South of Broad by Pat Conroy

A love story with a city sounds preposterous but Conroy pull it off with panache. If Pat Conroy does not love Charleston, he writes rather convincingly that he does. The man defies typical literary comparisons due to the sheer majesty of his prose. I found myself moved to tears on some of his descriptions. His story is of a group of eclectic friends who grow and thrive together in a tumultuous time. Their maturation is fraught with often torturous progress.

The characterizations in this book are marvelous in their depth and color. Their realism surpasses the reality of some folks I know. Conroy doesn’t just paint a portrait or caricature, he grows a character from a carefully nurtured seedling to a full blooming thorny rose. Many of his characters are not likeable but you receive enormous insight to their motivation. It seems hard to believe that it has been 14 years since Pat Conroy has graced us with his treasured words and one can only hope the next installment in literary nirvana doesn’t take so long. Calling this book a mystery would surely be a misnomer but there are mysteries aplenty. I try to only read books that I anticipate liking, I seldom find books I truly love. “South of Broad” is a book that I love, I urge you to read it and introduce a little of Pat Conroy’s love into your life.

Body of work of Pat Conroy

Web Site: http://www.patconroy.com/

Review: http://chaoticcompendiums.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-review-south-of-broad-by-pat.html

Hammer and Anvil by Harry Turtledove (Book II of The Time of Troubles Series)

Turtledove is a master of alternative history. This is the second book in the Time of Troubles Series which deals with a Byzantine Empire time period. The first book dealt with the barbarous hill people and their conflict with the Empire and the nomadic tribes. The perspective was from the hill people’s point of view. This book deals with the Videssosian Emperor and his point of view. The empire is beset by the barbarous hill people and the nefarious and treacherous nomadic Kubratoi. Turtledove delves deeply into the motivations of the Emperor, his personal relationships and the impact of cultural clashes. Sounds boring and certainly isn’t. Turtledove writes about believable circumstances and characters, well worth the read.

Body of work of Harry Turtledove

Site: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/turtledove.html

Review: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/hammer.html