Gone With the Wind Fans discussion
GWTW--Novel
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Pat Conroy and GWTW
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Thanks for posting! I can't wait to read this book. Wish he'd write another fictional novel soon.
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Oh! I just looked at the book today and saw that it's really just recycled essays! The chapter about GWTW is actually the introduction he wrote previously. And he has a chapter from his cookbook in there, too. I have no idea if the other chapters have been published before, but I felt very let down when I realized this. I still love Pat, but geez.
Lara wrote: "Miranda wrote: "Thanks for posting! I can't wait to read this book. Wish he'd write another fictional novel soon."Oh! I just looked at the book today and saw that it's really just recycled essays..."
My husband actually brought this book to me on Sunday morning. I haven't started it yet, but probably will in a day or two. I wish now that he had listened when I told him that I would get this one from the library.
Here is the Facebook review I wrote of My Reading Life:Reading a Pat Conroy book is like taking a crash course in abnormal pyscholoogy and all the unpleasant components the subject emcompasses - including damaging relationships, child abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, rape, suicide and much more. Strangely enough, I have in the past year become captivated by his stories because he injects just enough raw humanity to pronounce the surreal beauty of his lunacy. His novels are all semi-autobiographical, and his new non-fiction volume titled My Reading Life is a tribute to the literary works and experiences that shaped him as a writer.
Though Conroy discusses several of his favorite books and authors in My Reading Life, he dedicates a whole chapter to the ultimate Southern narrative, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind. The Gone With The Wind segment is actually an introduction he had written for a recent edition of the venerable old novel, in which he explains that his longsuffering Southern belle mother identified with the tenaciously beautiful Scarlett O'Hara in an attempt to cope with her tumultuous marriage to an abusive Marine fighter pilot.
In high school, Conroy immersed himself in the works of Thomas Wolfe and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. I am not familiar with these authors, but Conroy's enthusiasm for their books makes me want to attempt to read them in the future. He also includes many humorous anecdotes of personal encounters with several tempermental contemporary writers.
There are several chapters about people Conroy has met thorughout his life who encouraged his love of books, including his high school English teacher and mentor Gene Norris, a sharp-tongued bookstore owner, a harsh book sales representative and a prudish librarian. My favorite of these chapters chronicles the months that Conroy lived in Paris, where he met a very colorful pathological liar and survived two terrorist bombings.
My Reading Life is a compilation of previously published essays and magazine articles, but it was a delightful read. With his self-depracating humor and unabashed passion for language, Conroy once again made me laugh out loud even as he brought tears to my eyes. I have not written any timeless novels, but as a newspaperwoman I can certainly relate to his reverence for the writing craft. I came away from this book feeling like I just wrapped up a very satisfying coversation with a trusted old friend.
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http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/25/boo...
I knew Pat was originally going to write the GWTW sequel from Rhett's perspective, but I did not know about all of these financial issues.
Lara wrote: "Thanks for the review, Miranda! You've restored my love for Conroy. (I was pretty annoyed when I realized this book was previously published material.) I'll have to go buy this one myself now."I think you will like it, Lara. The only thing in it that I had previously read was the GWTW intro... There are many stories that will make you laugh out loud. It's kind of like when I read The Water Is Wide, I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. That's kind of the way I feel about this one, too. I once again came away with the impression that Pat is a really down to earth guy with a great sense of humor, and it made me want to meet him that much more.
Thanks for posting that article about the GWTW sequel. I didn't know that Pat was ever in the running for that. I'm sure he would have done a wonderful job, probably better than the guy who actually ended up writing. I thought Rhett Butler's People was a pretty decent book though, as far as sequels go. I liked it much better than Scarlett. I tried to read Scarlett three times and only made it about halfway through each time. I finally just looked the book up on Wikipedia to see how it ended. Which sequel do you prefer, Scarlett or Rhett Butler's People?
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I have tried to read Scarlett twice but always quit after about 80 pages. I'm determined to read it cover to cover, mostly because I'm very curious about the ending (albeit from another author's perspective). I haven't read Rhett Butler's People yet, but plan to after I finish GWTW for the third time. :)
Lara wrote: "Which sequel do you prefer, Scarlett or Rhett Butler's People?I have tried to read Scarlett twice but always quit after about 80 pages. I'm determined to read it cover to cover, mostly because I'..."
I liked McCaig's writing better than Ripley's, but I can't say I really "liked" either book. That being the case, Pat Conroy would have written a much better book from Rhett's perspective. He really appreciates GWTW and understands the characters; McCaig did not. His wife wrote out plot summaries on index cards for him, and it shows in the ways he departs from canon.
http://patconroy.com/media.php
Pat has written much about the importance of GWTW in his career, and I particularly love is his introduction in the latest paperback version of the novel. I'm a bit of a Conroy junkie, so this is a treat to me.