A Separate Peace

John Knowles, 1959

Date read: 10/19/2023

I'm not at all sure what this novel is supposed to be about. Google says it is a "coming of age" novel, which I've never really understood anyway, coming of WHAT age? Becoming an adult?

In this case, then, it is becoming an adult because you've [spoiler]accidentally-on-purpose killed your best friend because you erroneously thought they were competing with you and they actually weren't. [/spoiler]

You don't learn very much about the character you see the story through, but he's clearly got some issues going on, which lead him to completely misread the situation and react very badly. Then, when he's about to be called out on what he's entirely intentionally done, the victim - who should have brought the law down on this guy, at the very least - runs away and ends up dead. So what the fuck did I just read? And why did John Knowles think the world needed this story?

Oh and some other guy goes to cloud coocoo land after enlisting in WWII so that's also fun.

It's just kinda weird tbh and I don't think I liked it very much.

Length: 204 pages in Scribner Classics

ReReadability: no, you already know what's going to happen so there's no point

Classic: In the sense that it is old, sure.