I am a stubborn and shallow reader who spurns most fiction. As such, I have never read Pat Conroy before. He recently released a non-fiction book, My Reading Life, and I am now a big fan. Much like Stephen King's On Writing, Conroy's book is probably as close to an autobiography as we will get. Also, like King's book, it has made me a fan and also means that I will put Conroy on the short list of fiction authors to try when I'm in the mood.
This books touches on many of the special times in his life where the written word has impacted him greatly. From the deep connection nurtured with his mother because of the shared love of discovering new authors to the most detailed analysis of Gone With the Wind, it's all here.
There is a chapter on the teacher who most influenced him. If we are lucky, we all have one of those. If this part of the book doesn't make you admire Gene Morris, the teacher, then you have no heart. Without Norris, there may not have been a Conroy.
On the trip through the book (and his life) Conroy discusses Charles Dickens and reveals a secret possibly previously unknown about his particular connection to A Christmas Carol. Also, there is a librarian who made a real impression on Conroy for unusual and sadly yet funny reasons.
There is a (now gone) Atlanta bookstore which figures prominently in Conroy's life as a writer. The description of visiting the site of the bookstore years after its closing is familiar to many of us.
I could go on and on, but I want to leave some for the reader to discover. Suffice to say this book is a wonderful companion on the journey we call reading. It's always nice to get to know an author and learn how they arrived at this point in their lives.
The Reading Life is a love story to reading and a marriage that will last.
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My Reading Life is published by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday and is available in hardcover.
http://www.nanatalese.com
I loved this book too! I was especially touched by the teacher chapter. As a librarian, I was a little disappointed in the librarian who made an impact. I'm eager to read some of Conroy's fiction now.
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