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Beach Music: A Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 19,179 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Pat Conroy is without doubt America's favorite storyteller, a writer who portrays the anguished truth of the human heart and the painful secrets of families in richly lyrical prose and unforgettable narratives. Now, in Beach Music, he tells of the dark memories that haunt generations, in a story that spans South Carolina and Rome and reaches back into the unutterable terrors of the Holocaust. Beach Music is about Jack McCall, an American living in Rome with his young daughter, trying to find peace after the recent trauma of his wife's suicide. But his solitude is disturbed by the appearance of his sister-in-law, who begs him to return home, and of two school friends asking for his help in tracking down another classmate who went underground as a Vietnam protester and never resurfaced. These requests launch Jack on a journey that encompasses the past and the present in both Europe and the American South, and that leads him to shocking--and ultimately liberating--truths. Told with deep feeling and trademark Conroy humor, Beach Music is powerful and compulsively readable. It is another masterpiece in the legendary list of classics that his body of work has already become. PAT CONROY is the author of five previous books: The Boo, The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides, the last four of which were made into feature films.
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"I am giving this book a 4 star rating very hesitantly.....although I like Pat Conroy, I could not wait to finish this book....it started out great and the first three hundred pages I was totally engrossed, but then it started to drag on and on and it seemed to take forever....I found myself losing interest quickly..I finally finished it this morning and it had a good storyline but probably could have been told in a much shorter book....630 pages was just too much for me."
— Darlene (4 out of 5 stars)
Beach Music Listener Reviews
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" A little slow to start but got interesting. Lots of side and back stories which got to be a bit exhausting at times. Not sure I'm happy with the tidy ending. "
— Jennifer, 2/14/2014 -
" Probably my absolute favorite Conroy book. His writing is exquisite and lyrical. "
— Jan, 2/12/2014 -
" Reading this book turned out to be an ordeal. This was the most emotionally draining book that I have ever read. I actually lost sleep over it. There were so many layers in this book that it was challenging to find the main plot amongst the many sub-plots. I have read a lot of Holocaust fiction and Mr. Fox's experience was the most graphic experience I have ever read. Mr. Conroy is truly a master writer. "
— Beckie, 2/7/2014 -
" One of my top ever!! "
— Heidi, 2/6/2014 -
" Amazing book. This is one of the most beautiful writers around. "
— Annie, 1/16/2014 -
" Fantastic. Captures southern culture, spans generations through two wars, wonderful characters that come alive off of the page. It's a really beautiful story. "
— Samm, 1/8/2014 -
" This is Conroy's greatest book! I laughed, cried, stayed up late and could not put it down. It is a long read, though, almost like a related collection of stories in some parts but that hardly detracts from the power of the words. "
— Elaine, 12/31/2013 -
" One of my favorite books. It will stay with me forever! "
— Holly, 12/22/2013 -
" This is my favorite book of all time. "
— Sally, 12/20/2013 -
" I've read this one twice, mostly because I own it and it was convenient the second time around. The plot feels a little contrived at times and the dialogue can be over-the-top, but the interactions between the brothers crack me up. "
— Angie, 12/8/2013 -
" Get ready for 700 pages of anguish... hurts so good. "
— Sara, 12/6/2013 -
" Too many stories at work here; yet excellent writing. "
— Jenny, 10/8/2013 -
" I love the way he writes! "
— Lisa, 9/12/2013 -
" Connelly is a wonderful story teller. He is able to incorporate the dysfunction of humanity in a great plot; the pull, love and need of family and society. "
— Mary, 9/8/2013 -
" It took me forever to finish (loooooong!) but it was worth it! Great read. "
— Christa, 9/5/2013 -
" Got sidetracked with life and don't think I will pick it up again. "
— Karin, 7/6/2013 -
" Dark, but ultimately wondrous. One of my favorite books ever. "
— Raina, 6/7/2013 -
" To quote another reviewer, it is truly wonderful to read Pat Conroy. "
— Cheryl, 3/5/2012 -
" I liked this book, and love Pat Conroy, but there was one scene in this that made me actually almost throw up it was so graphic and horrible. "
— Katie, 10/30/2011 -
" Beautifully tragic or tragically beautiful... I can't decide... "
— Del, 10/22/2011 -
" This is one of my all-time favorite books! Pat Conroy just delights the senses with his ability to draw in the reader. Beauiful, beautiful language. "
— Candace, 9/27/2011 -
" Amazing. This book really moved me. I won't be loaning my copy. "
— Christy, 8/5/2011 -
" Couldn't put this one down - my first Conroy book, and I'm officially a fan. "
— Meghann, 6/4/2011 -
" This book made me laugh out loud and at times cry. It was awesome. A great telling of the complex ways in which families grow and relate to each other over the years. It will definitely touch you. "
— Pamela, 4/24/2011 -
" One of my favorites! I read this almost every summer - it's about that time again! "
— Yumababy8, 3/27/2011 -
" This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. "
— Emberly, 3/18/2011 -
" My favorite book. Sad when it is finished. "
— Teresa, 3/17/2011 -
" This is one of my all-time favorite books "
— Hoganm, 3/10/2011 -
" My all time favorite book. It's about my generation and I can relate to almost all of the adventures and trials of this group of friends! Loved it! "
— Leslie, 3/2/2011 -
" I really enjoyed 'Prince of Tides' in my 20's but found this overwrought. Way too many ' flowery' analogies. Maybe I'm just more cynical now :> "
— Carolyn, 10/17/2010 -
" This book is just plain silly. I really liked The Prince of Tides but I couldn't take the overly effusive writing in this one. "
— Val, 7/5/2008
About Pat Conroy
Donald Patrick “Pat” Conroy (1945–2016) was an American author of acclaimed novels and memoirs, two of which made it to #1 on New York Times bestsellers list: Beach Music and South of Broad. Four of his novels were made into major motion pictures: The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, Conrack, and The Lords of Discipline. The novel on which the movie Conrack was based, The Water Is Wide, won an NEA Human and Civil Rights Award and an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
About Jonathan Marosz
Jonathan Marosz has narrated dozens of audiobooks throughout his career, including numerous titles by bestselling authors David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, and Tony Hillerman. He is a veteran stage performer with regional and national stage credits ranging from works by Shakespeare to modern day.