben's father is, his mother in contrast is filled with Southern charm and grace, and loves her children unconditionally. There is a wonderful scene that I had forgotten about, in which the family is walking to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The mother is suddenly so overcome with joy that she begins to dance on the way, a gentle, graceful waltz, thrilling the children with her loveliness. Even old Bull expresses a growl of appreciation.
   
   The novel is loaded with scenes like this, both big and small. All of the characters are sharply defined and painfully human. And as with Conroy's other novels, there is a strong sense of the South, with its swamps and its backwoods, slow-paced charm. Conroy is also a very witty fellow, particularly the dialogue between his characters which is always hilariously dead-pan.
   
   However, by the end you realize that he's tried just a little bit too hard. The novel encompasses a little less than a year in Ben's life, yet his friend's date is victimized by a brutal rapist, another friend is murdered, he is threatened by a deputy sheriff, and finally he must come to terms with the death of a significant character. It is a bit much.
   
   But don't be dissuaded. It's nevertheless a fine novel, filled with wit, wisdom and painful honestly. As are all of his first four novels--The Water is Wide, this one, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides--which are each and every one a terrific read.

No comments about The Prince of Tides.

5 comments about Beach Music (BDD Audio).

1. Beach Music is another beautifully written book by Pat Conroy! He's an amazing author. I look forward to reading every other book he has written.



2. I enjoyed this book, but why did Conroy rename Beaufort SC and call it Waterfort? Is he ashamed of his hometown? Or is he afraid of a lawsuit? The story line tries to justify terrorism in the name of "social justice." I suspect Conroy is a left-leaning liberal. Dispite all this, I still enjoyed the book because it catches the feel of the Low Country area of SC. After living here for 10 years, I now understand what Low Country means: low elevations (of course), low expectations, low income, low standards, low test scores, and low intelligence.



3. Too bad Amazon didn't put any quality control into the Kindle version of this magnificent book. I struggled on every page, with spelling, incorrect punctuation, and wrong words. Took a lot of the joy out of reading the book. This is not my first Kindle book, but by far the most disappointing. Come on, Amazon, you can do better than this!



4. Pat Conroy paints vivid pictures of Italy and the South in Beach Music. The story captures the sometime difficult relationships within families, especially eccentric Southern ones, and with your native land. Spanning many years, this novel touches on the Holocaust and resistance to Vietnam as it weaves a complicated story leading to modern day. It's the perfect read and shouldn't be missed!
   
   If you're from the South, the stories about the main character's mother and brother will have you in stitches!



5. I've just discovered Pat Conroy. Where has he been all my life? He writes books that you can't put down, yet you don't want them to end. I've started a libray of Mr. Conroy's books, I just wish there were more.