Father called charleston the mansion on the river rivers being the ashley and the cooper. South of broad by pat conroy book club discussion questions. The narrator is leopold bloom king known as leo, a shy, genuine teenager who is haunted by. It ranges from his troubled childhood to his adult life with his close group of friends. South of broad 2009, a novel by pat conroy, carefully and precisely. The washington post conroy remains a magician of the page. Against the backdrop of charleston, south carolina, south of broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. The main characters of this fiction, american story are. Part one focuses on introducing the reader to leopold bloom king leo, his family, and his.
This book is dedicated to my wife and fellow novelist, cassandra king, who helped more than anyone in bringing south of broad to its publication. Reading guide for south of broad by pat conroy discussion guide for book clubs. Set in 1969 and 1989, south of broad is essentially a love letter to charleston. Reading south of broad is likely to bring out all of these emotions, while at the same time keeping readers guessing about what will happen to the large cast of characters who constantly seem to. Aug 10, 2009 this summer, conroys back, and back on familiar turf with south of broad, which, depending on the eye of the beholder, is either a sprawling saga brimful of characters and emotion and sense of place, or a period melodrama with a pretty travelogue thrown in. The book is an allusion to odysseus and established a series of parallels between characters and events in homers poem and joyces novel. South of broad, coming after a long fiction absence for this author since the disappointing beach music, has many of the same flaws as that previous work. Over the past year or so i have discovered several of his books and have enjoyed them immensely beginning with south of broad which is my favorite so far, then following that up with the prince of tides and the lords of discipline. Ulysses is full of puns, parodies and allusions as well as rich characterisations and broad humour. With that in mind, when south of broad, one of his more recent tomes came to my attention, i decided to give it a try.
Lonely and adrift, he searches for something to sustain him and finds it among a. Years ago someone recommended pat conroy to me and given my literary tastes at the time i was not inclined to check his works out. Conroys south of broad follows a group of characters on what could be considered an odessy much like homers tale. Its narrator, leo king, is a newspaper columnist who has fought his own demons on a. These characters are gallant in the grand oldfashioned sense, devoted to one another and to home. Pat conroys 2009 novel, south of broad, is a sweeping epic encompassing twenty.
South of broad book tulsa citycounty library bibliocommons. South of broad by pat conroy discussion guide books on tape. The first edition of the novel was published in august 11th 2009, and was written by pat conroy. Aug 23, 2009 beach music was jolted into motion by a suicide, and so is conroys fifth novel, south of broad. When conroys characters wiseass banter completely takes over, his novels can become an eyerolling slog. I read south of broad to see how an accomplished novelist turns a place into a character. Beach music was jolted into motion by a suicide, and so is conroys fifth novel, south of broad. May 23, 2011 the book is an allusion to odysseus and established a series of parallels between characters and events in homers poem and joyces novel. Pat conroys 2009 novel, south of broad, is a sweeping epic encompassing twenty years of friendship. It contains wonderfully crafted stories told against a rich tapestry of history. To me, she is the finest thing ever produced on an alabama farm. No one can describe a tide or a sunset with his lyricism and exactitude. Some characters are tragically lost to the riptides of love and obsession, while others emerge from the frothy waters of sentimentality and.
Pat conroy did not disappoint in this regard he makes his city alive to all five senses. South of broad, however, is not one of his best works. Is there a symbolic reference between his descriptions of charleston to the characters in the book. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 514 pages and is available in hardcover format. Jan 17, 2011 to that, ill add that i like the way he makes setting a character all to itself, and as well as the way his characters surprise me with what they say and do. I love charleston so the setting was ideal as i could place events in the book with the actual settings in the city. Buy a cheap copy of south of broad book by pat conroy. Paperback 9780385344074 a fascinating storywell told for the most part i did wonder why the characters, who are such good friends put up with the fighting that goes on between them, whenever they get together. I found the characters to be rich and perplexing, not at all stereotypical as. I also survived hurricane hugo when it ripped through north and south caroline back in 1989 so the timing was relevant to me as well. Leopold bloom king, our narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of south of broad by pat conroy. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read south of broad.
With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of ones own. About this book against the sumptuous backdrop of charleston, south carolina, south of broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. Reading guide for south of broad by pat conroy bookbrowse. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. His mother, an exnun, is the high school principal and a respected joyce scholar. On the one hand there is leos mothera woman who, despite a prickly exterior, is deeply pious. Lonely and adrift, he searches for something to sustain him and finds it among a tightly knit group. His mother, an exnun, is the high school principal and a wellknown joyce scholar. Lonely and adrift, he searches for something to sustain.
Its narrator, leo king, is a newspaper columnist who. There are so many integral characters and events in conroys story that it could get pretty confusing but he uses a style of writing and storytelling similar to that of joyce in ulysses. If you are concerned with the art of storytelling, this book will provide you with masterful insight. May 04, 2010 praise for south of broad vintage pat conroy. The citys two rivers, the ashley and the cooper, have flooded and shaped all the days of my life on this storied peninsula. Free download or read online south of broad pdf epub book. South of broad which pat conroy book is your favorite. After leos older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death. After leos older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his.
As i mentioned, south of broad was my favorite at least so far. South of broad book snoisle libraries bibliocommons. In south of broad, the two characters most associated with the church are very different from one another. Leopold bloom king has been raised in a family shatteredand shadowedby tragedy. Unfortunately, the city of charleston is probably the best developed character in the book. And, the book features a rich ensemble of human characters whose intertwined lives form the spine of a story that unfolds over several decades. Reading group questions and discussion topics for south of broad. Some characters are tragically lost to the riptides of love and obsession, while others emerge from the. Pdf south of broad book by pat conroy free download 514. Which characters are guilty of relying on preconceived notions. Aug 11, 2009 praise for south of broad vintage pat conroy.
South of broad 2009, a novel by pat conroy, carefully and precisely narrates the life of leopold bloom king, a resident of charleston, south carolina. South of broad discussion questions west maui book club. Leopold bloom king, the narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. The novel follows the life of leopold bloom king in charleston, south carolina. Against the sumptuous backdrop of charleston, south carolina, south of broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. There are chunks of brilliant writing in the book the love story between leos parents, the sf trip, and hurricane hugo. Leo is named after joyces character leopold bloom, and the friends first. This summer, conroys back, and back on familiar turf with south of broad, which, depending on the eye of the beholder, is either a sprawling saga brimful of characters and emotion and sense of place, or a period melodrama with. Pat conroys first novel in 14 years follows a group of young friends on into adult life. Other characters, such as stephen, sheba, trevor, molly, and chad, are described by their physical beauty.