Well, this was a surprise. I stumbled across this book for the first time a couple of weeks ago because someone mentioned it in regards to dark academia and I simply couldn’t pass this on. I will read anything that is even remotely associated with dark academia - Donna Tartt scarred me real hard and then left me to my own devices to try and fill the void.
I'd never seen anyone talk about "A Separate Peace" before and I just don't understand why given that it's somewhat of a classic (it came out in '59). Also, it's one of the closest things to actual dark academia I've ever come across.

Granted, it lacks that element of mystery and thriller that is so prevalent in the genre nowadays, but it packs on all the other categories (which, to me, are much more important). For starters, the overall atmosphere is so on point; even though the story spans throughout a whole year, the book itself feels undeniably autumnal due to its setting. The prose is sublime, the right amount of lyrical and flowery, incredibly descriptive and suggestive - a few passages were simply breathtaking and heartbreaking. And finally, even without mysteries to unravel, the story manages to be pretty dark in its exploration of teenage relationships and the ramifications of the impending/ongoing World War II. There was literally nothing more I could've wished for.

I feel like a lot of people will be disappointed by this book, but it just worked for me. I loved it and it's quickly become one of my favourite coming-of-age/dark academia books out there.

This is an American classic I didn't know yet, but got to know via Goodreads. Turns out many of my Goodreads friends read it already, so I discovered this is a well known book. Beautiful read. Brooding story, a coming of age tale with a dark side. Need to reread it again for all the details and the beautiful language. In some way it made me think of Brideshead Revisited, a grand book as well.
For those who don't know this book yet...
Set at a boy's boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, we meet Gene and Phineas, two students. A harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.

One of the few assigned books in high school that I actually liked. It helped that I was in a school much like the one mentioned. Finny supplied us with several tricks that were perfect for bored, boarding school students, which added to the interest, of course. What drew me most to this book was that it captured the experience so well.

I've heard the novel disparaged because it's about a bunch of whiny rich kids. Obviously there's a lot of truth there, but these people miss the point. While privileged, the kids don't realize it. It's as natural to them as water to a fish, so it has to be ignored to see the real story which is the fragile identity of the kids & their struggles with it.

We're told the story from Gene's POV as an adult, although he obviously still harbors a lot of insecurities & isn't as accurate as he thinks in his reporting. He's still trying to decide where he stands. During the book, he's best friends with Finny who is as carefree as anyone can be, but he's torn between his friend & the conservative respectability that the school embodies, the expectations of his world. They're pretty much summed up in another school mate, Brinkman.

Added to Gene's confusion is his jealousy of Finny, who is a natural athlete. Gene can't measure up to his friend. He doesn't like himself for feeling this way, but the fact remains.

Not my normal reading, but I've re-read this a couple of times over the years, getting something a bit different out of it each time. The war time setting dates it a bit, but not too badly.

A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age story set in a boarding school in Massachusetts in 1942-43. When the story opens, Phineas and Gene are sixteen year old boys, enjoying the last summer of innocence and freedom before they cross the line into draft age and are forced to face involvement in war. The talk of war is everywhere, the senior class is being conditioned for entry into it, and the young men waver between a desire to dive in and a fear that they will be required to.

Finny and Gene are roommates and best of friends, but it is a complicated friendship, and Gene is particularly unsure of what the relationship really means. When comparing himself to Finny, he feels an insecurity, almost a fear, that he is the lesser of the two. There is an undercurrent of competition and jealousy between them, with suppressed feelings of both anger and guilt, and they constantly break the rules and push one another too far. Perhaps because they are different in temperament, there is too much they fail to understand about one another.

Self-awareness, guilt and denial are emotions all of us deal with at some time, but they may be especially common when we are young and finding our way. Finny and Gene must pass from an ideal, innocent world into one of brutal reality, and how they deal with that reveals their individual strength of character and even determines their ability to survive.

This is a second reading for me, the first some fifty years ago. I was glad to find that the book affected me in much the same way as I had remembered, heart-wrenching and sadly tragic. It retains its 5-star rating–a book about youth, but not only for the young.

