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tksignups's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexism
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
tcrivera12's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Sexual violence
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
brokensporty's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This is Conroy at his best, but this book is not for the faint of heart or easily offended. It has some very powerful scenes (child abuse, rape, sodomy, murder, racism and integration of schools, mental illness, etc) that need to be taken in context.
The blatant racism is included because it was a part of the time period the Wingo kids grew up in. Tom's early wanting to just ignore it and go along with his peers is exactly how things go down every day. That's what teenagers do. They try to fit in. Savannah is also representative of some teens. She stands up for what she knows is right no matter the consequences.
The graphic portrayal of the rape ties in to the coping mechanisms of different people. While I believe that Savannah's mental illness is hereditary, I also believe the events in her early life led directly to her dissociation and suicide attempts. Tom's way of dealing with being forcibly sodomized is far different from his sister's.
This is a beautifully written Southern story about family connections, abuse, mental illness, the power of the past, the power of forgiveness, and moving on. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to read Conroy.
The blatant racism is included because it was a part of the time period the Wingo kids grew up in. Tom's early wanting to just ignore it and go along with his peers is exactly how things go down every day. That's what teenagers do. They try to fit in. Savannah is also representative of some teens. She stands up for what she knows is right no matter the consequences.
The graphic portrayal of the rape ties in to the coping mechanisms of different people. While I believe that Savannah's mental illness is hereditary, I also believe the events in her early life led directly to her dissociation and suicide attempts. Tom's way of dealing with being forcibly sodomized is far different from his sister's.
This is a beautifully written Southern story about family connections, abuse, mental illness, the power of the past, the power of forgiveness, and moving on. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to read Conroy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Self harm, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Racism, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Toxic relationship
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
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
misskeesa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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