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fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My only disgruntle is the format. I generally dislike stories that go back and forth on a timeline, but I really dislike inserting a story inside another where it’s mostly a plot device to tell the story. If one is to be folded into another, I prefer it to be better integrated and for each layer to be strong egg to stand alone not also tightly knit in each other. Because of the way it was written here, there were numerous stands that could tell a story on their own, but they really weren’t knit together enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Domestic abuse, Racism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, War, Confinement, and Violence
shannonm306's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
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
4.5
After reading Prince of Tides I can’t wait to watch the movie. This was a beautiful sad story. Conroy wrote a realistic description of mental health and how trauma manifests in different people. Tom is an adoring brother who loves his sister very much and there’s evidence throughout the story that all he wants to do his help her, but isn’t sure how. The ending was unexpected, but still very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, and Animal death
wbein's review
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
3.5
I decided to read the Prince of Tides after seeing it recommended in a comment on a BeReal a friend of mine posted at a Noah Kahan concert. She recommended it in response to the caption, which was a Noah Kahan lyric about inherited trauma (and god I wish I could remember which lyric it was!), and being psychodynamically oriented, my interest was piqued. I started reading the Google sample of The Prince of Tides during the car ride home. The writing was immediately captivating; I loved Conroy’s descriptions of the South Carolina lowlands, of the swamps, of the way childhood shines with fantasy and wonder, with possibility. I was in the middle of reading something else so I put it down for the time being, but I kept a tab open on Google for months, always with the intention of returning to it eventually. I have now done so, and I am very glad that I did.
This is not a perfect book, and in fact, there are a lot of things about it that I found irritating. I did not always have a great deal of interest in hearing about Tom's New York revival, nor did I give a single shit about the ridiculous romance with his sister's therapist; definitely could have done without that. Two key aspects of the book, present throughout, kept me coming back until I finished it: my curiosity about the full events faced by the Wingo family (not to mention the powerful bond between them) and, most critically, Conroy's prose when describing the American South.
About halfway through the book, I found myself very frustrated with the events of the story. I felt like things were getting altogether too ridiculous, between the tiger and Luke's heroics. It was during a hike in the Wissahickon that it occurred to me that I was looking at this story wrong: this is a book that borders upon the realm of magical realism. Melrose Island is a place unlike the rest of the world, and the family that resides their is similarly unique. Savannah is a tortured genius; Luke is a demigod hero; Lila is a demented angel. Henry Wingo is a monster, until his children grow up and realize that he is a sad, pathetic man. And Tom, the person recounting all of this, sees himself as being just as pathetic as his father. We do not hear objective accounts of what happened to the Wingo family; we hear accounts as they are understood by Tom. Adjusting my understanding to match suddenly changed the way I saw the story, and made the plot far more interesting to me. Although Tom constantly decenters himself from the telling of this story, making it all about his sister, or his brother, or his mother, it is ultimately the story that has produced this broken man who has allowed his marriage to lapse. I became powerfully curious to see where it would go, and that curiosity did not fade until the end (though I admit that I was less invested in the outcomes of the "present," and far more interested in learning about Luke's conclusions).
The other thing, and honestly, the thing that most makes this book worth reading, is the way Conroy describes the world and the events of Tom's life. The South shines in The Prince of Tides; he communicates a deep-seated appreciation for the physical land, but also for the way of life, for the community that forms in this town. The language is incredibly evocative, bringing to life this small, humble town and the many lives led by people who call it home. I feel like my description here did not do it justice: the sample on Google really does a much better job showing the best this book has to offer.
There were things I did not love in this book. It did not captivate me end to end; it took me goddamn forever to read because frankly, at some points it was fairly boring and I was mostly interested in getting through it for the sake of having read it. However, by the end, I WAS very glad to have read it. It tells the story, warts and all, of a damaged, complex family, with wounds that will never close but who find the strength to put the pieces of their lives back together and to go on living. It takes a brutal look at intergenerational trauma, at the irreparable harm that a cruelly unhappy father and a narcissistic mother can impart, even when both parents set out with the best intentions they are capable of. It weaves a story of incredible love, of the powerful bond that can exist between siblings, especially those who have survived a home like the one I just described; it looks bluntly in the face of how difficult it is to go on when someone to whom you are bonded so closely is ripped away from you. It felt, by the end, intensely human, even while being couched in a story that frequently departed from reality. I am glad to be done with it, but I am also very glad that I read it.
This is not a perfect book, and in fact, there are a lot of things about it that I found irritating. I did not always have a great deal of interest in hearing about Tom's New York revival, nor did I give a single shit about the ridiculous romance with his sister's therapist; definitely could have done without that. Two key aspects of the book, present throughout, kept me coming back until I finished it: my curiosity about the full events faced by the Wingo family (not to mention the powerful bond between them) and, most critically, Conroy's prose when describing the American South.
About halfway through the book, I found myself very frustrated with the events of the story. I felt like things were getting altogether too ridiculous, between the tiger and Luke's heroics. It was during a hike in the Wissahickon that it occurred to me that I was looking at this story wrong: this is a book that borders upon the realm of magical realism. Melrose Island is a place unlike the rest of the world, and the family that resides their is similarly unique. Savannah is a tortured genius; Luke is a demigod hero; Lila is a demented angel. Henry Wingo is a monster, until his children grow up and realize that he is a sad, pathetic man. And Tom, the person recounting all of this, sees himself as being just as pathetic as his father. We do not hear objective accounts of what happened to the Wingo family; we hear accounts as they are understood by Tom. Adjusting my understanding to match suddenly changed the way I saw the story, and made the plot far more interesting to me. Although Tom constantly decenters himself from the telling of this story, making it all about his sister, or his brother, or his mother, it is ultimately the story that has produced this broken man who has allowed his marriage to lapse. I became powerfully curious to see where it would go, and that curiosity did not fade until the end (though I admit that I was less invested in the outcomes of the "present," and far more interested in learning about Luke's conclusions).
