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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great prose, but absolutely nothing of interest happens!! I was waiting for some deep tragedy, mystery or intrigue but it's just pure boys' school slice-of-life. If you enjoy stuff like Dead Poets Society, though, this is perfect for you (although that at least had the main anti-toxic authority plot)
This is one of my favorite books. The bond between Gene and Phineas struck a chord with me when I read it in high school, since I was a quiet introvert who had a best friend who was more outgoing (although not to the extreme of Phineas). How that relationship changes and Gene changes affected me strongly at that time, and watching a film version of the book (with an excellent soundtrack) only increased how much the book (and its ending) moved me.
Just reread this and enjoyed it as much as the first time.
A Separate Peace: Or, Be Careful about Climbing Trees
Meet Gene. He's a your average, normal teenager growing up in boarding school during WWII. He's pretty much a basic bitch.
Meet Phineas. He's wild and fun and always captures everyone's attention. He seems like he's got it all and everyone loves him no matter what cause he's just so FUN. But does Phineas really know what he's doing?
Gene and Phineas are best friends. Gene is insecure and gets a lil jealous of his best friend and his amiable well-loved nature. Enter: a tree. Things are never quite the same afterwards and we learn that life is more complicated and harried than anyone can imagine, especially with the war looming over everyone.
I related to both of the main characters and many of their sentiments, even though I did NOT grow up in a boarding school during WWII. I did, however, attend an all-boys Catholic school and can very much relate to many of the other shenanigans that occurred.
Ultimately, A Separate Peace brought up the question of friendship. Should we compare ourselves to our friends? Are we in a constant competition? Or can we just be happy for each other and realize there are more important things in the world? It's an interesting discussion to contemplate. Gene thought Phineas had it all figured out but Phineas was just struggling like the rest of us. Communication is KEY. Don't hide your feelings... it will only lead to tragedy.
Meet Gene. He's a your average, normal teenager growing up in boarding school during WWII. He's pretty much a basic bitch.
Meet Phineas. He's wild and fun and always captures everyone's attention. He seems like he's got it all and everyone loves him no matter what cause he's just so FUN. But does Phineas really know what he's doing?
Gene and Phineas are best friends. Gene is insecure and gets a lil jealous of his best friend and his amiable well-loved nature. Enter: a tree. Things are never quite the same afterwards and we learn that life is more complicated and harried than anyone can imagine, especially with the war looming over everyone.
I related to both of the main characters and many of their sentiments, even though I did NOT grow up in a boarding school during WWII. I did, however, attend an all-boys Catholic school and can very much relate to many of the other shenanigans that occurred.
Ultimately, A Separate Peace brought up the question of friendship. Should we compare ourselves to our friends? Are we in a constant competition? Or can we just be happy for each other and realize there are more important things in the world? It's an interesting discussion to contemplate. Gene thought Phineas had it all figured out but Phineas was just struggling like the rest of us. Communication is KEY. Don't hide your feelings... it will only lead to tragedy.
I’ve been meaning to read this since it was an “optional read” in sixth grade. I understand how it’s a classic and I appreciate a lot of the subtext. I thought some of the writing was jumbled and clumsy, and I think I may have gotten more from the book if read at a different time.
My homoerotic bestie never jostled me out of a tree and I, personally, am upset about it