april_golden's review against another edition
4.0
I have not seen the movie based on this book (although I've heard it's great), but it is now in my Netflix queue because I have to see how this book was adapted into a movie! So much crazy stuff happens that I cannot imagine how it is translated to film.
I really enjoyed this book. I will admit, there were times I could have used less descriptive prose about the marshland of South Carolina, the animals found there, and the colors of the sky, but the few moments were I got bogged down in the writing for a few pages did not diminish what was overall a very enjoyable read.
This is the story of a lowcountry family, the Wingos, told through Tom Wingo's memories. Tom is frank and witty, but he is also lonely and pathetic. He is transplanted from the South to NYC for a summer to assist his sister's pyschiatrist after his sister attempts suicide. Although he starts his journey hoping to help his sister mend, he ends up helping himself. The story is heart-wrenching at times, hilarious at others, but always fascinating. I think Tom's grandmother Tolitha and brother Luke were my favorite characters. Oh, and Caesar the Bengal Tiger. So much goodness!!! My least favorite characters were Tom's father and mother....I had a high distaste for them both, although mostly his mother. Every time she entered the scene, I wanted to strangle her. Tom's father was an abusive loser, but his mother was a conniving, conceited wench. I love it when characters in a novel draw actual ire out of me.
I really enjoyed this book. I will admit, there were times I could have used less descriptive prose about the marshland of South Carolina, the animals found there, and the colors of the sky, but the few moments were I got bogged down in the writing for a few pages did not diminish what was overall a very enjoyable read.
This is the story of a lowcountry family, the Wingos, told through Tom Wingo's memories. Tom is frank and witty, but he is also lonely and pathetic. He is transplanted from the South to NYC for a summer to assist his sister's pyschiatrist after his sister attempts suicide. Although he starts his journey hoping to help his sister mend, he ends up helping himself. The story is heart-wrenching at times, hilarious at others, but always fascinating. I think Tom's grandmother Tolitha and brother Luke were my favorite characters. Oh, and Caesar the Bengal Tiger. So much goodness!!! My least favorite characters were Tom's father and mother....I had a high distaste for them both, although mostly his mother. Every time she entered the scene, I wanted to strangle her. Tom's father was an abusive loser, but his mother was a conniving, conceited wench. I love it when characters in a novel draw actual ire out of me.
cathyleigh1's review against another edition
5.0
Some of the best writing I've ever encountered. Conroy's prose reads like fiction. I remember when I read this, sometimes I'd get so caught up in the beauty of the words I'd have to go back and re-read sentences, paragraphs or whole pages. Wonderful.
knitwgrace's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. The book and plot were incredible but the writing was even better. Blown away.
mito9's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wbein's review against another edition
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
gailcarroll's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ur_best_dream_girl's review against another edition
5.0
New favorite. I haven’t had a book make me feel the way this one did since my first read of TKAM.
lazide's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mwbuntin's review against another edition
5.0
So much better than the movie. Don't see the movie! Best book in the world. I was doubtful about reading it but my AP English teacher said it was her favorite book so I gave in and now it is my favorite!
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully, lyrically written. Really a nice book. I had kind of the same choice as the protagonist in the end. I chose passion. I can't tell you what the protagonist chose.