I Love This Book So Much I Would Marry It

Well I recently finished reading John Knowles’ A Separate Peace and it is easily one of my all time favorite books.

The story, set during World War II and taking place at a New England boy’s prep school, is a coming of age tale following the lives of Gene and Finny, two teenage boys. Think Catcher in The Rye. Gene is our narrator and we learn about his and Finny’s story from his perspective as he visits the school, and sites of a past tragedy, some 15 years later.

Our boys are as opposite as can be and yet they’re best friends. Gene is an intellectual, quiet student who needs to spend his days studying and following a schedule. While Finny is an athletic, charismatic, easy going charmer. Their relationship is extraordinary to follow, and Knowles makes their simple lives incredibly intriguing. This is especially true when a misfortune befalls one of the boys.

I do want to mention that while the story does take place during a war, that does not mean that this is a “war” story. Instead the author, beautifully I might add, uses the backdrop of the war to show how the world’s events affect people living their daily lives.

I fell in love with this novel, so much so that in the days after I finished it I kept thinking about. It was deep, insightful, and this will be a book that I reread often. Some of you may have been required to read this book during high school, I of course was not, but if you have yet to read it I urge you to pick it up. Immediately.

Note to Heather: I kind of took this book from your room a few years back and since it still had a bookmark embedded half way in it I’m not sure if you ever finished it. So my apologies, and I would be more than willing to mail the book to you in Paris. On the bright side, my book thievery just demonstrates how much I appreciate your taste in books. Love you!!

And onto the next . . . it's book club time!!! I'm reading John Grisham's The Litigators.