September's Book Club; South of Broad

It's hard to believe that September Book Club has already come and gone. The weather has cooled off considerably, football season has begun as has The State Fair. This typically means a lot of rain for us and Friday was no exception. Only 3 more Book Club meetings left for 2009. This month we wish Happy Birthday to Carla G!

(The photo is one I took of the Battery in Charleston).

There was no spillage this time on the way to Barb's, though the way Carla was taking the corners I am surprised the Shoo Fly Pie made it in one piece! Our book this month was Pat Conroy's new novel South of Broad set in Charleston, SC. Though food was not a central theme of the book, except for Benne wafer cookies, we managed a Southern theme for the meal. Barb hosted and her promised Red Beans and Rice were unlike any we'd ever had. The beans were spicy and mixed with peppers and onions, topped with a tomato salsa and sour cream. Lou brought the corn muffins. I brought Brie cheese wrapped in pastry browned and drizzled with honey (not sure it's a Southern dish but it worked anyway.) Diana brought the deviled eggs. Carla A. had gone to the farmer's market and loaded us up with tasty Collard Greens, green beans and new potatoes, corn on the cob and homemade Benne cookies and a Shoo Fly Pie. Laura also brought homemade Benne cookies. Darby brought Carrot Cake, Lis brought Pecan Pie mini muffins. Pam brought an Oatmeal Cake that is still making my mouth water . Carla G. brought wine and Arnora brought the floral bouquet and wine. Barb finished everything off with a Creme Brulee coffee.

I have to say that I think that Lou and Laura have snuck off to bar tending school. Their drinks the last couple of months have been outstanding. Lou made an Arnold Palmer with a kick, affectionately dubbed The John Daly! It is Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade. Laura brought the Bourbon and I brought Blackberries for Blackberry Mint Juleps. The good news is I never lost the feeling in my arms.

Eventually, we did satisfy our appetites and settled in with our drinks and coffee for the discussion of the book, which got pretty mixed reviews. I am a big fan of Pat Conroy's as is Pam (who we all know met him and got his autograph, blah, blah, blah :) I had planned to read this book anyway and was very excited about it though I wasn't sure it was book club material. But when Netherland didn't seem to be going over well we ended up making the switch.

I will just toss it out there. Laura thought the book was a "big bag of downers." Diana wanted to throw it out her window. She called it boring, cliche and trite among other things. Lou had mixed feelings about it as did I. Denise, Carla A. and Barb probably enjoyed it the most. Carla loved it but doesn't want it in her Library and won't read it again. Arnora was pretty lukewarm to it but kudos to her for finishing the book. I'm proud that she has found the time! Carla G, Darby & Lis did not finish it. Denise, Janie and Terry were unable to attend.

Denise and I both enjoyed it for the setting. Denise had lived in Charleston at one time and I just got back from a vacation there. Pat Conroy was not born in the south but had a military father that moved the family around and at about 15 he ended up in Beaufort, SC. While his characters may travel to New York, Italy, or San Francisco all of his novels are anchored in South Carolina, it is his port of call and should be definitely considered one of the characters. This place is part of what shapes the character and personalities he writes about. Charleston has a long history from it's settlement in 1670. It's interesting because Charleston was one of the first colonies to succeed from the British AND it was THE first state to succeed from the union. I find it ironic that as a group they tend to be rebellious but they don't encourage that within the confines of their group. Like all societies they end up forming strict rules of hierarchy and conformance.

The first shots of Civil War were fired just off its shores at Ft. Sumter. There's a lot of wealth in the Historic district, which begins South of Broad St. and ends at the Battery on the Bay. And with wealth comes a lot of rules, protocol, and elitism. Charleston was a slave state and race has always been a big issue. This figured prominently among the characters as did suicide, AIDS, adultery and much more. The consensus among part of the group was that there were too many characters and too many dramas and dilemmas and it didn't feel plausible.

Conroy's fictionalized autobiography, The Great Santini, gives the details of his unhappy childhood with an abusive father and all his novels are about families with enormously flawed members. It is the reason that I usually love his books because, for me, he is a master at portraying the anguish of a wounded child and the ambivalence of both loving and hating the family members. For me, his books are usually cathartic. The Prince of Tides is one of my favorites. I believe I read that one of Conroy's favorite authors is John Steinbeck and I see similarities in their prose and metaphor. I think that often their prose sounds like poetry. But, for some, that ends up sounding sentimental and "smarmy".

In South of Broad, the main character Leo, named for the James Joyce character in Ulysses, forms a motley crew of friends in his senior year of high school and the book takes place both in the 60's and the late 80's recounting their high school days showing how they formed and maintained their friendships and how they supported and rescued each other time and again. Leo's big wound, his families big wound, was the suicide of his older brother. This aspect reminded both Diana and I of "Ordinary People".

I found myself being caught in the middle of this one. I absolutely agreed with Diana and Laura that at times it did seem trite and the dialogue stilted. But then I'd find myself getting lost in the story and caught up in the characters. My emotions became engaged and then it would cycle back toward the trite. When I finished the book, I closed its covers and thought, "hmmm." I really didn't know what to think until I burst into tears 10 minutes later putting on my makeup. I guess it touched a nerve somewhere. In the end, I can't say this is going on my list of favorites. I still think Santini, Tides, or Beach Music better.

BUT Lis, who had not finished the book said it might have been our best book club discussion to date. Because we had such differing opinions we spent more time talking about the storyline and the character development and why it did, or did not, resonate with us. When everyone loves a book we don't always dig this deep. I guess when some love it and others hate it we have a desire to know why and that makes for great discussion! Pam probably put it most succinctly when she said, "He writes symphonies. This one just wasn't as tight as his others." The book rated a 3.0.

Next month is Frankenstein at Carla G's house. We've decided to change books for November and put off Cutting for Stone until after the Holiday so we'll decide on a new book then.