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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.
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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.
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Summary: A Seperate Piece
Review: A Seperate Piece is a great book, based on two friends during a time where friendships were tough. The book is during WWII. This book shows the positive and negative sides about a friendship. It allows you to see how bets friends can still have flaws. This shows the jealousy and envy of one friend, to the point where he accidentely kills his best friend. All in all I liked the way John Knowles shows both the good and bad side of friendships.
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Summary: A Separate Peace
Review: I read A Separate Peace for my english class. The book started off interesting but as it continued it seemed to get less interesting. There were some good parts in the book such as when Gene goes to vist Leper at his home in Vermont after his discharge. Also when Gene has his accident with Finny. I would not recommend this book for people to read unless they enjoy books that seem to go on forever.
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Summary: A Separate Peace Of Life
Review: This book is a classic in american literature and institutes the literary elements that are essential to strong story telling and enhancing the idea that the author wants to get across to the reader.During the story the characters have entered thoughts and feelings throughout the main plot and the story has been set up as being during a war and the story actually has nothing to do with the war and at the Devon school and the boys that lived there and set out to do good in their lives.
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