A Separate Peace is not a book whose title ever struck my fancy. It sounds like a war book in the fashion of All Quiet on the Western Front, and for this reason I swore to myself I would never waste my time on it (I like All Quiet in a twisted way).
The title rarely surfaced through the years as it is, so I never really had to reconsider my decision until one day when I was looking for a certain style of book. A Separate Peace kept surfacing. I let my guard down and decided to give the book a chance.
Sometimes my book suppositions can be far off. Don’t get me wrong, the book takes place during World War times, but it’s not a war book. Loosely defined you could argue it is, but the book takes place at a school, not in a physical battle or military.
Gene Forrester attends a boarding school where he shares a dorm room with Phineas (“Finny”). Everything seems to come naturally and freely for Finny, and while the two boys are great friends, Finny’s natural talent and luck lead to jealousy and envy.
This story follows the path that brings these two together and leads us further down that road. While war wages on abroad, Gene wages a different sort of war which will lead to him seeking “a separate peace.”
I adore this book – no surprise as I’m recommending it, but wow this book is great. You should read it.
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