Ordinary People

Jul 26, 2007 Juju rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This book was first recommended to me by my high school English teacher. I had just read Lord of the Flies, and she could tell I needed something to restore my faith in humanity. This book is incredible!

It is a real, unflinchingly honest look at life and all of the horrible things that happen. It is also a reminder of the reasons that life is still worth living in spite of those horrible things.

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Jun 28, 2007 Lisa Vegan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who enjoy fiction abot adolescents & families

Shelves: fiction, reviewed, novel

Very psychologically astute book about a family and what happens to the parents and younger son after the older son dies in an accident. Good character development and it's well written. I really felt for the surviving son and I really liked his psychiatrist as well. (And this is one of the few times I can say that, even though I read the book first, I enjoyed the movie as well.)

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Jul 08, 2007 Katelyn Beaty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, family-life, grief

Judith Guest's Ordinary People explores a topic so familiar to us that I'm not sure she succeeds at breaking any molds. But due to my ignorance, perhaps she's one of the writers who set the mold in the first place. If this is true, then we have Guest to thank for telling the story of the private grief of three members of one family, all trying to deal with the loss of another member in disparate ways. So disparate is their grief that it drives the members apart from one another, instead of bring...more

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Sep 20, 2008 Abigail rated it 3 of 5 stars

For the first couple chapters of this book, I was rather confused and repelled by Guest's writing style. The EXTREME stream of consciousness is rather intrusive to first-time readers. Conrad and Calvin's struggles, though revealed at painstakingly slow rates, made me have to read more and more and more. When the true conflict is actually revealed, there was a new appreciation for the writing style. All I wanted was to get MORE into the characters' heads! By the end of the book, I not only felt k...more

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Jan 10, 2008 Clare Bear rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Clare by: Mother

Shelves: a-classic

This story is about how one family member's accidental death affects the survivors in different ways. It is written from the perspective of a young man, it is his brother who has died, and out of guilt and grief and feeling disconnected from his parents, he attempts suicide. So then the family and the young man all are forced to deal with grief anew.

No-one grieves the same. No-one is to blame. But the family fractures for all that.

There is something very raw how this premise is developed, and th...more

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Apr 07, 2007 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book my senior year in high school. I picked it up off of my dad's bookshelf. I have since reread it and it remains one of my favorites. The family and friendship dynamics are good and the themes are universal. There is an honesty about all things (including depression and relationships) that the main character has that is striking. It could be a fairly quick read, but I still feel that it has a lasting impact.

The movie, to me, is not as good as the book. I almost always think that t...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-books-2008-2009

This was a very good book. It talked about Conrad , the protagonist, who blames himself for his brother's death. In the beginning, he tried to kill himself, but his father save him. Later on, his father helps him find a psychiatrist. I didn't like how his Conrad's old friends treated him differently just because he has emotional problems. How come they can't help him let go of his past. I think Conrad's mother is really strong. She can leave the past, but her expectations of her son is really ha...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

