Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors. I regard some of his previous novels, in particular THE GREAT SANTINI and THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, as classics, easily among my all-time favorites. Unfortunately, his latest novel, BEACH MUSIC (Doubleday) is a disappointment. There are passages of great strength in this account of a bereaved Southern expatriate and his daughter as they come to terms with the death of a central figure in their lives. But there are not enough such passages, and there are far too many passages that read like the self-indulgent overtherapied maunderings of a 50something protagonist who is, oddly, quite a bit less interesting as a character than Conroy himself. The book feels as if Conroy couldn't find the right emotional distance--at times he's too close to his material, at times too far away. Let's hope he returns swiftly to form.
Editor's Recommendations, Summer 1996In this inaugural edition of IBIC's Featured Books, I'd like to draw your attention to several titles which have helped to shape my life and thinking.
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