The other thing, and honestly, the thing that most makes this book worth reading, is the way Conroy describes the world and the events of Tom's life. The South shines in The Prince of Tides; he communicates a deep-seated appreciation for the physical land, but also for the way of life, for the community that forms in this town. The language is incredibly evocative, bringing to life this small, humble town and the many lives led by people who call it home. I feel like my description here did not do it justice: the sample on Google really does a much better job showing the best this book has to offer.
There were things I did not love in this book. It did not captivate me end to end; it took me goddamn forever to read because frankly, at some points it was fairly boring and I was mostly interested in getting through it for the sake of having read it. However, by the end, I WAS very glad to have read it. It tells the story, warts and all, of a damaged, complex family, with wounds that will never close but who find the strength to put the pieces of their lives back together and to go on living. It takes a brutal look at intergenerational trauma, at the irreparable harm that a cruelly unhappy father and a narcissistic mother can impart, even when both parents set out with the best intentions they are capable of. It weaves a story of incredible love, of the powerful bond that can exist between siblings, especially those who have survived a home like the one I just described; it looks bluntly in the face of how difficult it is to go on when someone to whom you are bonded so closely is ripped away from you. It felt, by the end, intensely human, even while being couched in a story that frequently departed from reality. I am glad to be done with it, but I am also very glad that I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
kpitsker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Self harm, Child abuse, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Mental illness, and Racism
cschatz2017's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Dragged slightly in the middle but overall an incredible read !!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Rape
drbex's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It did eventually start to grow on me, but there was too many instances of the n word for a book written in the 80s (even if the story began in the 1940s) and that really almost had me putting the whole thing down. It was also unnecessarily long. I'm all for added exposition, but I think the story could have been told fully in about 400 pages instead of almost 700.
I read this for Coach Beard's Book Club (a Ted Lasso book podcast) otherwise I probably wouldn't have finished it. I don't get why it's Dr. Sharon's favorite book unless her claim that this was her favorite was tongue in cheek because Ted said his favorite was Fountain Head. Or maybe she considered it a collection of infinite case studies for therapists!
I read this for Coach Beard's Book Club (a Ted Lasso book podcast) otherwise I probably wouldn't have finished it. I don't get why it's Dr. Sharon's favorite book unless her claim that this was her favorite was tongue in cheek because Ted said his favorite was Fountain Head. Or maybe she considered it a collection of infinite case studies for therapists!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Self harm, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
martinelecorff's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
although some of the themes did not age well, this book is magnificent. i will carry its story and characters with me for a long long time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Racism, Child abuse, Death, and Murder
jessie_roz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: War
writingcaia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story, the writing, the setting, the characters… I’m awed and in love.
“My wound is geography. It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
Thus starts this tale.
A story of a man who wants to save his thrice suicide attempting twin sister and in doing so with the help of her therapist, and in the midst of a quasi-divorce, ends up saving himself by recounting the amazing and terrible upbringing in an idillic island on the marshes of Colleton South Carolina, of his incredible and brutal family, the raging abusive veteran father, the deceitful cunning mother, the pious good hearted grandfather, the adventurer passionate grandmother, his strong and beautiful older brother - the prince of tides, his twin the artist, the genius, the mad, and of himself and his terrible fault of trying to be conforming and sane amidst insanity.
The words are poetry and they take you down the path of Tom Wingo and his love for the south and his family, even when there’re as many reasons to love and to hate it.
The racist south, that is also so homecoming, the beautiful marshes, the oysters and shrimp always on the table, the otters and dolphins, the sunsets, the salty and tanned skin, the brine and mud, the wonderful nature, and the isolation that can be peaceful and treacherous.
One of my favourite things is the desperate honest need Tom has to be helped, and how finally he gets the will to procure it and be better, and fix himself as best he can.
A road to beauty, joy, hate, love, brutality, violence, love, madness and fantasy. It was a joy and wonder to follow this road through the author’s words, and I can’t wait to read more from him.
P. S.: some may say it has a lot of purple prose but for me it is just poetic and wonderful, able to conjure all the feelings.
“My wound is geography. It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
Thus starts this tale.
A story of a man who wants to save his thrice suicide attempting twin sister and in doing so with the help of her therapist, and in the midst of a quasi-divorce, ends up saving himself by recounting the amazing and terrible upbringing in an idillic island on the marshes of Colleton South Carolina, of his incredible and brutal family, the raging abusive veteran father, the deceitful cunning mother, the pious good hearted grandfather, the adventurer passionate grandmother, his strong and beautiful older brother - the prince of tides, his twin the artist, the genius, the mad, and of himself and his terrible fault of trying to be conforming and sane amidst insanity.
The words are poetry and they take you down the path of Tom Wingo and his love for the south and his family, even when there’re as many reasons to love and to hate it.
The racist south, that is also so homecoming, the beautiful marshes, the oysters and shrimp always on the table, the otters and dolphins, the sunsets, the salty and tanned skin, the brine and mud, the wonderful nature, and the isolation that can be peaceful and treacherous.
One of my favourite things is the desperate honest need Tom has to be helped, and how finally he gets the will to procure it and be better, and fix himself as best he can.
A road to beauty, joy, hate, love, brutality, violence, love, madness and fantasy. It was a joy and wonder to follow this road through the author’s words, and I can’t wait to read more from him.
P. S.: some may say it has a lot of purple prose but for me it is just poetic and wonderful, able to conjure all the feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Child abuse, Animal death, Racism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: War and Antisemitism
easpenceva's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
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