A Separate Peace

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Summary: a separate peace
Review: in my view I hated this book with every fiber of my existance. but no Im seriouse this book was awful the book is dry no action no romance not even a good thrill. at its best it gets a 2 but that would be pushing it so unless your looking for a good nap don't read it.

Rating:
Summary: A separate Peace
Review: The interesting book about a friendship between two teenage boys was written by John Knowles. Rivalry arises between the friends and emotions take over. This book left me in suspense on what the outcome would be. A turn at the end comes unexpectedly.

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Summary: TIRED OF THESE...KID'S WRITTINGS
Review: When you look at a novel you don't attempt to look at the piece from the writer's point of view, you're supposed to find yourself in the writing. Some little flaw the character has, may be something you have, and there you find your connection. I read through some of the reviews and am appalled by some of these people who claim to love reading, but don't know how to even begin to structure a sentence. Let alone add any sort of punctuation, for shame. In one review, the author stated "I mean, I love to read," but immediately followed this with abbreviations such as "j/k" and "lol." Let me assure you, either you or your english teacher needs a good smack with a dictionary. Maybe then some sort of intelligence will spring loose from the roach motel your minds have become. Don't think that I'm some belittling adult either, I am a seventeed year old, like, hopefully, many of you. So, I find it shocking that one could delve so superficially into an endless sea of depth that is "A Separate Peace." There is more than the occasional "brilliant" metaphor, the whole story itself and of itself is a walking, breathing metaphor. It picked up on a paper trail long abandoned by Salinger, who is a genius in his own right. Maybe you nineth and tenth graders should seriously dig a little deeper than surface level on the things you read. Find something more than between the lines; find between the pages. Find between the chapters! Just find something, anything that will make you realize the book for yourselves. So ends my review (Which is more a review on the reviews) of the novel (not "book," how dullard is the word book when addressing a novel) "A Separate Peace."

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Summary: ...
Review: Many other people have all ready posted story summaries and their thoughts on this book, so I won't bother. I finished it about half an hour ago, and only in these last few moments have I stopped crying. I'm one of those kids who had to read it for English class. It's a beautifully tragic story, and is something that will follow me for a long time to come. Forgiving my lack of eloquency, please take my recomendation: It's a book you should read.

Rating:
Summary: A Separate Opinion
Review: To the many high school students writing (misspelled and immature) reviews of this book, I can understand where your opinions are coming from, even though you could have expressed yourself a great deal better. I, too, am in high school, and I too am forced to slog through really, really boring books (such as The Grapes of Wrath, which was both boring and long) This book is not the fastest read in the world, or the most suspenseful. If you need to be constantly entertained, this is not the book for you.
However, I found a great deal of meaning in this book. The symbolism is brilliant, and the characters, while not given a great deal of exposition, are both wonderfully drawn and realistic. I feel like many people have simplistic understandings of these characters, (Finny as the "jock," and Gene as the "bad guy") But the truth is that John Knowles's characters are more complex than that, and everyone has met people like these in their real lives.
It is also interesting to note that Devon Academy, the setting of the novel, was based on John Knowles's real-life school Exeter. My father went to this school and it was interesting to compare their memories.
I would recommend this book to anyone who does not need a very taut and fast-paced style of writing or plot, but likes a deep read that stays with you for a long time.

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Summary: Important Reading for Teenagers and a Great Read for Anyone
Review: As a young and (hopefully) educated teenager, I feel the need to read novels designated as classics for their eternal applicability to modern times and situations. A Separate Peace is on that list as one of the most influential American books of the twentieth century. More than a story of WWII or the stodgy New England private school scene, I think A Separate Peace largely chronicles life as a teenager and so it was particularly interesting to me. More than a litany of trivial occurrences that many believe to be the constituents of teenage life, Knowles poignantly chronicles teenage disillusionment, loss of innocence that is concomitant with maturity, and several other profound aspects unique to young adulthood. The characterizations are practically flawless, especially that of Phineas and his relationship with Gene, the narrator. Gene is your everyman, slightly above "average" but not really excellent at anything. He marvels at and secretly envies Phineas's amazing physical adeptness and skill, as well as his unaffected personal magnetism (a definition of a person who just seems to attract people around him, so that he is always being watched and his lead followed.) This almost childhood jealousy has very grave consequences as, in the setting of WWII's loss of innocence, these 16-year-olds go through the trials, tribulations, and nostalgia of growing up too quickly.

This convoluted analysis clearly doesn't do justice to the subtle but prescient insights made by Knowles, I highly recommend it of course to all adults as pointed critique of society and to any juveniles who can suffer a book longer than fifty pages and without gunfight scenes(as it seems that some reviewers can't do.)

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Summary: Deep; compelling and comsuming
Review: I find it so strange that people hate this book so much! I know that it is high school ciriculum, so maybe books that are assigned are less enjoyable? I don't know, but I read this book in 7th grade for fun and today, so many years later, it does not fail to bring tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. I learned so much about life from this book. Jealosy is not something to be locked away and forgotten about. It is something you must face, or the consequences will be great. This is a short but powerful read that I would not reccomend to anyone under the age of 12. If you enjoy stories about times during World War II or teen struggles, then I am sure you will find something meaningful or perhaps even enjoyable in this beautiful story.

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Summary: Storytelling at it's finest.
Review: I have read this book several times over the years and with each reading I always pick up something new and revealing. Because the characters are so well developed a reader can't help but to become so attached and truly experience storytelling at a very intimate level - a level that few novels achieve. If you liked A Separate Peace, I would encourage you to read my novel, YOURS, AIDEN.

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Summary: Forced to read
Review: Last year (grade 9) this book was required to read. I am not a huge fan of reading books my high school supplied because [I don't like] the majority of them .... Anyways, I thought I would give this book a try, like I always do because I am a major fan of reading, and unlike most of my classmates I actually read the book, and it was very very hard. I do not recommend this book to anyone, but im sure lots of people like it, lol seeing as not everyone has the same opinion as I (Really?? j/k) so, read it if you are interested, but I found it long and boring. (The book itself is not long, but boring books always tend to go on and on and never stop)

Rating:
Summary: A Separate Peace
Review: I just read the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I wouldn't recomend this to a student who does not enjoy reading. This book is not very catchy and doesn't really keep the reader interested. I think that is a big part of writing a book. The parts of a book that would make it interested dont really stand out. I Would not recomend this book.