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    The Great Santini: A Novel
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    The Great Santini: A Novel
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    The Great Santini: A Novel
    Ebook651 pages10 hours

    The Great Santini: A Novel

    By Pat Conroy

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Pat Conroy’s New York Times–bestselling coming-of-age novel about a son’s struggle to escape the domineering expectations of his volatile military father.
     
    Marine Col. Bull Meecham commands his home like a soldiers’ barracks. Cold and controlling, but also loving, Bull has complicated relationships with each member of his family—in particular, his eldest son, Ben.
     
    A born athlete who desperately seeks his father’s approval, Ben is determined to break out from the colonel’s shadow. With guidance from teachers at his new school, he strives to find the courage to stand up to his father once and for all.
     
    Inspired by Pat Conroy’s own difficult relationship with his father, The Great Santini is a captivating and unflinching portrayal of modern family, and a moving novel of a son determined to become his own man.
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateAug 24, 2010
    ISBN9781453203941
    Unavailable
    The Great Santini: A Novel
    Author

    Pat Conroy

    Pat Conroy (1945–2016) was the author of The Boo, The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life, My Losing Season, South of Broad, My Reading Life, and The Death of Santini.

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    Reviews for The Great Santini

    4.5/5

    30 ratings28 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Lt. Col. "Bull" Meecham is a Marine pilot who worships God and the Marine Corp with the latter taking priority. He is a no-nonsense Marine harsh disciplinarian who manages his wife and four children in a similar manner as he does his squadron he currently commands in Ravanel, S.C., which includes surprise inspections and impromptu war games.

      This novel is also a coming of age story about Ben, the eldest child in the Meecham familly, a high school senior who has moved so many times in the military that he doesn't know the meaning of home. Both Bull and Ben find it difficulty expressing love with each other.

      Pat Conroy's use of the English language is so beautiful, that I have heard some describing it as being "musical." The characters in this quasi-autobiography, especially Bull; Ben; Lillian, Bull's wife: and Mary Ann, the eldest sister, are multifaceted. One has to peel back the layers to see what motivates each of them. My emotional response to Bull ranged from hatred, pity, admiration, love, etc. similar to those expressed by the family members probably because my father reminded me somewhat of Bull. I highly recommend this novel as a fine example of Southern literature.
    • 5/5
      My favorite book!
    • 4/5
      Bull Meecham a man who is hard to love, hard to understand yet, somehow gets into your heart. Rich characters. descriptions and full of Southern ways
    • 5/5
      This one's a "Classic." Laughing out loud (even sitting alone in public) gets 4 stars before we even start. I couldn't give it 5 stars because of the un-politically correct, not to mention offensive, language that is a sign of it being written in 1976. Make a note of that before I tell everyone how much I enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      A wonderfully readable portrayal of a complex man and his complex relationship with his son.
    • 5/5
      This is another emotional roller coaster from Conroy. It mostly concerns the conflicted relationship between a father, a military aviator, and his son. Reading this book, you will grow to have the same near-hatred of the father as his son does, but at the book's end, you may be amazed at the emotions you feel. As usual with Conroy, the book is full of great scenes.
    • 3/5
      Probably the most difficult story I've ever read about people who are so insecure so self obsessed that they ruins the lives of everyone around them in a tornado blinding action of utter blind destruction. For about one hundred pages I could not put the book down and then I had to. This by any means is a slight on the author or the novel. In fact it doesn't happen very often that I have to stop reading a book because the content is too vivid too natural and all to familiar. The only other novel I've ever had to do this with is The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark. With that novel I will continue reading until I've been able to pull myself through. Not so with this one. Perhaps it is a personal statement not to be willing, admire or be interested in those human beings who, although blind and destructive, still deserve a place on our planet. What can I say about the writing, which is clear, concise and very very direct: it works. It works the way it should in that it transmits the lives of others directly into your own.
    • 5/5
      Read this one may years ago while living in Atlanta and working at Chapter 11 Books. Second time around was even better, listened to the audio version on my kindle.

      Conroy is not only a first rate storyteller, he is a master of description. The story main character is Lt. Col Bull Meacham: a marine, a husband a father and a friend. Bull is a top notch Marine pilot who leads men. He tries to be a good husband and father but treating his family like they are cadets is not the best course of action. His wife defends him and knows he has a softer side that the children rarely see. She also knows his triggers and when it is wiser to back down. He is so strict his children fear him but deep down they also love him.

      You want to hate Bull and despise his wife but then you come to understand and ultimately respect this man. His eldest son, Ben, hates his father and all he stands for yet there is a point in the story once pushed by his sister he does exactly what Bull Meacham would of done in the same situation.

    • 2/5

      ***SPOILERS***

      This was a heartbreaking book to read. Knowing that it was based on Pat Conroy's own childhood made it that much more morose.

