Books

I just finished reading Pat Conroy’s new book South of Broad and would whole recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed his earlier work. In many aspects you would already know the characters since in many ways the narrator of the story is similar to those in The Prince of Tides or Beach Music. In other words a fast approaching middle age man from a dysfunctional family with some mental issues.

Now I won’t claim to be able to fully identify on any of the points fully with those characters but I think I can in some ways see what makes them tick. Plus the other thing that draws me in is just how much you can see Conroy’s love of South Carolina and in particular the low country. In so many ways the stories become love letters to the land and the water.

Now I’ve always, except of for the 4 years of being in the army, lived in the Philadelphia area and I like it. But I don’t know if I have that kind of love for it and could ever express such a level of passion. I wonder what that really would feel like and if it makes living every day there different or better.

The other thing that made me think of the this love of place and the written expression of it was hearing that Robert Parker passed away. He was an author who if you aren’t familiar with his work is most famous for the Spenser series of novels. Those became a tv series in the late 80’s though good never came close to catching the true spirit of the character in the books.

Those books should a true love of Boston and really gave a feel for the city as more than just some stuffy historical city. In fact one of the first times Cindi and I went to Boston together I made her go with me to the bar at the Ritz Hotel over looking the Public Garden since it was described so warmly in several of the books. Yes, I can be a bit of a geek like that, still a nice place with a view for a drink.

Well my mind is starting to shut down and I’m not sure how to express what I want so I’ll just ended this here. Have a great day and make someone smile.