Knowles studies the phyches of six different people in this book, male and female, young and middle-aged. The issues they deal with, though as classic as death, love, and friendship, are given a fresh viewpoint through his unique, extraordinary style and sensitivity.

The six sections of his book are not connected, but they are self-fulfilling, much like short stories.

This book is the prefect companion for a reflective mood.

This book is basically a summary of what happens in "A spearate Peace," providing a bit more background to it.

Of all the curriculum books I have used and examined this is by far the best book out there. In discussions with vocational educators around the world, I have found this book to be one of the most highly regarded informational sources on curriculum development. A great resource tool for all educators, a must have for vocational educators.

This book was very well written. I couldn't put it down!! John really out did himself with this book. Can't wait for more from this author!!
A must read for anyone!!!

This is the ultimate reference tool for the IT Professional required to work with NT Server. It covers the trickiest issues, and gives you simple solution options. A must have!

Set in the 1940's, A Separate Peace takes the reader into the world of Devon, a boarding school on the East Coast, and into a world where the reality of war is imminent. The book itself has nothing to do with that war, and yet everything to do with it. From the first page on, Knowles presents a realistic story (perhaps even a sad one) with hints and moments of hindsight, as a thirty-some year-old Gene, who attended the school in his youth, tells the story. And while the narrative never quite takes us to the war itself, the entire theme that Knowles presents is intertwined with the very being of World War II.

Furthermore, while that conflict rages on around the world, back at Devon, a teenage Gene and his "best friend" Phineas are struggling with their own battle: Human nature. Phineas, himself, learns personally that the truth hurts, but how far does it go?

A Separate Peace is chalk-full of life-long lessons and a truth that runs deeper than we might want it to. John Knowles is a terrific author and this book is proof.

A Separate Peace provided great reading pleasure. It provided insight into the 40's, and also showed the pain of growing up during a war. I featured was, however, lacking strong female characters, nor did it give any true insights into the charactor's emotions

I read the book, "A Seperate Peace", by John Knowles and it was pretty good. It involves two main boys going through high school during World War II. One of the boys,Phineas, is superior at everything involving sports. The other main character is Gene Forrester. He is great at school but not in sports. These boys are roomed together in their prepatory school named Devon and are best friends. Gene starts thinking that Phineas, a.k.a Finny, is trying to hold back him from doing so great at school so he can be the best at everything. So Gene starts hating Finny and ends up creating a horrible accident that ruins Finny's life forever. It shows that there is always some darkness in the back of Gene's mind but never once was there in Finny's. Gene goes to tell Phineas that he created the accident but Finny doesn't belive him. So Gene drops it and hopes Finny won't try to remember what actually happened that one day and remember the truth. Another character in the book is a boy named Leper Lelliper who is always looking to find the best things in life he can look at slowly and not rush anything. He decides to go look at and take pictures of a beaver dam then go and work on the railroads to help the WWII fighters get through the town. But in his childish life he becomes to be the first person in his and Gene's and Finny's class to enlist in the army. After doing this everybody's life takes a turn. Brinker Hadley, the class president, drops out of all extra curricular activites and becomes lazy. Gene starts working at sports and pitys Finny every chance he can. Phineas starts trying to get his life back in order and trys to do all the things he did before the accident. But then one day Gene recieves a letter from Leper asking for help. The army has done something to Leper and tooken something away from him he can never get back. Gene goes to visit him but can't take it and goes back to Devon, never speaking of what happened. Then one night Brinker Hadley and a bunch of other boys awaken Finny and Gene to take them to a trail. A trial that would change Finny's life and Gene's life forever. The whole story is told by Gene Forrester in a flashback fifteen years ago. The story shows great symbolism with tree. And always has great themes, such as:private war versus public war, Gene's view of life vs. Finny's view of life, and a life of conformity vs. a life of freedom.

Ghosts and Other Plays is a seminal series of plays that combine humor with scathing social critique. Ibsen was not afraid to tackle weightier themes and taboos, in order to shock his audience out of their complacency. These plays demonstrate Ibsen's loathing of hyprocrisy, soulless institutions, the mandates of society which cause suffering (ie. Christianity). He has also been perceived as the figurehead for the emancipation of women from their traditional "place." That is not to say Ibsen is of dire seriousness or dry. His plays move quickly, the events in "Ghosts" for ex. occurring in less than a day. Ibsen is a great playwright whose works remain relevant and vital, in a consumerist society where people still remain afraid to defy cultural norms.

In Phineas; Six Stories, the character Phineas, featured in Knowles other novel A Seperate Peace is again placed in the spolight at his school. This time it is in a sequence of short stories, some involving Phineas's witty charm, others displaying his coveted athletic talents. All stories are examples of Knowles's flawless style of writing. If you enjoyed the Knowles previous books, and you like a book that offers waspy comedy and old prep school charm, this is the book of short stories to read.

"A Stolen Past" shares the same general flavor as Knowles' other books- introspective characters, tragic events- but also contains a good deal of commentary on the writing life. The novel's main character, Allan Pearson, is an aspiring writer who has been taken under the wing of an accomplished author. With this mentor, and through the experience of meeting an exiled family of Russian royalty, he explores his talent and himself. I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of Knowles' other work, particularly those with an interest in writing. This book should not be out of print!!

Set in the same setting as A Separate Peace, Peace Breaks Out takes place a few years after WWI. It's apparent that John Knowles hasn't lost his style and knack for writing. His artistic language is almost enough just to read the story alone... almost.

The characters in Peace Breaks Out are not as complicated and real as in A Separate Peace and one can't help but compare plot to A Separate Peace. This is an okay book. Great writing, so-so plot.

After reading John Knowles' A Separate Peace, I anticipated great things from Peace Breaks Out. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Although Knowles talent at creating vivid characters and imagery survived, the intriguing and touching plot did not. The book did not leave me feeling like a changed person in the way that A Separate Peace did. I would recommend you read it, but don't expect too much.

In John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" the reader is taken on a visit to the Devon School, a college preparatory school in New Hampshire. Through marvelously descriptive narration and telling dialogue, Knowles dissects the adolescent mind of the boys who were faced with the horrors of World War II. In his follow-up novel, John Knowles again takes the reader to Devon, and explores the psyche of similar boys at the time just after the War. Though the story is a bit more confined than that in the first book, I think that it has to be. This new batch of characters must look to themselves for a reason for the way they are, rather than to the oppressive state of the world. Knowles gives a brilliant depiction of the aggression that still remains in all of us, even in times of Peace. If you loved "A Separate Peace" as so many others do, myself included, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. It IS different, but it should be.