• Beach Music

  • A Novel
  • By: Pat Conroy
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz
  • Length: 26 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,742 ratings)

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Beach Music  By  cover art

Beach Music

By: Pat Conroy
Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2009 Pat Conroy (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Astonishing...stunning...the range of passions and subjects that brings life to every page is almost endless." (The Washington Post Book World)

“Reading Pat Conroy is like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel.” (Houston Chronicle)

“Magnificent... Beach Music is clearly Conroy’s best.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

What listeners say about Beach Music

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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One of my favorites!

This is a wonderful story that makes you laugh and cry. Beach Music has become one of my favorite books of all time!

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Wow!

Where does Beach Music rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This would be in my top 3 books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack was such a complex character which made him very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Marosz’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've not listened to any of his other recordings but you can bet I'll be looking for them now.

Any additional comments?

I listen on my commute to work and unfortunately this book was so good I would sit in my car, in the parking garage, on Chicago's minus 45 degree mornings to listen to just a little bit more. I received some strange looks.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pat Conroy at his best

It’s been a long time since I listened AND read a book simultaneously, then listened to it again as soon as I finished it. A story filled with love, humor, pain, agony and Pat’s ability to use words in such a way that you are awed by the beauty of the sentence.
I love the warped, dark humor he brings to each of his novels, and have shared those parts with family members who roared with laughter. I felt touched by this novel in so many ways. Highly recommend it.

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So good

Beautiful story of love, loss, redemption and restoration. Pat Conroy is the master at weaving together the past and present. Loved this book!

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Very good.

Long, great detail, loved it. What a journey. Couldn't wait to listen. Highly recommend. Enjoy.

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Awesome!!

One of my favorites. Pat Conroy’s writing is superb and the performance did justice to the story.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great Book

Conroy’s writing is pure prose. Never read anything like it. Will be one of my favorites. The only thing that could have been better was the reader. His accent wasn’t even close.

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Great American novel

I read this book several times is always such a wonderful, wonderful book and covers so much and it's entertaining even when talking about very difficult subjects. you'll love it!

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His best book

I had read this book years ago. Listening to it was so very nice. His words are so beautiful. Great plot. Wonderful story.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Different

This story was different from most of the books I listen to. To hear a story from the man’s perspective was good for a change.

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