A Separate Peace

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed this book.
Review: A Separate Peace had an interesting point of view. It tells the story of the friendship of two young men, Gene and Finny, in their high school years during World War II. I enjoyed the book because I found it amusing to hear the thoughts of Gene and his point of view toward Finny while Finny actually played the part of a true and caring friend. I also found it disappointing and depressing that Gene had the feelings that he had towards Finny. Gene had a selfish and competitive character, only looking out for himself. The book had more of a sad side than a happy side, but it taught some valuable lessons.

Rating:
Summary: A complex story that was hard to follow, but enjoyable.
Review: I had very mixed feelings when I began reading this book. It bothered me in a sense that I was only scratching the surface of the tue meaning of what the author had written. There always seemed to have a piece of emotion that I could not pick up on, and and only when we began to review the book in class did I begin to see the real struggle of Gene and Finny. I found the book to be very easy reading, just the symbolism and underlying themes hard to understand. The meaning of the bool has not become completely clear to me even now, and it just keeps throwing up more questions than it can answer. Overall I found the story enjoyable, and I like the challenges it brought up.

Rating:
Summary: An incredible novel filled with symbolism and imagination
Review: My Response to the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, can only describe the book as outstanding. The novel keeps the reader into the story. John Knowles does a wonderful job using symbolism and everyday actions and thoughts of teenagers,which gives teenagers something to relate with. The setting of the story does a wonderful job of establishing the mood. The novel has many symbols which can make the novel hard to understand if the reader does not pay close attention. The novel can not be described as action packed, but the novel does keep the reader in some suspense and very interested. I personally loved the novel and would recommend it to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: A book about jealousy and friendship between two friends.
Review: A Seperate Peace is a well written book about jealousy and friendship. This book sets itself in a prep school in New Hampshire during World War II. I really was amazed by the symbolism contained in this book. Two symbols in the story were the tree along the river bank and the water that was present commonly throughout the story. Also this book displayed many examples in the understanding of true friendship. During the story Gene felt scruples inside him. He felt bad because he had injured Finny and Finny acted like it was no one's fault. Also I enjoy the way John Knowles gave such intricate detail about the setting of the story. John Knowles painted a picture on my mind that showed me what everything looked like at Devon. I think this book should be read by other students. I would recommend this book to anyone. I though the book served a good purpose in demonstrating what exactly true frienship means. Also, the author gave intricate details about the setting and he gave plenty symbolism. I hope you have a chance to enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: it was not realistic enough& BORING
Review: A Seperate Peace was an alright book. It had a few good points and tried to bring out many ideas of life today through the teenagers in the book. I had to read it for my English I Honors class. If my teacher would not have made us read it over the summer, I most likely would never have read it on my own. Every time i started reading it, I wound up asleep. It didn't matter where i was at, I could have been in the loudest place in the world, and still have fallen asleep if I was reading this book. If you have sleeping problems, this book is the cure. The characters do not seem realistic enough to me. Maybe that is how teeneagers really acted in the 1940's, but today that is not how we act or talk. Also, if I don't like somone, I surely wouldn't hang around with him all the time and let the person rule my life. I would stay away from the person and not talk to him as much as possible. Don't read the book on your own, only read it if the teacher makes you read it. And even if it comes to that, I recommend just failing, it's not worth the waste of your time.

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed reading A Separate Peace.
Review: The characters,Finny and Gene,were very well developed. They seemed real and life-like. I felt like I could know bothj of these people. The book also deals with a common problem betweenpeople which is jealousy and misunderstanding. I can understand what these two things feel like and that helped to bring me closer in to the book. A Separate Peace contains many important symbols. By reconizing these symbols I got a better understanding of the book and its characters. I could look at the situation in different ways.

Rating:
Summary: A realistic story of coming to age
Review: "A Seperate Peace" by John Knolwes gives an exceptional example of the kind of novels that I enjoy reading. The protagonist, Gene, seemed to come to life throughout the story. The conflict between Gene and his "best friend", Finny, could happen to anyone in the world today. I think that Knolwes tries to express throughout the novel on what jealousy can do to a speacial friendship. Knolwes set up the plot beautifully which captivated me. The setting, which was the war, provided a perfect background to what occured between Gene and his friend Finny. The story's ending was a solemn but hopeful one and it completed Knolwes' master-piece.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Brightened Up My Summer?
Review: The novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, deeply expresses the jealousy and betrayal as well as the joyfulness and loyalty found in close friendships among adolescents. Knowles highlights these feelings with a vivid setting that sparks flashbacks from readers all around the world, and engraves an even fuller picture in their minds. The underlying symbolism combined with the delicately crafted plot complete the novel, and provide the reader with a sure treat that will remain with them. I therefore, commend the novel with a **** rating for it's excellent portrayal of the relationship between two young boys who quickly find themselves becoming young men.

Rating:
Summary: Does not capture the attention of the reader. Yet, good plot
Review: I found A Seperate Peace to be a well written novel with an excellent plot. However, Knowles fails to capture the attention of the reader. Knowles uses a lot of symbolism, but too little action. This creates an excellent novel for those with little else to read. I would prefer to read something a bit more interesting. I would recommend this novel for those who are looking for a well written novel with lots of symbolism and forshadowing.

Rating:
Summary: Discusses the conflict and it's impact on the story.
Review: John Knowles created an enjoyable novel in a Separate Peace. The novel contained two different conflicts that made it enjoyable. They were Gene vesus Finny and Academics Versus Athletics. The conflict between Gene and Finny dealt with Gene's jealousy of Finny's attributes. To me the characters Gene and Finny were developed well, which made the conflict easy to follow. Both possessed many characteristics of normal high school students. The Academiscs versus Athletics conflict interested me, since I personally live with that conflict each day. Both conflicts triggered my thuoghts about friendships and competition between friends. My opinion drifted from competition has no place between friends to competition can have a place in friendships. Overall I enjoyed A Separate Peace and recommend the novel to those who enjoy a thought provoking literary conflict.