In sophomore year of high school, “A Separate Peace” was on the ‘required reading’ list. Thus, it was practically guaranteed I’d either never read it, or wouldn’t read it during my four years corralled with my peers being brainwashed with the same routine gibberish. I’ve never cottoned to the concept of someone telling me what I must read; I’ve always enjoyed the discovery of a new book outside the standard fare chosen by nimrods of school boards which is shoveled down the throats of the masses. Even if what I eventually selected was one of those stories, it was still more appealing actually choosing books which I thought I would appreciate instead of being forced to read some crap which would be completely insignificant in my own humble existence. Then again, I was never particularly fond of school in general and was pretty much a failure as a student. This should explain both the large gaps in my reading of ‘substantial/classic’ literature and my general stupidity and ignorance concerning erudite matters. If a review by this brand of loser seems like a worthwhile investment of your time, feel free to continue. If you’d prefer to read the assessment of “A Separate Peace” by someone clever and possessing an understanding of the English language, I’m sure there are many more worthwhile reviews tucked away in dark, dusty corners on this site.

tSo, ignore my ridiculous reasoning behind my opting not to read “A Separate Peace” when I was demanded to. However, I was aware I’d probably get around to reading it sometime in the future, so I purloined the school’s copy for good measure to assist in this unscheduled endeavor. And guess what, I did end up reading it, and found it rather enjoyable.

tThe book is told through the narration of Gene Forrester, who has returned to Devon School many years after his graduation to confront some of his personal demons. During an engrossing canvassing of the ground of his alma mater, Gene battles inclement weather and comes to the one place he feels will be the most difficult to face after all this time, a gnarled old tree which no longer seems as towering and menacing as it did in his youth. The proportions of the tree aren’t his driving force for his coming to the site for introspection; after this brief introduction, Gene launches into his explanation of the significance of the tree and the events surrounding it that made such a lasting impression on his life.

tGene’s last years at the renowned Devon School, a posh establishment in New Hampshire, in the years leading up to American involvement in World War II, are shared with his best friend and roommate, Phinneas. On the surface, it appears that the two are perfect complements to one another, Gene has the brains and Finny has the brawn, but beneath this veneer, Gene has some major insecurities, of which Finny is completely unaware. Finny competently cannonballs through life exuding self-confidence and an unbridled enthusiasm for life, adventure, and friendship; handsome, clever (though not much of a student), and an ideal physical specimen with an admirable love-muscle. Finny is a natural leader amongst the students, and his casual acceptance of his awesomeness allows him to toe the line with the authorities as well, who can’t help but like someone who approaches everything with optimistic bombast and daredevil fervor bordering on lunacy. With the war looming near and the boys approaching the age of ‘draft-bait’, Phinneas somewhat serves as the ideal for the soldier needed in this global conflict; if they could find a way to clone his ass, the war would already be over. Hell, if they could have sent him over as a delegate to meet with Hitler, the whole thing would have been settled with a ‘blitz-ball’ game instead of worldwide catastrophe. Gene, on the other hand, is much more reserved, although in his time with Finny he’s opened up and become a Big Man on Campus, if only by association, as his academic achievements aren’t as recognized as Finny’s spectacular physical abilities. The pair truly are strange bedfellows; picture the dashing star quarterback and the chess club captain ditching class together to grab some beers and laze on the beach together.

tDuring a recently-reinstituted 'summer session' at the school, Finny decides for his entourage that they are forming a secret society, the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. It is during the course of their exploits that the resentment for Finny which has been innocuously festering within Gene has now blossomed. Gene starts to feel that their friendship has become a competition, and that Finny is winning the popular vote as to which is the more worthy subject. While Finny isn’t as scholarly as Gene, it’s apparent he isn’t stupid, and when their physical and mental strengths are added and averaged, Finny is still coming in on top. Additionally, Gene has to fight for every bit of recognition he can get for his accomplishments, while Finny is so adored he has to fight off laurels with a badminton racquet: Gene witnesses Finny break the school Freestyle swimming record and deny that he’d done so as not to embarrass the swim team that trains so hard only to be handily defeated by someone younger and, remarkably, untrained. This is an act that Gene can’t even imagine.

tThe initiation rite into the Suicide Society is to leap into the river from the weathered old tree mentioned in the introduction, an act which the Senior class has been doing, an act which remains unchallenged by the younger students. Nobody has the nuts to do this, except Finny of course, and in order to keep stride with his pal, Gene naturally has to follow suit. Gene almost loses his balance, which would result in a disastrous fall, but Finny comes to his rescue. When Gene realizes that this is belittling to his own prowess, that he couldn’t make the leap without the aide of Finny, instead of gratitude for helping him, he’s determined that if it wasn’t for Finny’s damn-fool ideas he wouldn’t have been in the tree to begin with.

