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South of Broad

Pat Conroy

Discussion: November/December 2009

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November/December 2009

South of Broad by Pat Conroy
By LynnB · 2 posts · 18 views

last updated Jun 10, 2013 05:09PM

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - by Kristof and WuDunn
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What Members Thought

Oct 02, 2009 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: _own-home-library, fiction, all-time-favorite, _own-ebook

I should start by saying that Pat Conroy is one of my all time favorite writers. And his previous novel, Beach Music, is one of my all time favorite books. Hands down, Pat Conroy's prose speaks to me. I feel it physically and emotionally. And, I think he's one of the most amazing Southern writers ever born.

And onto South of Broad ... I really tried to not compare this novel to Beach Music because I was concerned that it could never live up to my feeling for that book. And, ultimately, it did no I should start by saying that Pat Conroy is one of my all time favorite writers. And his previous novel, Beach Music, is one of my all time favorite books. Hands down, Pat Conroy's prose speaks to me. I feel it physically and emotionally. And, I think he's one of the most amazing Southern writers ever born.

And onto South of Broad ... I really tried to not compare this novel to Beach Music because I was concerned that it could never live up to my feeling for that book. And, ultimately, it did not. However, it came fairly close which I was a bit surprised at, to be honest. The first few chapters were not as tight as they could have been which made me feel initially that the book certainly couldn't live up to Beach Music. So, if you are reading it and not sure about the first section, please keep going. It's worth it. I promise. It smooths itself out in time.

Conroy's Charleston, SC just jumped off the page ... I have never been to Charleston but I now feel like I have. His descriptions were so fantastic, so amazing that I felt like I was there ... experiencing it all. Again, this is tied to Conroy's ability to truly paint a picture with this words. Amazing. That's all I can say ...

The unfolding of the plot and the characters in this novel is breathtaking. The layering of the experiences within the prose is difficult to explain but pure heaven while reading it.

The characters are what I cannot stop thinking about ... I felt connected to each and every one of them. As if I were a member of their group of friends. I love that Pat Conroy's men and women are always real - good, bad and the ugly - and true to life. They are not predictable, they shock you with the words they say, they make you cry at the things that they do. They are simply wonderful to read about.

In terms of dialogue, I've heard a lot of people criticize Pat Conroy (for this and other books) in terms of the way people in his novels talk to one another. There seems to be some who dislike the very cleverness that I adore. I love reading the dialogue among these characters ... the things that they say are yet another way that you come to love them all as if they are in your own life. For me, no one does this quite as well as Pat Conroy! And I revel in each and every word!

All in all, South of Broad gives the reader an impressive group of characters to learn about and come to care about. The numerous story lines come together in themes of prejudice, privilege, friendship and love. It moves from Charleston to San Francisco and makes you FEEL both places.

I truly believe that Conroy is a master of American fiction and this novel is yet another example of his impressive skill! I love his books and will be purchasing this one for my ongoing collection of Conroy novels that I love to return to over and over again! ...more

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Sep 11, 2010 Merry rated it liked it

The plot - two suicides, two pedophiles, a nun, a priest, AIDS, a hurricane and a psycho who is out to kill. The story takes place in Charleston, S.C. between 1969 and 1986. High school friends endure long friendships even though life takes them on a series of devastating disasters, which develop during difficult, disgusting, different scenarios dreamed up by this author. Yes, I purposely listed all those words that begin with d!

The author is not a happy person as he admits to being a little DO ...more

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Jul 25, 2009 Alison rated it really liked it

If you are a fan of Pat Conroy's books, then you will love South of Broad. It's a powerful novel -- I laughed, I cried, but ultimately, it broke my heart.

Anyone who knows me, knows how sensitive I am when it comes to reading about the abuse of children. It's the one subject I try my best to stay away from. Since I had not read any other reviews before picking up this book, I was not forewarned. Then again, I know Pat Conroy -- all of his characters are broken, troubled, and most have horrific ch ...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine rated it liked it

Shelves: nov-dec-2009

Pat Conroy's highly anticipated work earned a decidedly lackluster response from critics, who cited overblown prose, cardboard characters, and implausible plot twists among the novel's key sins. The Dallas Morning News quite candidly noted: "[H:]e goes on and on -- and on -- about the glories of Charleston, S.C., to the point that many readers will be tempted to hurl the book into the nearest vessel of water." But the news wasn't all bad. The Chicago Sun-Times hailed the novel as "a gripping sag ...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Suzanne Moore rated it liked it

Shelves: east-texas-library-friends, general-fiction, bwbc

Conroy includes characters from all walks of life in this novel .... orphans, star athletes, an aids-infected gay, oversexed goddesses of the screen, black cops, ex-nun, an abusive priest,etc... The story is told from the perspective of Leo (former nerd) gossip- writer. The amazing thing about these characters is the fact that most of them are lifelong friends. They all experience some sort of dysfunction and somehow, have a connection that keeps them united in spite of their differences. I don' ...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Handd51 rated it it was amazing

Definitely a page-tuner - and pretty dark, but I did love it as an extravagant foray into adult literature! Conroy truly knows his way around Charleston, a place I remember from childhood as just as sultry and lovley as he depicts.

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Oct 12, 2009 Laura rated it it was ok

Melodramatic, forced, and hokey. I read it through to the final page (512!) ONLY because it's the first month's selection for the new book group I joined last month. ...more

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