just_jack 's review for:

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

4.5

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I think that the saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" applies to this book. The plot is a bit all over the place at times and it does feel like there is too much in there. The characters almost feel like caricatures of themselves at times (some of the dialogue was painful to read). The setting was so well fleshed out and this is one of those books that the location plays an active role in the story and really does feel like a character at times. The prose was gorgeous, albeit a but much at times. But everything comes together to create a truly marvelous reading experience. I totally get the criticisms that people have, but also I think that as a whole the book is a beautiful and potent look into the characters lives and it was a great reading experience.