Beach Music

A Novel

By: Pat Conroy

Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz

Length: 26 hrs and 57 mins

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)

always exceeds expectations!!!

Would you listen to Beach Music again? Why?

of course ,like watching a good movie you always miss something.

What did you like best about this story?

very emotional for me, touches a lot of different parts of my life.

Which scene was your favorite?

When mr. fox tries to make him understand what him tell ing his story to Shayla did to her.How it affected her making her feel she had lived by mistake.*2 Grandma and Leigh with the turtles.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both!!Personal reasons.

Any additional comments?

READ THIS BOOK !!!

Best Book Ever!

This is the third time I have read this book and every time I cry and laugh all the way through it. If you want to wonderful deep meaningful read try this book!

One of my all time favorite books!

Pay Conroy captures the Southern spirit better thank almost any other author. Every Southern family can either relate to or know someone who reflects many of his characters. In Beach Music, Conroy weaves an amazingly intricate story with elements that make every character realistic. Plus, he explains why Southerners are the way we are and why we act as we do. I'm a Southern boy at heart who moved away from the South before learning to understand and appreciate my upbringing better, partially from reading Conroy's books.

A well narrated story with depth.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes.

What about Jonathan Marosz’s performance did you like?

The diverse character personification, both male and female, by this narrator was superb. Given the fact that the characters were portrayed with ample voice inflection, I can not help but wonder that the more monotonous tone employed buring story narration was by design as excessive inflection during story telling, can itself lead to monotony.

Conroy was a master

Pat Conroy, John Grisham and Stephen King. The subject matter of their books are different, but those 3 are probably the best story tellers in recent history in popular fiction. This one has a lot of themes that run through almost all Conroy’s books: suicide, mental illness, abusive fathers, the Citadel and the South. It’s amazing how many of those are in all of his books and yet it doesn’t feel repetitive or old. He was one of my favorite authors. It’s a shame he’s gone. I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t his best, but there are no bad Conroy books. I saw some of the reviews on Audible criticized the reader’s Southern accent. As a fellow Southerner, I actually thought it wasn’t bad and I can be critical of bad ones.

Pat Conroy is amazing

What did you love best about Beach Music?

The characters, so many amazing characters! Its so easy to get wrapped up in the amazing detail of each of their stories.

Any additional comments?

Pat Conroy is such an elegant writer. He puts so much thought in to the details and backstories of each aspect of the book.

This book includes some heartbreaking stories about the holocaust, losing loved ones, and relationships ending and beginning.

This is one of my favorite books of all time.

Fake southern accent

Pat Conroy's books are better with an authentic Chicago accent than a grating bad southern accent. This is a good book with a bad accent. Still enjoyable but I wish the narrator of Death iof Santini narrated all his books.

Conroy once again captures the South yet again

Those from the coastal Atlantic south will recognize all that is true in this book. All others will wonder how it could be so. At once sad and uplifting, this novel of growth and rebirth is very much worth the read.

Trying again

I am a third of the way into this book and the story is taking hold. This is my third attempt in the last few years. It is my wife's favorite story and after listening to The Prince of Tides for the 3rd or 4th time, I'm giving it a go again. It's the narrator. Like I said, I am now engaged and enjoying it.

Update: The finest story I've ever listened to! The narrator ended up being quite awesome. I stopped at 4 stars because it took me a few attempts to get past the beginning. His voice soon became the story and I'd like to conclude with 5 stars. If you were like me, hang in there. Your frustration and patience will become married to the story, because in a way, that is the story - a beginning of chaotic turmoil that pays off handsomely.

Best narrator ever…

…reading a epic tome of sadness and wonder, light and darkness. Highly recommend this book and narrator!