A Separate Peace

By John Knowles

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. An American classic and great bestseller for over sixty years, A Separate Peace is timeless coming-of-age novel about friendship, rivalry, and adolescence during a period when the entire country was losing its innocence to World War II. Set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.

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Published Sep 30, 2003

208 pages

Average rating: 6.85

125 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

etoilers
10/10 stars
The other reviews for this book seem to focus on the fact that they were required to read it and that it was boring. It's not supposed to be Harry Potter. It's literature. You're supposed to read it for its meaning - the themes - in this case about the 'something ignorant in the human heart' that leads to wars. It has more in common with Lord of the Flies. It's filled with symbols, doubles, and beautiful imagery. If you aren't into reading serious books that are about serious things, then it's not for you. I read it because I'd always heard about it and I have a soft spot for New England and for war time stories. I really liked it. I honestly can't see what people found so boring about it.
KatWhyte
10/10 stars
A timeless description of adolescent boys and loss of innocence. Set in a New Hampshire boys' school during WWII.
pumpkinfreckles
4/10 stars
Great writing, but S L O W. It felt like a chore to read.
GwaR
10/10 stars
This is one of those rare books that made me want to live and show up in my life differently.
postcoffeepoop
this abridged audiobook was okay but I'm gonna need to listen to the unabridged. always loved this story.

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