The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - Audio Book Review

Families always have their secrets, but at what cost do we keep them?

Audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: The Prince of Tides
Author: Pat Conroy
Narrator: Frank Muller
Publisher: Recorded Books
Duration: 22 hours, 41 minutes
Copyright: 1988
Genres: literary, trauma
Filed in: Audiobook reviews

THE GIST: On the water, Henry Wingo is the best shrimper on the South Carolina coast. He is a skilled seaman and a gentle and patient mentor to his three children. On land he becomes something different. The good money he makes as a shrimper is consistently squandered in ridiculous get-rich-quick schemes leaving his family to live in poverty. An unrepentant drunk, Henry rules his family with brutal force. His wife and children never quite know what might set him off.

Henry’s wife, Lila, is at once victim and perpetrator. Rather than rushing her children to safety, she encourages them to forget their father’s rampages and forbids them to speak of it to her or anyone else. Lila is aterribly proud woman and not even her children will stand between her and her positive image in the small community they live in.

As the three Wingo children grow into adulthood, the consequences of their brutal and confusing childhood begins to manifest itself in different ways. Vietnam veteran Luke goes on a one-man war against the United States government after they take his home from him. Tom Wingo, a high school teacher and football coach, loses his job after a nervous breakdown. Tom’s twin, renowned poet Savannah Wingo, is on her third suicide attempt.

It is Savannah’s third suicide attempt that begins the story. Tom goes to New York to be with her, and subsequently begins a series of sessions with her psychiatrist. It is through Tom’s sessions that we learn of the tragic history of the Wingo family. Tom’s stories gradually, yet systematically lead up to the family’s two most defining moments: one being a horrific day when three escaped convicts broke into the Wingo home, and the other being the story of Luke’s death.

Yes, families always have secrets, but the cost of keeping them can be high indeed. Is it possible that the cost of exorcising those demons could be even higher?

MY THOUGHTS: “The Prince of Tides" is a beautifully written audio book. Pat Conroy delivers the story masterfully, delivering well-paced plot elements through Tom’s meetings with psychiatrist Susan Lowenstein. Some of the stories Tom tells are very funny and made me laugh out loud, like the Time Luke, Tom, and Savannah drove to Miami to free a white porpoise that had been incarcerated at the Miami seaquarium. Others were so horrifying that I just wanted to scream in frustration, like Tom’s account of the day of the convicts. Pat Conroy's prose is beautiful and poetic, making "The Prince of Tides" really come alive for me.

I’m not really sure if “The Prince of Tides” had a happy ending or not. As Pat Conroy began to wrap up the story, it seemed happy; the surviving members of the Wingo family were together and it seemed like they were beginning to reconcile. It was the very last two words of the audio book that make me question that. Those last two spell-binding words made me stop and say “Say what?!” “The Prince of Tides"is one audio book that will definitely make you think..

NARRATOR: As I have mentioned before, Frank Muller is one of my very favorite audio book narrators. It seems that he was often called on to read audio books with southern characters. I can’t really judge if his South Carolina accent is accurate, but it’s good enough for me.

FINAL WORD: I enjoyed “The Prince of Tides” very much. I will admit that it started off slowly and I was on the verge of giving up on it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Pat Conroy provides some thought-provoking insights into the inner workings of a southern family. “The Prince of Tides” is a story of pride and secrets and bonds that are stronger than flesh.

FILM ADAPTATION: “The Prince of Tides” was adapted to film in 1991. Barbra Streisand directed and starred in the movie along with Nick Nolte. “In spite of criticism that Streisand strayed too far from Pat Conroy’s story, “The Prince of Tides” won the academy award for best picture.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
“The Hour I First Believed” by Wally Lamb
“Hearts in Atlantis” by Stephen King
“Thirteen Moons” by Charles Frazier


If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get "The Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy; Audio book CD from Amazon.com.

Interested in the movie?
Get "The Prince of Tides" on DVD from Amazon.com.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audio book.
Audio book review by Steven Brandt
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