Anna L. (annalovesbooks) reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1
ISBN 0553268880 - After years of reading predominantly great reviews of this book, I finally read it, only to wonder why everyone was raving. Perhaps Pat Conroy explained it himself, when he wrote "Savannah's living proof that writing poetry and reading books causes brain damage." I found myself skipping entire pages of pointless description and only skimming the entire "children's book" written by Savannah.
Most of the momentous events of the story require the reader to accept the most unbelievable things (Bengal tiger...) as facts of life for the Wingos, but the children's book crosses a line; this book within the book is only horrific in that it's a book no publisher would have published because it's a book that no parent would ever have let their child read.
Throughout the real book, beginning with Tom's reference to his daughters' "lovely, perfectly shaped behinds" to the children's book and all the way to the end, there's a tinge of incest and inappropriate sex to everything that leaves me needing a shower. I'm giving the book 2 stars because I think the story, buried under way too many words, is an interesting one - it's just too hard to find most of the time.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Most of the momentous events of the story require the reader to accept the most unbelievable things (Bengal tiger...) as facts of life for the Wingos, but the children's book crosses a line; this book within the book is only horrific in that it's a book no publisher would have published because it's a book that no parent would ever have let their child read.
Throughout the real book, beginning with Tom's reference to his daughters' "lovely, perfectly shaped behinds" to the children's book and all the way to the end, there's a tinge of incest and inappropriate sex to everything that leaves me needing a shower. I'm giving the book 2 stars because I think the story, buried under way too many words, is an interesting one - it's just too hard to find most of the time.
- AnnaLovesBooks
