lindy_b 's review for:

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
2.0

The first word that comes to mind to describe Peyton Place is "uneven." The descriptions of the local scenery through the seasons are beautiful, and Allison MacKenzie's concluding impressions of the town are iconic. That being said, I felt like the book was either about half as long as it needed to be, or else twice too long.

I had trouble keeping track of all the characters, and I'm not sure why the author chose to write from the viewpoints of so many of them, considering some had nothing resembling a character arc, and I didn't find myself caring much about them. On the other hand, whatever happened to Betty Andersen? Or Norman Page? I also would have liked to see Kathy Elsworth's character developed more.