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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
The prologue was lovely, but the dialogue is so badly written I do not want to stick around for 500 more pages to find out if the book is good or not. Sorry Conroy.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this after watching the movie, and I'll never forget the part of the book - and movie - which is etched in my memory, and surprisingly it is not the rape scene - that part I've tried very hard to completely forget .... it is the scene where Tom Wingo confesses the rape scene during his therapy session to Susan Lowenstein. It was the most dramatic scene, the build-up, the anticipation and the confession.
Pat Contry is a brilliant writer and connects right to the heart of his readers. I need to read more books by him. This story was incredibly sad and painful and yet there is no way I could have put it down. It may be worth a re-read someday.
Pat Contry is a brilliant writer and connects right to the heart of his readers. I need to read more books by him. This story was incredibly sad and painful and yet there is no way I could have put it down. It may be worth a re-read someday.
Five Stars you say? Yes. Unequivocally yes. Ask me if this was five stars when i was 20 years old working at Barnes & Noble stocking shelves, I would have told you, "nah, who would read that?" Crazy how 20 years can change your perception and appreciation.
First, I read this because of Scott's buddy read on TikTok and I couldn't be more happy that I did. I was completely caught of guard by this beautiful novel and although it has weakness it swings hard where it matters most and that is in grit and grain. This opus will forever ring in my head and Tom Wingo will be a character that lives with me in perpetuity.
There is so much to love here if you are a fan of familial drama. I would say fans of John Irving's works would devour this but even those that enjoyed a Little Life would see so many similarities here. The heartache, triumph and longing represented by Hanya could not have taken place without writers such as Conroy paving the way three decades prior.
What is it about? Love, despair, heartache, depression, coping, family and so much more. We follow Tom and his siblings through reconciliation of their torid past. There are loveable and hateable characters here that can both make you laugh and cry at the same time. I would say there is one arch in the book that is absolutely not for the faint of heart and I was truly baffled. Please note, this requires thick skin and is loaded with triggers, which honestly I was not at all expecting.
Overall, this story was beautiful and dynamic. It left me almost 700 pages later wanting more and I can't remember the last time I felt that way after closing a book. I look forward to reading more by Conroy in the future and let this be a testament to never judging a book by it's cover (The Mariner Classic edition of this book is gorgeous but to get my drift take a look at the Beach Music cover and you will probably agree)!
First, I read this because of Scott's buddy read on TikTok and I couldn't be more happy that I did. I was completely caught of guard by this beautiful novel and although it has weakness it swings hard where it matters most and that is in grit and grain. This opus will forever ring in my head and Tom Wingo will be a character that lives with me in perpetuity.
There is so much to love here if you are a fan of familial drama. I would say fans of John Irving's works would devour this but even those that enjoyed a Little Life would see so many similarities here. The heartache, triumph and longing represented by Hanya could not have taken place without writers such as Conroy paving the way three decades prior.
What is it about? Love, despair, heartache, depression, coping, family and so much more. We follow Tom and his siblings through reconciliation of their torid past. There are loveable and hateable characters here that can both make you laugh and cry at the same time. I would say there is one arch in the book that is absolutely not for the faint of heart and I was truly baffled. Please note, this requires thick skin and is loaded with triggers, which honestly I was not at all expecting.
Overall, this story was beautiful and dynamic. It left me almost 700 pages later wanting more and I can't remember the last time I felt that way after closing a book. I look forward to reading more by Conroy in the future and let this be a testament to never judging a book by it's cover (The Mariner Classic edition of this book is gorgeous but to get my drift take a look at the Beach Music cover and you will probably agree)!
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are some great lines. The narrator is very charismatic. Can definitely make you ugly cry. But it's just too dark for me. There are some slurs in the beginning, then I got a little bored during the story about the war and their father, then we got a description of physical abuse, then there were the spiders and I was out. But it started off really well and the writing style is very good. I just don't think this specific story is what I wanna experience right now because of the violence.