The novel “Ordinary People” by Judith Guest is a captivating story that follows the lives of the three remaining Jarrett family members after the tragic death of their eldest son, Buck. Personally, I quite enjoyed this book, despite the fact that it can be very gloomy at times. I liked the fact that it brought to light the struggles that many seemingly “ordinary” people go through. It was an emotional rollercoaster and very hard to put down. I think the book got better and better as the story pr...more The novel “Ordinary People” by Judith Guest is a captivating story that follows the lives of the three remaining Jarrett family members after the tragic death of their eldest son, Buck. Personally, I quite enjoyed this book, despite the fact that it can be very gloomy at times. I liked the fact that it brought to light the struggles that many seemingly “ordinary” people go through. It was an emotional rollercoaster and very hard to put down. I think the book got better and better as the story progressed, and the last few chapters were my favorite. I would recommend this book to everyone except for young children who may not be able to handle some of the content.
The main conflict that is apparent throughout this novel is definitely man vs. self. All three of the Jarrett family members face an internal conflict. Conrad is forced to deal with strong feelings of grief and guilt that come from the death of his brother. He becomes extremely depressed and does not know how to deal with this grief, so he tries to commit suicide. He feels that he should have somehow tried to help save his brother, although he does not know how he would have gone about it. Calvin, his father, is constantly wondering what the best way to deal with his son is. He is always worried about him, yet at the same time, he wants to try to avoid hovering over Conrad too much. Beth, on the other hand, seems to be overwhelmed by the fact that her life is no longer “perfect” and has no clue what she should do or how she should go about fixing it.
Judith Guest has a very personable and easy to read writing style. She uses simple, conversational language that makes this novel a very fast read. She also uses some writing techniques, such as flashbacks, that contribute to the story and make it more engaging. These flashbacks also help give the reader information about events such as Conrad’s attempted suicide without setting the beginning of the novel many months earlier. One thing that I found strange yet dramatic was a style of writing she used occasionally that was just a stream of words that didn’t form proper sentences.
“...struggles against the indignity his pajamas pulled down around his knees a needle sunk deep into his thigh twists moans and all of it loose like water flowing salt tickles inner edges of his eyes into his mouth twists onto his back arms over his head raw wails of anguish…” (Guest 196).
This writing style, with extreme detail but no complete thoughts, leaves the interpretation of the scene mainly up to the reader.
What I believe to be Judith Guest’s message in this book is to persevere through the hard times, and eventually you will find happiness in life again. Conrad had hit rock bottom, but things turned out alright for him in the end. He may have lost his brother and lost touch with his mother, but he gained a strong friendship with his father. “He hooks an arm around his son’s neck and is at once caught in a fierce embrace” (240). Conrad is now able to find love in a world that he had at one point tried to escape.
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Dec 01, 2012 Kaywee rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found Ordinary People by Judith Guest to be rather captivating. I found it interesting how on the surface they try to be an “ordinary” family, putting on a mask for their neighbors, coworkers, and friends. In truth they’re a dysfunctional family. The grief of Buck being deceased causes Conrad to attempt suicide, making his father Cal feel like he has failed at his role as father, and his mother Beth refusing to believe everything is not okay. In my opinion, I found the characters Beth and Cal...more I found Ordinary People by Judith Guest to be rather captivating. I found it interesting how on the surface they try to be an “ordinary” family, putting on a mask for their neighbors, coworkers, and friends. In truth they’re a dysfunctional family. The grief of Buck being deceased causes Conrad to attempt suicide, making his father Cal feel like he has failed at his role as father, and his mother Beth refusing to believe everything is not okay. In my opinion, I found the characters Beth and Cal to be one of the reasons I disliked the book. I found Beth to be a rather “flat” and dry character unwilling to try and make their family better because she ignores the problem all together. Her unwillingness to recognize that the Jarrett family has issues was first apparent to me when she brings up the idea of going away for Christmas, per usual. “I remember you said Yugoslavia, but, Cal, don’t you think London would be fun?” (Guest 26). When she says this it hits me that she doesn’t want to accept that the family dynamic has diverged since the death of Buck. She goes on with her life like everything is the same; in my opinion, I almost believe it’s because she just doesn’t care. On the other hand, I feel Cal cares too much, making to much of an effort to be a “good father” it’s almost smothering. He also believes he’s failed as a father already, because Buck killed himself and takes a lot of that aggression out on Beth. “I think,/ That was our mistake. Going to Florida last Christmas. If we hadn’t done that-“ (27) Cal blames himself for what Buck did and Conrad attempted (suicide) and also lashes out when he thinks Beth is trying to “blame” Conrad for what happened, in all reality Cal is just overly sensitive. I find the conflict to be man vs man, the conflict between Cal and Beth. Cal is overly sensitive and tries too hard to fix the problem while Beth doesn’t want to recognize they have a problem and just move along. There is also a conflict within Cal and his inner self; he blames himself for what’s happened and doesn’t allow himself to move on. Like a broken record, he keeps reliving the trauma that is the death of his son; almost stuck in that point in time. One writing technique that Guest uses is the switch in every chapter, between Cal and Conrad. In Cal’s chapters it’s the struggle to be a good father “Nothing I can see. Only I don’t pass up any chances to discharge these fatherly duties” (9) While Conrad is just trying to make his way through the maze that is adolescence. The theme Guest is trying to get across is that everyone has problems and ordinary families may not be so “ordinary” but extraordinary. While Cal talks to Ray he asks how his lunch with Beth goes, (where they fought about going away for Christmas) Cal is blunt and says “Yeah, fine.” (31) putting on his mask that everything is alright. I also believe it’s a book that focus’ on healing, how everyone recovers from a traumatic experience differently. Beth tries to move on explaining how “London would be fun” (26) and going about her business like nothing happened. Cal tries to fix everything, but ends up reliving the past over and over again; “That was our mistake. Going to Florida last Christmas” thinking about everything he’s done wrong. I would recommend the book to someone else and believe it’s a good book about healing, the struggles of adolescence, and how you can’t judge a book by its cover.(less)

