A Separate Peace

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Summary: One of the best books ever written
Review: As a sophomore in high school, my older sister was assigned this book for her English class. In an effort to emulate her (a continued goal throughout my adolescence) I stole her copy, and proceeded to be exposed to one of the greatest novels I have ever had the opportunity to read. Since then, I have reread A Separate Peace time and time again, each time becoming more enraptured with this classic tale. A must-read for anyone.

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Summary: every thing & its exact opposite are true at the same time.
Review: Jeane and finny, freinds , lovers(?), rivals. the age is such the time for heros .During the grandest war of all times. That little things still matter - that the tree climbing is as important, perhaps more important than D day, that those we love so dearly we also hate so, oh so intesly. A book which has a seamless strucure, a story which has no hero's, but like all classics, no villians a plot that is minimal and authentic. The battle of that inner comlex universe that of the mind.when you open this book be prepared to be unnerved, there is a little bit of jeane in all of us and a little bit of envy for finny that we would rather not confront - ever. the discriptions of the halls of resident, that classic line that the school stopped existing the day i left it and so much more. you could not do better then read this book. and by chance if knowles is reading this is to say that it was a masterpiece because he is able to bring out the sahdes of a frinedship we rather not look at. would love to hear from other people what they thought of the book on my e mail.

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Summary: The sad result of required reading
Review: Now I remember why I stopped teaching English. The snotty, sophomoric attacks on "A Separate Peace" suggest that no book deserves to be placed on a required reading list. Before posting such ignorant responses, remember this French saying: "When a book and a brain collide with a hollow sound, the sound does not necessarily originate in the book."

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Summary: Be A Seperate Place from A Seperate Peace
Review: When you sit and read "A Seperate Place," be prepared to be horribly dissppointed. The publisher tries to get you hooked by all the names that enjoyed this book. However, when you get right down to it, this is a horrible book. The best part is the first three pages when Gene is 15 years older, and wiser. Couldn't he have realized that breaking your best friend's leg isn't that big of a deal? According to the publisher, this book deals with "the dark forces...of adolescence." Excuse me? With World War II as a backdrop, having a kid break his leg won't cause the entire school (each student, it seems, wants to be drafted) to accuse Gene of what happened. Don't teenagers have better things to do? When Finny (Gene's pal with the broken leg) dies, Gene finally feels bad about what happened, but the school population doesn't seem to care. Wait a minute...everyone is so mad at Gene about the broken leg, but when Finny dies, whoa, let's graduate and party! This book is terrible. Don't waste your time.

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Summary: An excellent story!
Review: Okay. Now, I'm not truly old enough to read a book like this. But it's summer reading program time and I thought I'd get ahead by reading a literary classic like this. Here's the deal, I'm really kind of young to read it. I'll be in eigth grade soon to be exact. But that's not the point. I understood the book. The friendship between Phinny and Gene is similar to one I have with my friend. Kind of competitive. But that's what makes them good. You like some things about them and some you don't. And I thought it was a wonderful book. I'll probably have to read it again in high school. And to tell the truth I wouldn't mind reading this wonderful book again.

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Summary: Horrible....An Overated Piece of Garbage
Review: This book is the most contrived, foolish, clumsy, unrealistic book i've ever read. I have read science fiction novels, set at the far reaches of the galaxy, that seem more realistic than "A Seperate Peace" The plot is contrived, forced, and a piece of garbage. The period references and tie ins to the world war are clumsy and stupid, with such memorable lines as "You sound like General MacArthur!" which seem to beat you over the head with the fact that yes, in 1942, there was a large war going on. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!

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Summary: U want a book about friends and their hardships? This is it.
Review: This book is so good. When I first read about it, I was like, this book is going to be bad, but I was wrong. It is one of the best books I have read. Some parts want to make you laugh out loud, others want you to cry right along with them, and then there are those parts where you wish they never had to end. This is a book about Gene and Finny in 1942 during WWII, they are at an all boys school in Vermont-sorry girls, there are no girls involved in this book. Something bad happens to Finny, who is an all-star athlete with a ton of records, that makes it so he will never be able to play again and everyone blames it on Gene. The thing is, Gene really did do it. Will he ever tell Finny the truth? or does someone have to pry it from him? I know what happens. You will just have to read and find out. Join them on their adventures and watch them find "A Seperate Peace".

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Summary: a book i know i'll read again
Review: I read this book in 9th grade and thought it was great. I've just turned 24 and i still think of it as one of my favorite books. A Separate Peace examines the complexities of friendship and rivalry and exposes the way in which human beings, even good friends, can behave as a result of their own insecurities. I won't forget this book because there are so few other reminders of the danger that lies in letting ourselves behave in ways that we may already know will result in tragedy.Many of the reviews posted seem to focus on Phineas as being the good guy and Gene suffering from paranoia and of ultimately being the bad guy, but i always thought that both guys influenced each other and that jealousy was felt on both sides. Of course, Gene's actions caused a much greater tragedy to take place than just the failing of a trigonometry test, but what i found most interesting was the way in which each could see so clearly the strengths of the other and how this served to amplify their own weaknesses to themselves. Rather than build on their strengths or to help each other out, they chose to make themselves feel better by thriving on the other's weaknesses.

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Summary: A interesting book
Review: This book is pretty easy for a English 2 Honors required reading book. It is short and easy to understand. The story is nice and I can relate to it because it's about a high school student. The story is nice and shows how a person can just burst and express his anger and jealousy in such an evil way to his best friend who reveres him so much.

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Summary: Ugh.
Review: Alright Let me stat off by saying that this book stinks. It is boring and slow . Finny is the typical egotistical Jock so he had itcoming to him for getting gene to do all of those things like skip school and go to the beach , which in the long run caused him to fail his trigonometry test. If it was me I would have also shook the branch!!!