      Bull Meechum is a mean man. He sets out to hurt others, and if he isn't successful doing it with words, he will do it physically. I kept looking for a redemption here. In books like this, where difficult relationships are portrayed, there is a moral, allegory, metaphor, something that the reader takes away with them at the last page. I searched and searched for such a quality in this one and could come up with only one thing: this was a purge for Conroy.

      With that said, I despised this man. His antics at the beginning of the book with the cream of mushroom soup set up his maturity level, and everyone knows that a pubescent boy has no self-control. That is what Bull was mentally: a surly, spoiled, over-compensating teenager. To find abuse of new recruits a form of entertainment is sad enough, but to intentionally get your son drunk on his birthday over his objections, yell taunts at him during basketball games, and run "military exercises" in your home with a real sword is just over the top.

      Likewise, I found the wife willfully weak and enabling. She was a strong Southern woman one minute, and lamenting to the verge of whining about what her life used to be, and what it had become. The excuses she made for her husband's bad behavior were infuriating and the fact that she didn't protect her children was inexcusable the next. I agonized over the children and the lasting effects the verbal and physical abuse would have on their lives.

      The ending frustrated and annoyed me. I wanted Bull to live into old age, to become ineffectual and to see himself replaced with the next generation of Marine. Likewise, I wanted to see his children leave home and never look back. To have him die just after the prime of his life was beyond the pale for me, and robbed me of any redeeming value of the novel.

