My Reading Life
Pat Conroy
November 2010
352 pages
Published by Knopf Doubleday
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I would have loved this book had it not been for one thing…Pat Conroy has no boundaries! He overshares!
I’m talking about books. He totally gives away the endings of several well-known books, many of which I’ve never read. And he doesn’t even warn you. It’s like whammo…this is what happens at the end of The Great Gatsby (which I just happened to be listening to at the time…so much for any element of surprise when I got to the pool scene). And blam…here’s the entire plot of Gone With the Wind. And oh yeah, THIS happens in Anna Karenina. And THAT is what happens at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. And so-and-so dies in this book, and that guy dies in this other book. And no, I am not exaggerating. It’s like he just assumes all of his readers have read all of the same books. And I’m sorry if I’m not as well read as you, Mr. Conroy, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to toss out spoilers all willy-nilly like that. I don’t think I can forgive you. Even if the rest of your book was quite entertaining and you had some good things to say about reading.
Oh, this would have made me so mad! There are so many books out there that I haven’t read that this book would ruin for me! I don’t think I will be reading this one anytime soon. Thanks for letting us know, Jill.
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I loaded this one on my iPod (LOVE Conroy, especially Beach Music) but couldn’t even get through one disc with his voice. Now I’m scared that he is going to ruin all these books for me. *moping*
Sandy´s last [type] ..Sunday Salon- The Busy Sandy Edition
Oops. Maybe I should’ve mentioned that when I so gushingly recommended it. Luckily (for me) I had those endings ruined for me years ago, so I didn’t think much about it.
Andi´s last [type] ..The Reader Shuffle
That is SO irritating!
Stephanie´s last [type] ..The Sunday Salon- 4-10-2011
Good to know. I was thinking about reading this one, but spoilers are my GREATEST LITERARY PET PEEVE OF ALL, so I am definitely avoiding this one!
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Oh no! I’m not a fan of spoilers!
That’s awful! I wanted to read this book- but half of those you mentioned I haven’t read yet and I don’t want to know the ending! Shame.
Yikes, sounds like this book should’ve had a cover that just said SPOILER ALERT across the front. BOOOOO PAT CONROY. At least write an intro warning your readers!
Kari´s last [type] ..For the love of big books
Oh that is a BIG faux pas! Can not do this.
Amused´s last [type] ..You Think You Know a Person
Oh that is just not right! SHAME Mr. Conroy!
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That is like horrifying. Death penalty stuff.
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That’s horrible! Maybe he should take a lesson from your “Spoiler Alerts”
You TELL ‘im, Fizzy! Take him to task!
(actually, I had always assumed Pat Conroy was a woman, a Patricia… oops)
Care´s last [type] ..Forgot About PI Day!
I guess he figured that if ppl were reading his book, they’d already gone through all the ‘good stuff’ lol.
bybee´s last [type] ..Readathon- Hour 24
That is such a danger with reading books about books! Although, I’ve read all of the ones that you mention…there should be a list in the beginning of books he’s going to spoiler, lol.
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Oh no! That’s so uncool! As a reader he should KNOW that’s uncool!
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were watching a show (can’t remember which) on which one of the characters started describing the plot of one of the classics (Anna Karenina, maybe?) I haven’t read yet. I promptly covered my ears and started going “lalalalalaaa!!” until my husband gave me the all clear. So annoying.
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I like bybee’s comment!
I passed on this one because the irony rankled me. Why should I be reading about what he has read…as opposed to me actually reading stuff?
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I was looking forward to this one and then I read about the oversharing from a few other reviewers and it went to the bottom of my list. Not sure why since I don’t mind knowing the end of the book
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Yick. I have a tough time reading books about books I haven’t read.
I did enjoy listening to his South of Broad last year. That was him, right?
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Dumbledore dies.
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