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Description
Beach MusicAn American expatriate in Rome unearths his family legacy in this sweeping novel by the acclaimed author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini A Southerner living abroad, Jack McCall is scarred by tragedy and betrayal. His desperate desire to find peace after his wife's suicide draws him into a painful, intimate search for the one haunting secret in his family's past that can heal his anguished heart. Spanning three generations and two
An American expatriate in Rome unearths his family legacy in this sweeping novel by the acclaimed author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini A Southerner living abroad, Jack McCall is scarred by tragedy and betrayal. His desperate desire to find peace after his wife's suicide draws him into a painful, intimate search for the one haunting secret in his family's past that can heal his anguished heart. Spanning three generations and two continents, from the contemporary ruins of the American South to the ancient ruins of Rome, from the unutterable horrors of the Holocaust to the lingering trauma of Vietnam, Beach Music sings with life's pain and glory. It is a novel of lyric intensity and searing truth, another masterpiece among Pat Conroy's legendary and beloved novels. Praise for Beach Music"Astonishing . . . stunning . . . The range of passions and subjects that bring life to every page is almost endless."--The Washington Post Book World
"Magnificent . . . clearly Conroy's best."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Blockbuster writing at its best."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Pat Conroy's writing contains a virtue now rare in most contemporary fiction: passion."--The Denver Post
"A powerful, heartfelt tale."--Houston Chronicle
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Dial Press
Published: 03/26/2002
ISBN: 9780553381535
Pages: 800
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.20w x 1.80d
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 60034 / Beach Music
Reading Level: 6.4 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 45
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4.8 ★★★★★
Based on 2035 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
Make Sure You Read the Vintage Edition with the Afterword
I initially purchased this book to read for two reasons: First, it was written by William Styron, who wrote the great "Sophie's Choice;" and second, it won a Pulitzer Prize. It was only after I was into the book that I learned that this vintage sixties' book was the subject of a major controversy over the depiction of the title character, Nat Turner.
I learned that Styron openly acknowledged fictionalizing large portions of Turner's life, including his motivations for leading the slave revolt. I also learned that Styron's largely fictionalized portrait of Turner outraged many black leaders of the time. Rather than painting Turner (entirely) as a hero, called to action by the injustices of slavery, Styron created a darker picture of a man fixated on religion, a vision of himself as a prophet, and frustrated by lust and desire (particularly, for a young, blond haired white girl).
As I read the book, I search my own feelings, and felt that if I were black, I would certainly have objected similarly. We all need our heroes, who become much larger as symbols than they could ever be as people. For the sake of those that come after, such icons are perhaps entitled to be treated with a greater level of sensitivity and care--even at the cost of literary restraint.
It is here that the story gets fascinating. After I finished the novel, I read Styron's Afterword. Styron was truly stung by the criticism and in the Afterword, provided an elegant and persuasive defense of his writings. While I will not say that Styron entirely changed my position, he definitely made me see the other side of the argument. The dialogue between Styron and his critics not only allows the reader to consider one of the great social and political issues of our time, but permits the reader a unique insight into the thinking of a great writer--and suffices, in and of itself, as a reason for reading this novel. MAKE SURE YOUR VERSION OF THE NOVEL HAS THIS AFTERWORD.
Putting the issue aside as to the real "Nat Turner," the novel itself is beautifully written. The characters are fully developed and believable. The description of the system of slavery and the relationship between whites and blacks feel very real, and very accurate. Styron shows us good and bad of each race, and how all of them are bound by the system of slavery and their actions directly the product of it.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2008
★★★★★ 5
I loved this book.
I read this book for my book club and I thought it was beautifully written. It has stayed with me for weeks now. I love when a book does that. I'm glad I wasn't swayed by controversy. I had no problem with the fact that the author was white and using a black voice(maybe because I'm white - but I do like when an author gets the voice right and I thought Styron did that). I didn't understand the charges of racism after reading the book. Sometimes I wonder if, what some people find uncomfortable, they label as racist or sexist or whatever. Anyway, I would encourage everyone to read this book because it gave me a fresh awareness of a huge part of U.S. history, it reminded me that there are always gray areas to consider and it was a great novel. You might think so too.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2007
★★★★★ 5
great read
I enjoyed this book. As a person who enjoys history this book was a great read for me and the author gives an in depth vision on the trial.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2023
★★★★★ 3
Nat Turner was NOT happy
I think Mr Styron may have took some liberties with Nat Turner's "orientation" without the research or data to support his opinion.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2016
★★★★★ 5
A book for the ages...historically concise and horrific at once
William Styron, a gifted writer outdid himself with this book. His concise detail gives us an inside view on the depth of feeling employed by the subject of this book. The book while concise and tender pulls us in as these events take place. As Mailer delves deeper into the mind of Nat Turner, we cannot help but feel a sense of the suffering this man endured and this is what gives us perspective into this tragedy as it unfolds. A compelling masterpiece of literature.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012