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Dec 01, 2012 Aaron Monajjemi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I personally enjoyed Ordinary People, it is an excellent example of how terrible things can happen to everyday folk and change them completely. I especially liked the differing views on the situation by Conrad’s mother and father, they were basically complete opposites in how they handled the situation, so it gave the reader a broad spectrum of reactions that people can have to horrible events. One thing that I did not like about the book though, was that Conrad’s mom had very little character d...more I personally enjoyed Ordinary People, it is an excellent example of how terrible things can happen to everyday folk and change them completely. I especially liked the differing views on the situation by Conrad’s mother and father, they were basically complete opposites in how they handled the situation, so it gave the reader a broad spectrum of reactions that people can have to horrible events. One thing that I did not like about the book though, was that Conrad’s mom had very little character development. We the audience knew almost nothing about her except that she was a perfectionist and seemed extremely self-serving. It would have made the story much more interesting if Judith Guest had elaborated on Beth more. However, overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I would most definitely recommend it to others, the theme truly helps one realize that they are no exception to tragedies because they are “ordinary.” For example, “I need something, I want something – I want to get off the hook!... For killing him, don’t you know that? For letting him drown!” (Guest 206). Here Conrad discusses his guilt for himself surviving but not his brother. It had been such a tragedy that he blamed himself, and that helps give people a perspective on just how horrible of things can happen them, and how there is nothing that they would be able to do about it.
The main conflict of the story was most definitely man versus self. Throughout the story no one is especially mean to each other, and compared to other novels Ordinary People does not even seem to have an antagonist. However, that’s because the antagonist is one’s self. For Conrad he was fighting himself because he felt the need to fill in his brother’s shoes and couldn’t do it, and he ultimately lost view of who he really was. All in all, he shut himself off from himself. It is not just Conrad either, both his parents do it to varying degrees as well. This is also a very good example for people to realize that sometimes their worst enemy is not someone else, but really themselves. For example, Conrad doubts himself all the time, “Nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe not. Nothing anybody particularly wants to be associated with either” (141). Conrad here doesn’t have any interaction with another person, but he is judging himself and putting himself down for others when they are not actually putting him down or doubting him. This shows that someone can actually hurt themselves more than others can hurt them.
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Nov 30, 2012 Mirna Shehata rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Ordinary People is quite a powerful novel that faces the young adult’s troubles and limits in life. This book in particular focuses on young adult’s life and what kind of harsh problems they might be facing without others seem to give attention. With young adults they always seem to have in mind those adults or parents are never giving them attention. However, in this novel it changes that idea. Parents begin to give little attention to their childern. This is an incredible book in whic...more The book Ordinary People is quite a powerful novel that faces the young adult’s troubles and limits in life. This book in particular focuses on young adult’s life and what kind of harsh problems they might be facing without others seem to give attention. With young adults they always seem to have in mind those adults or parents are never giving them attention. However, in this novel it changes that idea. Parents begin to give little attention to their childern. This is an incredible book in which it helps every person to restore their faith in everything both humanity and life. It helps push young adults or even adults to look at life with the negative side. See at what’s horrible and face it. Nevertheless, those things might seem very horrible but in spite of that still take a chance to look at the positive side. This book is a tragedy of the death of the son from a family. As the other son on the other hand is blaming himself for almost everything after the death of his brother. Later on the father tries to help his own son to survive his brother’s death so he sends him to a psychiatric to help him out with his problem. This book really helps to show the connections between parents and children for a different point of view. It also overlooks to the idea of how some children really need some attention from their parents in their lives. Even at the most horrible conditions it’s never too late to survive. I really liked this book and the main reason for this is that it shows such strong faces and figures. Even the worst of all those characters are still stable and standing on their feet’s to the worst of all. Even though this was a strong book I disliked how everything was just negative. Yet, I really enjoyed the idea that it shows the strongest roots of humans. I deeply recommend this to any parent or students because its shows that if you were in the worst conditions there is always a brighter side to anything and everything.