tAs Gene inspects the dynamics of their friendship, things get worse. When Finny invents ‘blitz-ball’ (basically ‘Smear the Queer’) and it becomes a school-wide success, Gene begins questioning whether or not he didn’t tailor the game specifically to his unique strengths. Gene also begins suspecting that all these goofy activities are an attempt to derail his studies, in effect, making it so that while Finny is applauded for all his endeavors, Gene won’t even end up getting the accolades which he rightfully deserves as the school’s top student.

tGene’s suspicions and doubts eventually get the best of him; when Elwin ‘Leper’ Lepellier, the class coward, proclaims he’s prepared to jump from the tree, Gene firmly states he has no interest in abandoning his studies just to watch Leper chicken out once more. And that’s when the dam bursts. Phinneas embarrassingly apologizes, telling Gene that he didn’t know his good friend needed to study; he just assumed it came as naturally to Gene as his own physical excellence did. Gene is momentarily overwhelmed, stunned. It has now become apparent he cannot compare to Finny, as his best takes grueling study and preparation, and everything Finny does comes naturally, spontaneously, and the result is even more awesome. Despite Finny’s protests that Gene should take his studies seriously, and he’ll go watch Leper pussy-out alone, Gene insists to tag along, and when the idea for a double-jump is suggested, with Gene and Finny leaping together, the cork which has thus far contained his envy and resentment pops. Once in the tree, Gene shakes the limb which Finny is precariously poised upon, resulting in a crippling fall, the “first clumsy physical action” he’s ever seen Phinneas make. Basking in sureness that his treachery has forever swung the balance of their worthiness to his favor, Gene joyously leaps into the river alone.

tAll of this is just the first quarter of the book. The rest concerns the long recuperation Finny must undergo to mend his shattered leg and Gene’s internal turmoil over his responsibility for what he has done, and also his fear of being exposed for intentionally ruining the dreams of such a promising young man. I personally prefer the first part of the book to the rest of the story, in which Finny returns as an intentionally deluded shadow of his former self, Leper becomes the first of their class to be shipped off to the war, and Brinker Hadley becomes Gene’s new friend and rival, with Brinker possessing the ace up his sleeve of suspecting the truth behind the event at river, and Brinker isn't the kind of guy to surpress this knowledge just for Gene's peace of mind.

tI certainly wouldn’t say this is mandatory reading, but if you’re looking to check out a decent book, and somehow managed to escape reading this during your school years, I suggest you embrace Finny’s attitude and dive right in.

Atmospheric, touching and lugubrious novel with war constantly in the background. Gene, now as an adult reflecting back on his life at Devon School and his relationship with his friend, Phineas (or Finny).
Nothing much happens for most part of the book ; it has a sense of quietness. In the middle I was a bit bored. The characters are well-drawn especially the character of Finny; Knowles describes every movement, every expression and tone of voice in a vivid detail.
Friendship, jealousy, loyalty and kindness. Wrong impressions, misinterpretation of thought and action which fuels jealousy and colors judgement. How well we know and trust our own friends who are close to us. Gene, who misjudges Phineas and Phineas who blindly believes that his friend can't do him any harm. Gene doesn't fully realize the gravity of his crime and it's repercussions. But, he is courageous to confess it.
And, then there is war always looming and casting its grim shadow over lives of characters. There's world war II and an introspective war against one's inner thoughts and self. In school, no one exercised any real discipline; standards and rules are compromised.

"Wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but that wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart."

It was not the cider which made me surpass myself, it was the liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and a separate peace.

*3.5*

This grimly intense story about boys in a boarding school during the summer of 1942 was painful to read. Not that it was not well-written, it was (which is why it got that third star). And I did get caught up in the storyline, I wanted to find out what happened next. But I could not seem to feel any sympathy for any of the
characters except Leper.

The boys know they will soon face the gruesome realities of WWII, and this knowledge affects each student differently. Besides that threat running through each page, there are layers beneath layers of interactions between the boys themselves, especially the two main characters Phineas and Gene (our narrator).

