Ever since I saw the movie The Prince of Tides, and then read the book, I've been a Pat Conroy fan. Critic's pet peeve about Conroy is his over-the-top use of literary devices, namely, purple prose, if we can call it that. I suppose it's a matter of taste, since I tend to enjoy his writing style. I'll admit Conroy seems to get carried away with some of his most promising passages, although, I can only wonder if Pat Conroy would be himself without them.
In his latest literary endeavor, South of Broad, which refers to Broad Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, Conroy delves into a familiar and too close to home subject--suicide.
I'll be in Charleston this weekend and with some leisure time on my hands, and in honor of Conroy's new novel, I hope to read as much of it as I can.
http://www.patconroy.com/south-of-broad.php