Ordinary People quite touch every person’s heart. This book opens human’s minds to many things they might not have seen. It really shows the conflict of man verses self and society. Beginning with man verses self-such as Conrad who needed to face himself with the truth that not everything really is his fault. His brother’s death occurred for a reason and maybe this tragedy was the reason that helped Conrad become strongest than ever. He just needed to face himself and really understand that there is a reason and a solution for every problem a man might face. Some may think that others are not giving them attention. But they might just be noticing. On the other hand it also shows the idea of man verses society. Since the characters are trying to face life and its conflicts. Even the hardest hardship and problems such as Calvin who was just trying to face society as a whole and everything. He was trying to face blames and people’s attention on him.

This story of Ordinary people might seem simple yet its meaning is much more powerful. This is exactly the same impact as the writing style in this novel. The writing style in this novel was very understandable. This really helps the reader. Sometimes when authors have a very strong story to tell, the best way to continue this story is to keep the writing style simple and understandable so the reader will understand the message of the book clearly. In this sorry with no questions it’s understandable. However, the majority of the writing style in this novel is very understandable. The author seems to sometimes those in reality. They show you the conflict. How the character reacts. Later on it becomes your chance to reflect from your own life and make connections with other events or characters. In many ways I was able to place myself in situations during this novel. Since the author showed me both the positive and negative side of the conflict. For example, a quote that is powerful and I do favor from this book is, "Life is not a series of pathetic, meaningless actions. Some of them are so far from pathetic, so far from meaningless as to be beyond reason, maybe beyond forgiveness"(Guest 50) this quote is quite powerful. It shows the real meaning of life. Which every action and step you take in your life. This book had both the most powerful of the meaning and the style.