I didn't like Phineas, he was too flighty, manipulative, and egotistical. I tried to like Gene, but he was afraid to face his own truths, afraid to dare to be different and he always allowed himself to follow everywhere that Phineas led him, like a tame sheep. Naturally there would have been no story at all without the chaos caused by these attitudes, but I kept hoping that Gene would face facts at some point and take his life in a whole different direction than the way it turned out.

This book was on a class reading list years and years ago in high school, but I chose other titles at that time. I'm glad I finally read it, but I was not as impressed by it as I expected to be.

Cleanliness

Sexual Content
Making Out/Sex - 2 Incidents: A boy, telling a sarcastic story, says he made love with a guy’s sister.
A boy tries to make a joke: “People get problems in living rooms.” “Bedrooms too.” (He then makes a slight crude comment about bathrooms being really functional.)
Miscellaneous - 10 Incidents: A boy takes off his clothes, “stripping down to his underpants.” Mentions looking at something from the “sexual point of view” and not wanting to think about his parents “sexual lives.” Mentions a boy shedding clothes to go swimming. A boy observes of another boy: “His … jacket parted slightly over his healthy rump … and it is that, … I recall as Brinker’s salient characteristic, those healthy … buttocks.” Mentions a “sexual secret.” Speaking of a locker room: “It was preeminently the smell of the human body after it had been used to the limit, such a smell as has meaning and poignance for any athlete, just as it has for any lover.” A description of “virgin slopes” and skiing. Uses the word “eunuch” in a description. A man’s advice regarding religious waverings, sexual maladjustments, etc. is to “Give it the old college try.” “The best that could be said for them physically was that they looked wiry in their startling sets of underwear” (of men in a gym).

Violence - a boy pushes another boy out of a tree - not gory or overly detailed.

Profanity
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 31 Incidents: h*ll, d*mn, d*mned, darn, heck
Anatomical Terms - 6 Incidents: a**, scr*wy, stupid-a**, scr*wed, F--ing (book shows dashes - once), b**b
Scatological Terms - 4 Incidents: cr*p, sh*t
Religious Profanities - 21 Incidents: God, Godd*mn, Oh my God, I swear to God, God's sakes, God d*mn it, Christ, good heavens
Derogatory Terms - 10 Incidents: son-of-a-b*tch, Kraut, Georgia cracker, b*st*rd, Negroes, Japs

Conversation Topics - 10 Incidents: The story is about a boy that gets jealous and pushes another boy out of a tree. The boy becomes a cripple. The entire story deals with this and the shame, the lies, not wanting to believe the truth, living in a delusion, altering/distorting the facts in your memory so that you remember only what you want to etc.. A group of boys form a group and decide to call it “The Suicide Society of the Summer Session.” Gaming is mentioned: cards, dice, black-jack, poker (some of the boys played at the boarding school). A number of boys at the boarding school (including the main character) smoke. They all gather in the basement and call it the Butt Room. The boys go to chapel as part of school but don’t pay attention or believe what is taught. The main characters drink a couple of times throughout the book, including drinking hard cider at a carnival they put together, where one boy forces another to gulp done a large quantity. “Always say some prayers at night because it might turn out that there is a God.” Mentions honky-tonks, shooting galleries and beer gardens. Two minors show false IDs and drink some beer. The boys speak about drinking and the Prohibition. Boys gather prizes for a carnival. A few of the prizes are: a dictionary with the “stimulating words marked,” Betty Grable photos, forged draft cards and a women’s lock of hair.

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everybody shut the FUCK up about manic pixie dream girls. society has progressed past the need for manic pixie dream girls. john knowles wrote the first and only manic pixie dream boy in 1959 and we're all just living in his world

A close friendship becomes tragic when envy turns ugly and results in life-altering consequences.

Gene Forrester, the main character and narrator of the story, visits Devon, the boys prep school he attended as a teenager in New England.

Gene reflects upon his close friendship with Phineas, or “Finny” and the tragic events that took place at Devon during the summer and fall of wartime 1942.

Finny, a lovable character, is perfection personified as portrayed through Gene’s loving eyes. The loving friendship between the two young men is left open to interpretation.

A highly recommended classic coming of age story.

This stayed on by TBR list since highschool. Can't believe it took 20 years to get to it. One of my all time favorite books. Every emotion and nuance I felt. Every worry and anxiety I felt. Truly remarkable story about choices we make and the perceptions we hold onto too long. Must read!