Friday, July 6, 2018

6/ Pat Conroy

After I got married and my parents moved to Florida (the next day), my dad started sending me books after he'd read them. He did this fairly regularly, and I think I read them all, even though his choices weren't always compatible with mine. (He had a fondness for historical novels in particular, and I remember when, as a teenager, I was reading Harold Robbins he assumed The Carpetbaggers was about history and expressed approval of my book selection.)

I tried to sound enthusiastic when responding to him about the books, but it wasn't always easy. Then he sent me The Great Santini. This time I could tell him how much I'd enjoyed the book, and mean it. He wrote back, "I thought it was good--but not that good."

I never lost my enthusiasm for Pat Conroy. Of his books that I've read, I haven't liked them all equally, but I haven't disliked any. The Lords of Discipline stayed with me for weeks.

9 comments:

  1. The great Santini sound like a really good summery drink. Please don't ever delete these blogs. I want to be able to keep coming back to them to pick my next book.

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    Replies
    1. Conroy also wrote a cookbook. I wonder if he might have given this name to one of the included drinks.

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  2. I'll have what Sabine is drinking.

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  3. Did you read The Water is Wide? It's on my list....

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    Replies
    1. I haven't read it, but it's on my Kindle. Thanks for the reminder!

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  4. I love the fact that a Harold Robbins' book elicited parental approval.

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  5. This is a sweet father and daughter story.

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  6. This is sweet. The only book my father ever recommended to me was Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates -- the only book he remembered reading in school.

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