Customer Reviews

Peace Breaks Out

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

Peace Breaks Out begins with Pete, a man coming home
from war, coming to Devon. He wants to become a teacher there
because he was once a student there, and loved the peacefulness
of it. He felt that it was untouched by war. In his first class
he encounters three boys that particularly stand out from the
rest of the class. Their names are Wexford, Nick Blackburn, and
Hochschwender. Each of them with their own characteristics and
opinions. However, all of the boys have a certain image of war
because they were in the year of 1945. In class Wexford and
Hochschwender developed a gut-hatred for each other. This begins
to develop into something very serious as the story progresses.
They begin a newspaper rivalry because Wexford is the editor of
the school newspaper. Hochschwender begins sending in "Letters
to the Editor" challenging many of Wexford's thoughts. Pete,
being in search for peace, doesn't quite find it while he is at
Devon. Because of such disagreements on war the boys became
restless and argumentative. Throughout the story American
history is mentioned, and because of this topic enemies begin to
form. Pete ends up being in for a lot more than he bargained
for, when peace breaks out.

'A Seperate Peace', Knowle's best known novel, is hailed not only for its absolute perception of the adolescent mind but also for its highly memorable and beautifully crafted style. His ability to move from this eloquent language into dialogue is another one of his greatest achievements in the novel. 'Peace Breaks Out', set again at Devon and referring to the characters of his earlier novel only fleetingly, lacks the storyline that appealed to so many young people- mysel included. His characters are far less intruiging- there is the tainted war hero, the bitter genius, the naive brother. ALthough they are all important, they simply do not resonate the way the protagonaists of his earlier novel do. However, whatever the novel lacks in character it more than makes up for in style. His language is so perfectly crafted, and his dialogue so vibrant, that reading it from a writer's point of view is truly inspiring. His language truly builds, and falls, and is absolutely melodic. His perceptions, handed to us so brilliantly, are stunning. John Knowles created a little-known phenomenon with 'peace Breaks Out' that is, unfortunately, better appreciated by lovers of language than by lovers of story itself.

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.

I loved A Separate Peace, and I loved this follow-up just as much, if not more. It captures the true impulsive nature of young men. Set in post World War Two America, it is a story about ego and revenge. It has the same tone as Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. I loved every page of it.

John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" is one of those seminal novels that High School and College readers find affixed to the top of their reading lists. Its lesser-known follow-up, Peace Breaks Out is every bit the worthy successor to its more famous sibling. The later novel follows the adventures of Pete Hallam, an intelligent, motivated adolescent with an already well-formed view of life and its characters. Knowles is a careful, thorough writer who knows what it takes to craft a great sentence; and Peace Breaks Out, like its predecessor, is full of them. The book was written a few years after the turbulent nineteen sixties and many viewed it at the time, as a reach for a kind of nostalgia, a portrait of "the good old days." The novel is much more than that and its treasures are available if readers are willing to plume the nostalgia.
The Speed Of Time

Wexford, the aloof, manipulative newspaper editor at a postwar Devon school, is startlingly similar to young Tom Riddle, of Harry Potter fame (they are even the same age) although Mr. Wexford is definitely a more determined sociopath.

His adversary is an noisy and aggressive Nazi sympathizer, and it's hard to say which of the two of them is more repellant. Not that they're boring -- I was completely interested in them the whole time.

The book explores questions about what it's "okay" to think and express, how patriotism plays out in an atmosphere of disillusionment, how well-meaning or even brave impulses can be perverted when there's no good place to act them out.

So, it's interesting, but it's...a real come down from A Separate Peace, where the characters, no matter how awful their mistakes were, were always striving to be good people. Knowles makes it clear there's no such thing as Finny in his postwar world.

The characters were not as engaging and vivid as Knowles was capable of -- disappointing really, but only because we know he's done better.

The structure could have been better as well. You'll notice places where key plot information is given only a few paragraphs befor it becomes relevant. Some of the information could have been placed better.

Also, Knowles may or may not have crossed the line between making subtle points about social class and downright snobbery.

The dialogue is fantastic, though. The classroom scenes are the best. Of course, if you think that prep school is even slightly tiresome as a setting, you should just avoid this one.

Pete Hallam, former Devon student, goes back to his old school after fighting in the war, as a young master. The students are restless, not being able to fight for their country, but are good boys. One of them, however, is a troublemaker; a talented but underhanded fellow. He shares a mutual hatred with one of the other students - an obnoxious German. What happens at Devon this year is the subject of this book. I did not particularly enjoy the read as this novel lacked plot, but it did teach a good lesson.

Going in, I knew this book had to be different than Separate Peace, it of course can not be a clone of it. But to be blunt, it wasn't as good as a separate peace. the plot was simple, like a separate peace, but that book had a much more emotional impact on me. i halfwished the story was about Gene and what he did after he left Devon. There were two small references to Phineas, that I enjoyed. It's a decent read and we get to visit Devon one more time.

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.