      It is well written, and easy to read. However, feeling that this is merely a publishing of a document that Conroy's therapist may have had him write as part of therapy, I can't recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Conroy's Santini is one of the most colorful, disgusting characters in recent literature.
    • 4/5
      I love everything Conroy has written and this was excellent. The relationships within the family are so real. A story that really pulls you in.
    • 5/5
      The Great Santini is-in my opinion-Conroy's best work to date. Maybe I can relate because I also had a military dad who demanded respect from his family, but I truly found myself engrossed in the story of a father and son who are so different from one another but not.Mild-mannered Ben is uprooted (along with wiseass sister Maryanne, their two younger siblings and their mother) when Bull Meechem (aka the Great Santini) returns home and is relocated by the marines. Through the course of the book, we get to see a year in Ben's life, and all the trials and tribulations he must deal with-and how they are so normal for him after years and years of moving. The ending of the book is extremely moving and we see the family come full circle. I didn't think I would be so moved by this particular book, yet I was. It was also interesting because the reader gets a glimpse of Southern life and individuals in the 1960s, and some of the attitudes that prevailed then.If you want a book you can't put down, choose The Great Santini. I guarantee you won't be disappointed, sportsfans.
    • 5/5
      Since I am such a fan of Pat Conroy, I can't imagine why it has taken me so long to read this book! It is a mastepiece! While this is a disturbing story, and what Conroy book does not have some disturbing aspects, it is a great story. Not only do i think this is a masterpiece, it is one of my husbands favorites.
    • 4/5
      Bull Meecham is a Marine fighter pilot. He likes things in order, including his squadron and his family. He knows when to be tough with his troops and when to be lenient. He hasn't quite gotten it straight with his family. There are times he's fun-loving and times when he's abusive.Ben, his oldest, has no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. Bull shows his love by yelling and screaming at Ben, beating him on occasion and telling him that he WILL join the Marines. MaryAnne is tolerated by Bull. Intelligent but with a bad self image, MaryAnne wants to be a writer, is sarcastic and taunts Bull all the time. She cannot live up to the vision of a Southern woman put forth by Lillian, Bull's wife of 19 years.The Great Santini describes their year in Ravenel, SC. It points out the bigotry of the area, the comraderie of the Marines, Bull's manic/depressive states and the families fear of him. While Conroy's characterizations are wonderful, I didn't love the book as a whole as much as I loved South of Broad and Prince of Tides. His writing wasn't as lyrical. The plot wasn't as absorbing. Conroy is a great writer. I just didn't think this was one of his best.
    • 5/5
      What an emotional ride I had with this book. Conroy captures the essence of growing up in a military family. As the daughter of an Army colonel, I have experienced the same feelings on moving day. "If the birds of the North are born with migratory instinct fused into the albumen of eggs, then the military families of America develop the same instinct out of necessity. They pack, move, unpack, burrow in, and nervously await their next orders." (Pg. 30) He is dead on with his descriptions of how difficult it is to fit into a new school and community every few years knowing that friendships will be shortlived and that another moving day is in the near future.This is a story of an extremely challenging and complex father/son relationship. Bull Meecham is a Marine through and through who treats his family with the same callousness as he would new recruits. The language is quite crude at times, and the book is saturated with dark humor centering around the demonic mean streak and unpredictability of the "Great Santini."Conroy writes with such beauty and honesty that I am grateful he became a writer instead of a Marine fighter pilot. I read this on a trip to Charleston and Beaufort so I can report that he does an outstanding job of depicting the SC low country. One can tell that he has a real affinity for this region, so much so that he has chosen one of the islands for his permanent home.I can't say I "loved" Bull Meecham as the back cover blurb promises, but I do understand that he loves his family deeply in his own warped way. This may be hard for some people to relate to, but as a military brat I totally get it. If Bull Meecham were around today, he would certainly tell everyone to "read this book, sportsfans!" and I concur.
    • 5/5
      Couldn't put this book down - fabulous!
    • 4/5
      This book is about a family who is run by an abusive father who is a Marine fighter pilot. The son is a basketball player who does not like his father. I liked this book because it takes place in South Carolina and because I can relate to the character, Ben, sometimes.
    • 5/5
      Great movie and great book. Robert Duvall was perfect in the role. I saw the movie before reading the book - and feel both were excellent, which is often not the case for a movie/book comparison. Conroy does an excellent job of portraying the career military life, the relationship of father and son, the grittiness of the military world. There are moments between father and son that are painfully palpable and difficult to experience - kind of like real life at times. From my perspective, the best book Conroy has written.
    • 4/5
      I think this is Conroy's greatest book to date. The poignancy of the plainly-autobiographical interaction of the characters is simply masterful.
    • 5/5
      An all-time favorite book about a family dealing with a father's abusive behavior.
    • 5/5
      I was once asked by a year 12 student why she should read a text rather than watching a feature film based on the text? My answer was, "Because writers paint pictures of themes through the use of realistic characters, familiar and unfamiliar settings, and compelling plots" Conroy paints pictures in the reader's mind with his powerful themes of injustice, ignorance, love and brutality.
    • 5/5
      I’ll say upfront that The Great Santini holds the title for the best book I’ve read this year and has a very good chance of retaining that title all year. Santini is the late Pat Conroy's first novel and he always claimed that it is largely autobiographical. In fact, in his penultimate book, The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son, Conroy describes his actual life with his family and his father, Marine fighter pilot Col. Don Conroy, the original Great Santini. This nickname even appears on his military gravestone at the National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina. I usually read two books at one time, one text and one audio and often make sure the books are of different genres so that I don’t mix them up in my head. This time, though, I read The Great Santini while listening to the audio version of The Death of Santini. The experience was a bit confusing but overall it was fascinating. It reminded me of “Ghosts of History” a website where images of soldiers from past wars are superimposed over recent photograph of the same location. It also showed me how actual people from Pat’s life became characters in his novels. Bernie Schein, Conroy’s best friend from high school can be none other than Sammy Wertzberger in Santini.Bottom Line: This is a great novel and its greatness comes from the author’s ability to write what he knows. Ernest Hemingway once said “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Conroy clearly took this advice to heart. Don't miss this one.
    • 4/5
      This book had a huge effect on me, to the point that I could barely stand to finish reading it. I detested the Great Santini and I really do not like Pat Conroy for the boundless, endless, limitless stream of excuses he will make for his father. What a horrible bunch of people, what a lot of excuse-making, what a dreadful tale. It gets four stars because it certainly did make an impression on me, and no one could logically say Conroy is a bad writer. Completely lacking in logic and any insight into himself, sure, but he's a good writer. I had managed to forget about this book, and now it's back in my head, dammit.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I’ve apparently gone about reading Pat Conroy all backward, having started with The Death of Santini and now filling in with his earlier work.In Death of Santini, Conroy provides an autobiographical recap to his earlier work through the prism of dealing with his father’s (The Great Santini) death. Having read this recap, I can now read his earlier “fiction” stories in a different light, recognizing them for their autobiographical underpinnings.Not only having read Death of Santini, but also having seen the movie, The Great Santini, I was very familiar with the story and characters. It is impossible not to envision Robert Duvall when reading about the actions and exploits of Bull Meecham, the narrator’s old school, Marine fighter pilot father, who enjoys a reign of terror over his wife and four children. Ultimately, the movie centers upon the growth and maturation of 18 year old Ben Meecham as he becomes a man, an event that puts him on a collision course with his autocratic father.This is a fantastic read, not only for the action within the Meecham family, but also the look at both the Marine culture and that of 1960s South Carolina. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Inhaltsangabe:Im Mittelpunkt diesen Romanes steht Bull Meecham, auch „Der große Santini“ genannt, und sein ältester Sohn Ben, der an der Schwelle zum Erwachsenwerden steht.Der große Santini kehrt aus Übersee zurück, um in Ravenel, South Carolina, eine eigene Fliegerstaffel zum großen Ruhm zu führen. Seine Frau Lillian und die vier Kinder folgen ihm treu, obgleich sie auch wissen, das es ein schweres Jahr wird, wenn der große Santini zu Hause ist.Lillian, ihrem Mann treu ergeben, findet Trost und Zuversicht in ihrem Glauben, die Kinder finden andere Wege, um mit ihrer Unsicherheit fertig zu werden. Ben, der älteste in dem Quartett, spürt als erstes die Bedrohung von seinem Vater, obgleich er stets auf die feste Bande der Familie zählen kann. So hart und brutal der große Santini auch ist, seine Familie genießt stets auch Schutz.Tatsächlich beginnt sich das Blatt entscheidend zu wenden, als ein junges Mädchen von einem dunkelhäutigen Mann brutal vergewaltigt wird. Alle Schwarzen in Ravenel stehen plötzlich auf dem Prüfstand und es ereignen sich Dramen, deren Ausgänge blutig und tödlich sind. Und auch Ben’s Basketball-Karriere bekommt auf bittere Weise eine andere Wendung und Benn glaubt nicht mehr an bedingungslosem Gehorsam. Aber er bekommt keine Gelegenheit mehr, sich von seinem Vater, dem großen Santini, dem größten Kampfpiloten, zu befreien.Mein Fazit:Ich gebe zu, das das Buch streckenweise nicht sehr unterhaltsam war. Manches hätte der Autor schlichtweg fallen lassen können. Aber irgendwo hat es auch seinen Grund, das der Autor es mit in sein Werk nahm, und so setzen sich aus oft kleinen und unbedeutenden Episoden ein gesamtes Bild vom Süden und von den Menschen im Süden der USA zusammen. Es beschreibt außerdem die Stimmung in einer Zeit, vor dem Vietnam-Krieg und vor den Rassenunruhen, und wie sehr die Familie doch zusammen hielten.Und so sehr Bull Meecham als Tyrann und Despot dargestellt wird, so zeigt es auch eine unverhofft liebevolle Seite, der seine Familie aufrichtig und ehrlich liebt. Ich bin gespannt, wann die Verfilmung dazu wieder mal ausgestrahlt wird. Es wird gemunkelt, das der Autor damit seine eigene Kindheit verarbeitet hat. Trotz der Schwachpunkte ein wunderbares Buch über den Süden!Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt aus Juli 2005.Veröffentlicht am 23.07.15!
    • 4/5
      Lt Col Bull Meecham is a Marine fighter pilot – No – he is the GREATEST Marine Fighter Pilot. Just ask his family or any of the men serving under him. This novel gives us a glimpse of one Marine’s family. Lillian is the gentle, Southern-born wife who tempers her husband’s erratic drive with a cool, steady demeanor. She is the buffer between Bull and their children. But as their first-born, Ben, moves toward high school graduation, he is increasingly at odds with his father. No matter how he excels – at sports or academics – it is never good enough to please the Colonel.

