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tstuppy's review
5.0
Second time, still strong. It is a great campus novel, a little weird at times for sure but in the right direction.
batbones's review against another edition
3.0
A bit of trouble remembering the characters, their names and roles.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
2.0
I had a couple of déja-vu's reading this coming of age tale set in a boys' prep school during WW2. For a while I thought I might have read it before. I've certainly encountered the stereotypical characters of the prep-school before, and even the crippled chemistry teacher seemed oddly familiar. The school politics, the erotic trysts of the staff and the teenage insecurities and relentless hazing may be true to life, but don't make an original novel. The fragmentary storytelling leaves little room for character development, and the story suffers from a lack of substance. The writing is good though, as always with Yates.
d_wnks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
meluquette's review
3.0
-Not as good as Revolutionary Road, but it was fine
-A quick read with a large cast of characters
-I probably got some characters mixed up every now and then bc there were so many
-I have to write an essay on this now... bye
-A quick read with a large cast of characters
-I probably got some characters mixed up every now and then bc there were so many
-I have to write an essay on this now... bye
djgarraway's review
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A Good School, A Great Novel - 4.5 stars
Set at a prep school over the bleak backdrop of war, this book is one of the better bildungsroman stories I’ve read. While similar to Knowles’s A Separate Peace, I enjoyed this Yates narrative more because of its honesty. Yates is frank about boarding school culture—smoking, hazing, sex—and, doing so, uncovered each character’s essential humanity. Everyone is a protagonist, each with unique flaws. While the story isn’t shocking, the plot is riveting. We glimpse into the lives of many different people within the school’s network; we’re wrapped in the rumours and teenage antics. And yet, Yates still nicely laces the narrative with the melancholia of the war.
Set at a prep school over the bleak backdrop of war, this book is one of the better bildungsroman stories I’ve read. While similar to Knowles’s A Separate Peace, I enjoyed this Yates narrative more because of its honesty. Yates is frank about boarding school culture—smoking, hazing, sex—and, doing so, uncovered each character’s essential humanity. Everyone is a protagonist, each with unique flaws. While the story isn’t shocking, the plot is riveting. We glimpse into the lives of many different people within the school’s network; we’re wrapped in the rumours and teenage antics. And yet, Yates still nicely laces the narrative with the melancholia of the war.
akawecka15's review against another edition
3.0
It's well written, but lacks any plot. It's just a bunch of stuff that happens over the time of a few years at a boarding school for boys. I feel like it just wasn't for me, that if i were a boy, it would be more entertaining?...
I have the same weird feeling about this book, that I had about "The Virgin Suicides". These books are nothing alike, but i can't get a handle on both of them. With this one and "TVS" i thought: "oh, that's it? that's the book? was it supposed to mean something, did i miss anything, what's the point of it?" Just meh.
I have the same weird feeling about this book, that I had about "The Virgin Suicides". These books are nothing alike, but i can't get a handle on both of them. With this one and "TVS" i thought: "oh, that's it? that's the book? was it supposed to mean something, did i miss anything, what's the point of it?" Just meh.
leolu208's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
apagewithaview's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I love Yates' prose, however there were just too many characters in this and not enough time to focus on them individually. Overall still a very enjoyable read and would recommend to any fan of Revolutionary Road. Also this gave me a little bit of the Dead Poets Society vibes I'd been hoping for.