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stephenmatlock's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes I think Pat Conroy writes the same book over and over, but it's because he continues to develop characters that seem so heartbreakingly real. You want to get into the stories so you can warn the characters and cry "Stop!"
bananaesq18's review against another edition
1.0
This book is a train wreck. How much over-the-top silliness can one cram into a single book? Maybe that's why it had to be so absurdly long. Also, as the granddaughter of actual Holocaust survivors, I can't help but be totally irritated by this Southern American Christian man's Lifetime movie appropriated version of my family's reality. I did my best to give him the benefit of the doubt but this was ridiculous.
sabsisco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.5
evaribaker's review against another edition
3.0
This book had some beautifully written passages, but it felt like 2-3 separate books smushed into one. With so many plot lines it felt scattered and jumpy and there were narrative gaps and inconsistencies.
pavymd's review against another edition
4.25
Beautiful. I am 29, I am sure I will appreciate this book in a different light as well later in life.
coffee_cake's review against another edition
Yeah, I just don't know when I'll be in a place to read about all this family conflict.
michaelpdonley's review against another edition
5.0
The subject matter is wide: dysfunctional families, the Holocaust, love of food, being an American in Rome, suicide, Vietnam, politics, film-making, the ocean. Scenes that range from very funny, to nostalgic, to horrifying, all told with such a masterful grasp of language and the complexity of human nature.
dina9195's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism