Max S. Dunn

Book: South of Broad

Posted by: Max Dunn on June 11, 2010 09:40:09

South of Broad: A Novel by Pat Conroy 

It has been several years since I have read a fiction novel preferring instead to learn something by reading non-fiction. One reason is that while I really enjoy a good story, it often seems that the quality of much modern literature is subpar. But while browsing in our local library, I saw Pat Conroy's latest "South of Broad" and since I enjoyed Prince of Tides so much, I decided to get it. Now that I am finished though, I have to ask: Is this the best of modern literature?

While a fairly enjoyable read with some nice language and inspiring scenic descriptions, the characters were rather insipid and cliche. One of the most interesting themes dangled out early was the suicide of the favorite son. Yet the mystery behind this was not revealed until the last chapters, and then in only the most unimaginative and unsatisfying way. Also, much of the development of the other characters was done by telling us about it rather than showing us. In the end, I didn't come away caring about these characters or feeling if there were anything more than paper cutouts of the writer's imagination. If this is the best that modern literature has to offer, I think I will stick with non-fiction.