Helpful Score: 3
Although all of Conroy's novels feel autobiographical, My Losing Season actually retraces the events leading up to a painful but rich year in the lives of a Citadel basketball team, and it's longterm effects on the psyches of the players. Pat Conroy is one of America's finest authors, and although I have no particular interest in basketball, I loved this book.
Helpful Score: 1
A little too self-pitying and self-aggrandizing. I'm supposed to feel sorry for someone who got to play college basketball because he didn't win enough games?
Helpful Score: 1
Living in the Low Country area of Georgia, relatively close to Beaufort and Charleston, South Carolina, I have always looked forward to each and every one of Mr. Conroy's books. He writes of tides and nature and raw human emotions. I was sure in my mind, he would never top his best books (in my redneck opinion)"The Prince or Tides" or Beach Music". When "South of Broad" came out, my wife surpised me with a nice copy from Barnes and Noble the first day it was available. I was not as thrilled with the tabloid/"Friends"/"Big Chill" feel of the book. I read it and enjoyed it but was overall kind of let down for some reason. After 7 years I was waiting for a real walk on water miracle of a book. I will re-read it again, just to slowly burn Conroys use of the English sentence into my spongy brain. He uses words like a fat guy uses the buffett lines at a Las Vegas resort. ANYWAY.........I must admit that I had "My Losing Season" in my TBR pile for YEARS. I don't really care for basketball, and I really wondered why I would even read this book. I picked it up at a yard sale and left it for my other books. Long story short....I took "Losing Season" with me on a 9 day cruise. I was unable to get it out of my mind!! I LOVED this book. Without a doubt, his best book EVER!! Basketball fans might appreciate the book for more things than I do, but you sure don't need to be a fan to get one hell of a ride out of this raw, sad, emotional, funny, terrifying book. Thank you Pay Conroy, I enjoyed the book so much I feel like I owe you your royalty for my garage sale copy! Any Conroy fan has to read this book. It is a celebration of the human spirit! Thanks Pat.
