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A review by imsarah_moran
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
5.0
Wow. All I can say that will sufficiently sum up my thoughts and feelings about this book is wow. I didn't know what to think or feel when I shut up the book and sat there, dazed at what I had just read. Should I cry? Should I chuck this book at the wall? Should I vow to never read it again? No, I couldn't do that. All I could say was, "Wow."
Okay. Wow isn't the only thing I can say. I need to say more. I was not expecting nor desiring such a wild ride of emotions, but the seat was offered in with a friendly air and grin, I had to accept it. I'm glad I did, but then I'm not. But I kept asking myself this one thing: why?
Why Phineas?
Why Gene?
Why cruel world?
Why?
You see how conflicting this book is? My yes means no and my no means yes. Phineas is such a charming, funny guy who is yet so innocent and childish. Gene is an introverted overachiever who has "a savage underneath." My, how the tables have turned! Nothing is as it seems! Their friendship was so beautiful yet complicated and confusing at times, but overall, amazing. Finny was my absolute favorite! This book was funny and charming because of him. Literally, he's one of my favorite characters by far. And Gene? Well, I have a few questions to ask him when he figures out life. You would think that the cliches and stereotypes of these kinds of characters such as these two friends would be thriving in this story. But no! We cannot trust anyone yet we cannot distrust someone simply based on what we perceive them to be. There are so many layers to a person that has to be laboriously peeled off, one by one, to see the nitty gritty of that person to understand who they truly are. Our faces are merely masks, but our eyes are a window to our soul and our hearts are the story keeper of who we really are and where we came from to get to where we are know.
John Knowles did a splendid, a superb job of analyzing and describing the human condition in this book. The war really did change lives and he makes a point of that in the story. Gosh, I don't think I will ever forget or stop thinking about "A Separate Peace." I loved it, then I hated it. See? I'm a mess.
Okay. Wow isn't the only thing I can say. I need to say more. I was not expecting nor desiring such a wild ride of emotions, but the seat was offered in with a friendly air and grin, I had to accept it. I'm glad I did, but then I'm not. But I kept asking myself this one thing: why?
Why Phineas?
Why Gene?
Why cruel world?
Why?
You see how conflicting this book is? My yes means no and my no means yes. Phineas is such a charming, funny guy who is yet so innocent and childish. Gene is an introverted overachiever who has "a savage underneath." My, how the tables have turned! Nothing is as it seems! Their friendship was so beautiful yet complicated and confusing at times, but overall, amazing. Finny was my absolute favorite! This book was funny and charming because of him. Literally, he's one of my favorite characters by far. And Gene? Well, I have a few questions to ask him when he figures out life. You would think that the cliches and stereotypes of these kinds of characters such as these two friends would be thriving in this story. But no! We cannot trust anyone yet we cannot distrust someone simply based on what we perceive them to be. There are so many layers to a person that has to be laboriously peeled off, one by one, to see the nitty gritty of that person to understand who they truly are. Our faces are merely masks, but our eyes are a window to our soul and our hearts are the story keeper of who we really are and where we came from to get to where we are know.
John Knowles did a splendid, a superb job of analyzing and describing the human condition in this book. The war really did change lives and he makes a point of that in the story. Gosh, I don't think I will ever forget or stop thinking about "A Separate Peace." I loved it, then I hated it. See? I'm a mess.