Subject: Re: High school novels: John Knowles "A Separate Peace"
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Date: Tue Jan 18 2000 - 10:28:25 EST
In a message dated 1/18/00 10:16:03 AM Eastern Standard Time,
the_laughing_man@hotmail.com writes:
<< Anyway, it is a coming-of-age novel, just the kind of novel maybe a few of
us bfishers would have a recollection of. Anyone have a say on this book? It
is not a high school novel of the 1990's, as was asked for, but it IS one of
those coming-of-age novels of the privileged class we like so much (the
books, not necessarily the class).
/TLM >>
Yep, that pretty well sums it up. I was ambivalent about the main character
though...had a hard time empathizing with him and his concerns. It seemed
like the book's commentary had to do with juxtaposing two different reactions
to the same set of circumstances, on one level. On another those different
reactions could be analogs to different human potentials, and the book could
also be commentary about what the circumstances did to our potential...what
it appealed to and what it killed inside of us.
By and large, though, the book just bounced off the surface for me. My 15
year old son really liked it, though.
Jim
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