John Knowles's a Separate Peace

John Knowles' A Separate Peace is a great book about trust, betrayal, friendship, and finding your true identity. The book, set in 1942, at the beginning of WWII for America, shows a great deal about trust and friendship at that time. Through out the book we see the actions of two friends and how one trust the other in such a great way that he forgives the other for literally ruining his life ( Finny forgiving Gene for making him fall from the tree ). It really shows the bond that friendship meant back in the early forties. Also there is a lot of betrayal and distrust in the story. For example Gene starts to get it in his head that Finny and him are in this competition and it drives him so far into anger that he hurts the person who really cared and trusted him. This shows how the human heart is naturally distrustful, and shows how much humans read on into something farther then needed. This book is a very provocative example of the stages that people go through to get to who they truly are, their true identity.

A Seperate Peace is often required reading for young adults in High School. I find that most students cannot appreciate the nature of fear and the process of adolescence, when they are in the midst of it themselves. John Knowles defines the power of forgivness and the pain of never being able to go back again. It is well worth revisiting, if for no other reason than to see how much you've grown since High School.

I read A Separate Peace when I was in eigth grade. It touched me then, and now -- nearly twenty years later -- it is still one of my annual reads. The characters of Gene and Phineas are so well-developed that you feel you know these two boys and the special relationship they share. Despite the terrible thing Gene does to Finny, it is virtually impossible to dislike Gene, just as it is impossible to dislike Finny. If you're looking for cars exploding, guns blazing, and curse words every other page, the book is not for you. However, if you're trying to take a realistic peek into the workings of the adolescent male mind in 1942, then you would not want to miss this book. It is truly tragic, and I recall twenty years ago that when I read the words, "Your friend is dead" from the novel, I had to put it down and did not read the last few pages for nearly two weeks. It's a sensitive subject addressed in a sensitive manner.

This book is a must-read for teenagers, in fact for everyone. I loved this book and thought that it was a very real portrayal of life as an adolecent. Phineas is an amazing character who is very well developed and has a very special quality about him. There were times reading this book that I wished I knew someone like Phineas and that he was my friend. He is the kind of person that almost wills you to bend to his thinking but does it with a skill that makes you feel good about your decision. As the book progresses and Finny and Gene's relationship changes you become enthraled in their feelings and the tragedy that has occured to change that friendship. I recommend the book A Seperate Peace to any teenager who wants to see a truly amazing peer in Phineas.