      I really disliked Bull and yet I really liked the novel. Conroy completely drew me into this dysfunctional family and their complicated relationships. I loved the way he gave us insight into his characters by showing us examples of their strengths and weaknesses: Ben one-on-one against his father shooting baskets in the driveway; Mary Anne masking her pain with a smart retort; Bull coming to Ben’s defense against the town bullies; Lillian pleading with Ben to bring his father home.

      As much as I disliked Bull, I grew to love Ben. He is a sensitive boy, growing to manhood, and he is able to glean the good lessons from his father – loyalty to your family and friends, championing the weak, hard work and never giving up – and recognize the poor example as well, vowing to never be like his father in those ways.

      The person I was most infuriated with was Lillian. Her blind devotion to the man she married – or the man she hoped he was – drove me crazy. Even when confronted with specific evidence she refused to see how harmful Bull’s behavior was to her and her children.

      I have had Pat Conroy on my reading radar for a long time, but never read any of his novels before this. I’m certain this won’t be my last Conroy work.
    • 5/5
      This book is gorgeously written, but like most books by Conroy, waits until you're in love with each character to shake you by the scruff of the neck. My daughter put it best: "You're just reading along, having a wonderful time, and then everything goes to shit." Yeah. Worth it, but yeah. (God, I'm going to miss him.)
    • 3/5
      There are a few facts that should go up front in this review. 1) It took me upwards of 2 months to read a 440 page book when I wasn't pressed for time. 2) Whoever at Bantam decided that the type should be itty-bitty and the spacing should be tight is not a friend of mine. 3) I liked the story quite a bit.That being said, the synopsis promised that I would find Bull Meecham dispicable and want to hate him but not be able to. That he was one of Conroy's most horrifying characters. To that I say "Have they met Henry Wingo?" Bull was abusive and hard nose, yes. But so was Wingo. And in my opinion much more so. Bull is an ass, but he is an ass who we can understand since we see more of his life than we can hear about from his family. and as a side note i found MaryAnne to be the least likeable character, not Bull.Did Santini make me want to dive into another COnroy work like Prince of Tides did. No. Am I glad I stuck through it. Absolutely.