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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Initially I hated A Separate Peace. I thought it was boring and stupid, but as I thought about it afterward I found that it was tolerable and actually had some good lessons about friendship and brotherhood.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
OH MY GOSH. I HAD TO READ THIS BOOK FOR SCHOOL BUT I WAS PLEASENTLY SURPRISED ABOUT HOW GOOD IT WAS. I QUICKLY BECAME VERY ATTCHED TO FINNY, AND I WAS HEART BROKEN WHEN HE DIED. LIKE LITTERALLY CRYING IN CLASS. GREAT USE OF METAPHORS AND HIDDEN (and deep) THEMES IN THIS BOOK. I LOVED IT.
This book will always be one of my favorites- I read it at the right time back in high school, and even when reading it again, that same feeling stays with me when I'm done.
From my blog:
For some reason, ever since high school I had always wanted to read this book. In freshman engligh we were assigned a differenct classic in group of 3 or 4 to read and discuss together, then present to the class. I, unfortunately, was assigned 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. I will not be reviewing that book on this blog. I hated it. For my 14-year-old mind, reading about babies being mass-produced in test tubes was not appealing. However, when my friends who read this book by John Knowles presented, my interests were drawn.
This book is about 2 boys at a boarding school during WW2. (I know you're starting to sense the theme, here...) I don't what it was about their presentation of the storyline, but it always seemed interesting and I made a mental note to read it at some point in my lifetime. Well, that point has now come and gone.
I read this last month and thought it was pretty good. I'm certainly not going to do it justice after the many reviews it's received. After all, it's a classic. If I'm being honest, there were definitely times that I was bored. I know that I was supposed to be soaking in all the literary elements that I am sure were used masterfully by Mr. Knowles, but I just wasn't diggin' on it. For me, there was too much description of landscape, too much of the psychological elements occurring being left up to interpretation by the reader. I don't want to interpret, John. I want you to delve into the deep psychological issues you're hinting at and really give me something gripping to think through. I don't want to have to guess at what your alluding to. Sorry.
I'm sure that's very anti-literature appreciation of me, but that's kind of how I felt as I read along. Don't get me wrong, the story was great. There were just some things I felt like yelling at the author in the process of reading it. All in all, I will say that this would be one that would be better read alongside other people. I feel discussion would greatly aid in one's appreciation of this work.
For some reason, ever since high school I had always wanted to read this book. In freshman engligh we were assigned a differenct classic in group of 3 or 4 to read and discuss together, then present to the class. I, unfortunately, was assigned 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. I will not be reviewing that book on this blog. I hated it. For my 14-year-old mind, reading about babies being mass-produced in test tubes was not appealing. However, when my friends who read this book by John Knowles presented, my interests were drawn.
This book is about 2 boys at a boarding school during WW2. (I know you're starting to sense the theme, here...) I don't what it was about their presentation of the storyline, but it always seemed interesting and I made a mental note to read it at some point in my lifetime. Well, that point has now come and gone.
I read this last month and thought it was pretty good. I'm certainly not going to do it justice after the many reviews it's received. After all, it's a classic. If I'm being honest, there were definitely times that I was bored. I know that I was supposed to be soaking in all the literary elements that I am sure were used masterfully by Mr. Knowles, but I just wasn't diggin' on it. For me, there was too much description of landscape, too much of the psychological elements occurring being left up to interpretation by the reader. I don't want to interpret, John. I want you to delve into the deep psychological issues you're hinting at and really give me something gripping to think through. I don't want to have to guess at what your alluding to. Sorry.
I'm sure that's very anti-literature appreciation of me, but that's kind of how I felt as I read along. Don't get me wrong, the story was great. There were just some things I felt like yelling at the author in the process of reading it. All in all, I will say that this would be one that would be better read alongside other people. I feel discussion would greatly aid in one's appreciation of this work.
I picked this up when we were clearing out my parents house and it sat on my shelf for at least 2 years unread. I was fairly confident I read it in high school, but like a ton of classic literature I couldn't remember if I'd actually read it or just know that it's a classic. This persisted through the first third of the book until something happened and everything clicked.
This is a solid book and should remain on the classic literature list. The author does a great job of bringing you back to your teenage years, where you want to be popular and are happy to be "chosen" by the popular kid as the sidekick. At one point in the book the boys throw a random party, and the description of how they picked out what to do, bringing supplies to the field, etc. was spot on. You feel like you're there, sneaking through campus while likely not realizing how loud you are and that the professors/teachers 100% know what's going on.
The book does a great job exploring guilt, how we try to push it down, how we try to ignore the facts to make ourself look better, and how we can lie to ourselves about events. A great read.
This is a solid book and should remain on the classic literature list. The author does a great job of bringing you back to your teenage years, where you want to be popular and are happy to be "chosen" by the popular kid as the sidekick. At one point in the book the boys throw a random party, and the description of how they picked out what to do, bringing supplies to the field, etc. was spot on. You feel like you're there, sneaking through campus while likely not realizing how loud you are and that the professors/teachers 100% know what's going on.
The book does a great job exploring guilt, how we try to push it down, how we try to ignore the facts to make ourself look better, and how we can lie to ourselves about events. A great read.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes