A Separate Peace - John Knowles

A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a timeless American classic that explores the fragile boundaries between friendship and rivalry, innocence and experience. Set at a New England boys’ boarding school during World War II, the novel is narrated by Gene Forrester, who reflects on a pivotal summer marked by intense emotions, moral conflict, and a tragic incident involving his charismatic friend, Phineas. As the world beyond the school moves toward war, the boys confront their own internal battles, making the novel a profound meditation on jealousy, guilt, and the loss of innocence.

Main Themes of the Book

• Coming of age and loss of innocence
• Friendship, rivalry, and betrayal
• Identity and self-awareness
• The impact of war on youth
• Moral responsibility and guilt

Reasons to Choose This Edition by John Knowles

• A widely taught classic of American literature
• Written in clear, emotionally resonant prose
• Explores universal themes relevant to young adults
• Ideal for students, educators, and general readers
• Includes an insightful introduction for modern readers

A Separate Peace is a deeply moving novel that captures the emotional intensity of adolescence against the shadow of global conflict. John Knowles’s sensitive portrayal of friendship and inner struggle has made this book a lasting classic, offering readers a powerful reflection on human nature, maturity, and the price of growing up.

Κριτικές που Ξεχώρισαν

• ‘Decades have passed since I first discovered A Separate Peace but its impact remains unforgettable. It's a deeply moving coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of war’ M.L. Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans
• ‘A model of restraint, deeply felt and beautifully written’ Observer
• ‘Exceptional power and distinction’ The Times
• ‘A quietly vital and cleanly written novel that moves, page by page, toward a most interesting target’ Truman Capote
• ‘A novel that made such a deep impression on me at sixteen that I can still conjure the atmosphere in my fifties: of yearning, infatuation mingled indistinguishably with envy, and remorse’ Lionel Shriver