I can’t imagine too many writers who could get away with publishing a book like Pat Conroy’s My Reading Life. Maybe Stephen King could. Basically, My Reading Life is a memoir of the books and bookstores and people who were part of Conroy’s writing life. Many books influenced Conroy in the writing of his novels like Prince of Tides and Beach Music. Conroy extols the greatness of Leo Tolstoy to such an extent you’ll want to drop everything and read Anna Karenina or War and Peace again. The same thing happens in the chapter on Thomas Wolfe. Conroy praises the influence James Dickey’s prose and poetry had on his style. He relates fun stories about the worst librarian in the world (she doesn’t want to lend her books out). Personal, painful, episodes wrap themselves around Conroy’s books. I found this memoir very moving. GRADE: A
I’ll definitely be reading this one.
Another to add to that list: Larry McMurtry, who has written three of these “memoirs” so far – BOOKS: A MEMOIR, LITERARY LIFE: A SECOND MEMOIR and HOLLYWOOD: A THIRD MEMOIR.
They are a little thin, perhaps, and more than a little arbitrary in how different episodes are apportioned into the three books, but there are things of interest in each of them. Perhaps the first is the most interesting.
I’ve read these, too, Jeff. BOOKS: A MEMOIR is the best of the bunch.
Oh, this looks like a good one. I love this sort of book.
You’ll love MY READING LIFE, Patti. Conroy had a difficult life. Books (and friends) kept him from committing suicide.
I guess I’ve always considered Conroy to be a “writing for the bestseller market” writer, a sort of male Danielle Steele. Wrong?
Pat Conroy is a serious writer, Rick. Male Danielle Steele he is NOT. And, Conroy is a passionate reader. You would enjoy MY READING LIFE.
I enjoy Pat Conroy interviews but I find his books unreadable.
That being said, I’m always interested in the background stories of writing and – yes – purchasing books. I’ll have to give it a try.
I’ve only read Pat Conroy’s memoir (and this book), but none of his fiction, Beth. His life is depressing and I fear his novels will be, too.
Well, THE PRINCE OF TIDES – despite some depressing storylines – is far from depressing. I’d recommend it to you and Beth, George. But then, I like those kinds of episodic books. THE WATER IS WIDE (about his teaching experiences) is certainly not depressing. And THE GREAT SANTINI is worth trying too.
Beth, he is the farthest thing from Danielle Steel. He can write!
I liked THE WATER IS WIDE, Jeff. And I’ve heard good things about BEACH MUSIC (which I have a copy of somewhere). I might give that a try.
I liked Santini and The Water is Wide especially. Lately, not so much.
You’re right about THE WATER IS WIDE, Patti. I liked the movie version of THE GREAT SANTINI.
The movie was great. Duvall really made you hate him! The father character is also in PRINCE OF TIDES (though probably under a different name).
Conroy’s father shows up MY READING LIFE, too, Jeff. Not a happy moment.
I just finished reading it and wish I hadn’t wasted my time. I never want to read another word about his father aka The Great Santini and the terrible childhood Pat had. I did enjoy reading Santini when it came out and also managed to make my way through Beach Music. The Prince of Tides no and I gave up after a few pages with his basketball memoir, My Losing Season, and his latest novel, South of Broad. He’s off my reading list for good. I’ve read the first two McMurty memoirs and was disappointed. He just seemed to put together a bunch of random thoughts. Hollywood is waiting at the library for me to pick up. I was a big fan of McMurty’s early books, but seemed to lose intrest when he moved into westerns. A first edition of The Last Picture Show is one of the treasures in my collection.
Pat Conroy seems to appeal more to female readers, Kent. Conroy’s stormy relationship with his father seems to be a feature of all of his books. That would get old after a while.
I’ve started reading Hollywood and in it McMurtry mentions people speaking and spelling his surname without the second “r.” My reaction was that people should be more careful. Now I see that I did it twice in my earlier message and I certainly know better. So far it’s not much different than his earlier memoirs – just a series of observations. He didn’t like The Last Picture Show as a novel, but seems to like the movie.
McMurtry became much more cranky after his heart-attack, Kent.