by Bridget N. Watts

Created on: January 25, 2010

A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age novel by author John Knowles that was first published in 1959. It tells the story of Gene Forrester’s time at a private boarding school in England during World War II. It's been quite a while since I read this book, but it's made quite an impression on me, therefore I remember the storyline quite well.

While at the boarding school, Gene spends most of his time with his best friend and roommate Finny. They bond over an event where Finny dares Gene to jump from a tree, after which Finny starts the Summer Suicide Society, a secret society in which all members must jump from the tree. I guess that's what you do when you're young and silly.

Even though Gene and Finny are great friends, they are also very different. Gene is introverted and studious, a good student, and a bit of a nerd if you will. Finny, in contrast, is an extroverted and sociable young man, a great athlete, and also a troublemaker. He is a popular guy and everyone seems to like him. Gene pretty much idolizes Finny, and spends almost all of his free time with him. However, admiration soon turns into jealousy and resentfulness. Before you know it, Gene is totally obsessed with Finny.

Gene’s obsession with Finny gets so out of hand, that one day when they are in their suicide tree, Gene makes Finny fall out of the three, which causes him some serious injuries for which he has to go to the hospital. The fall has made Finny partially crippled, and he will never be able to play any sports again.

Gene is very worried that he will get into trouble for what he has done, but nothing happens. That is when the guilt starts to kick in. It gets to the point where Gene cannot take it any longer and confesses to Finny the accident was his fault, but Finny does not believe him. Would you believe it if one of your friends confessed something like that to you?

They keep hanging out together as if nothing has happened, and Finny tries to turn Gene into the athlete he once was. Meanwhile the war has started and Gene is once again jealous of Finny, because as a cripple, he cannot participate in the war, and therefore, he does not have to make the difficult decision of whether or not he should enlist. It seems like Gene just can’t stop finding new reasons to be jealous of his friend.

You will have to read the book yourself to find out what happens next and if their friendship can stand the test of time, and more importantly, Gene's obsession and jealousy. This book is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good coming of age story.

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