Knowles’ classic still great 25 years later

I first read John Knowles’ A Separate Peace back in middle school. It’s the kind of book that is on most grade school and high school reading lists, so I’m sure many of you have read it as well.

To refresh your memory, the first-person narrator, Gene, attends a prep school named Devon in the early 40’s. Going into his senior year, all of the talk among students and teachers is the current world war. Gene is a bookworm and has no plans to enter the war, and while he is popular among his peers, he is continually overshadowed by his best friend and roommate, Phineas (Finny). When Gene causes Finny to fall out of a tree and shatter his leg though, they both have to deal with the changing dynamics of their friendship.

This book has some pretty straight-forward themes. Mostly it is a coming-of-age story, with Gene starting out as a child, and after realizing the serious consequences of his actions, he matures and changes the course of his life. Jealousy is also central. It agitates Gene that Finny always gets away with breaking all the rules, but once Finny loses his athleticism, their roles are slightly reversed, and Finny becomes jealous of Gene’s mobility, almost trying to live his (Finny’s) life through Gene’s. A short book, and an easy, though satisfying, read. As an adult re-reading it, you might just pick up a lot more than the first time around.