I feel the theme of this book is very powerful. The main theme is that every human can recover the hard and the hardest hard ships. Even every powerful situation every person is able to recover and face. No matter how far or hard things might take far. Everything can be overcome. People just need to find the stronger and better side of them. No matter who they are, they just need to get help when they need it. Such as Calvin he didn’t find help from his family members. So his father decided to let him see a psychiatric in order to help him with his problems. Really many humans just need to face problems no matter how hard they might. Everyone might not just feel like they have one beside them to help them recover but people just need to look around. As Conrad did not really feel like he has a real father however, the psychiatric replaced that father position for him. No matter anything people just need to face problems with help from others.
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Nov 30, 2012 Sarah Schirle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, is a very captivating novel about the struggles of youth, family, and how people deal with the loss of a loved one. The story follows the Jarrets after their son Buck dies and their other son Conrad attempts suicide. The readers get to know them all and how they each coped with these events. Overall, I liked this book. It was a slow at first, and then gradually picked up and gained more of my attention. I liked how real and relatable the characters were. I found...more Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, is a very captivating novel about the struggles of youth, family, and how people deal with the loss of a loved one. The story follows the Jarrets after their son Buck dies and their other son Conrad attempts suicide. The readers get to know them all and how they each coped with these events. Overall, I liked this book. It was a slow at first, and then gradually picked up and gained more of my attention. I liked how real and relatable the characters were. I found myself drawn to Conrad and Calvin, but not Beth. I definitely did not like her. I also did not like how Guest reveals parts of Buck’s death throughout the novel, instead of right at the beginning. When I read a book, I like to have the whole backstory at the beginning. I would recommend this book to others. It is an interesting read about very important and significant topics in life.
I thought one of the main conflicts of the novel was man vs. self. Conrad is constantly struggling with himself after his brother’s untimely death. He feels like his life is out of control and he cannot rein it back in. Conrad went from a great student to a reserved and unmotivated one. He kept battling against himself trying to figure out his life and understand his brother’s death. He was suffering from survivor’s guilt and who he is. Conrad made his life worse by placing blame on himself, when there was nothing he could do.
I liked Judith Guest’s writing style. It was very clear and easy to understand. The book was easy to read and follow, even with all the different character’s thoughts. “His body jerks awake. His hand reaches for the lamp. He turns it on; lies motionless in the sudden bright light. He is in the narrow, twin bed in his grandmother’s spare bedroom” (Guest 196). Guest reveals the detail in this scene, yet it is still simple and easy to read.
There are many themes in this novel, the main one I got out of the novel was how grief affects everyone. Each family took Buck’s passing in a different way, some better than others. Conrad took his grief badly and wanted to punish himself. His father, Calvin, tried too hard to make sure his only son was okay and made Conrad put a wall up. Beth, the mom, distanced herself and drew within herself. Every person took the loss a different way.
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Nov 30, 2012 Eliza rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I first read the back of the book for a quick preview, I was slightly skeptical on how much it could actually relate to my life and how I am. Surprisingly, I already found connections to my everyday thoughts after the first few chapters.

The main conflict of this story is man vs. self, depicted with the internal struggles of both Cal and Conrad. Cal is burdened with responsibility over his son as a father and with trying to hold his family together. He knows something is off since the dea...more When I first read the back of the book for a quick preview, I was slightly skeptical on how much it could actually relate to my life and how I am. Surprisingly, I already found connections to my everyday thoughts after the first few chapters.

The main conflict of this story is man vs. self, depicted with the internal struggles of both Cal and Conrad. Cal is burdened with responsibility over his son as a father and with trying to hold his family together. He knows something is off since the death of his first son, and thinks it is something he is doing wrong. Dr. Berger, Conrad’s psychiatrist, tells Cal “I’m getting a feeling from you…of heavy guilt. About missing signals” (134). He tries to be optimistic, and works diligently yet can’t seem to grasp everything. Conrad feels guilt for his brother’s death. He exclaims, “I want to get off the hook! For killing him….For letting him drown!” (206). He believes it is his fault that he did not save his brother Jordan (Buck).

The style is similar to the way 1984, by George Orwell, is presented. It is in omniscient 3rd person, but it also switches focus slightly from Cal to Conrad. Also, the writing reminds me of Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger. Unlike Catcher in the Rye, however, it doesn’t solely focus on a single person’s ambivalent view. It is easier to understand and feel the conflicts described by a few people. The writing style is concise but the imagery is metaphorically descriptive. “A tiny seed opens slowly inside his mind. In the hospital the seed would grow and begin to produce thick, shiny leaves with fibrous veins running through them. More leaves will come. Like tiny, curled up fists they will hit him” (91). This scene represents his anxiety growing as he is asked of how he feels. Additionally, the inclusion of the conversations with Conrad’s psychiatrist serves as in interesting way of help for Conrad. The way they talk to each other shows some humor; it lightens the mood a bit.

A theme of Ordinary People is that if unrelieved, the burden of guilt can haunt a person until the person starts to emotionally break down. Throughout the novel, Conrad and Cal fight against themselves because of the hanging guilt of Buck’s death.“The fear behind the fear of losing people is that there might have something that you could have done to prevent it” (150). They are constantly unconsciously tormented and Conrad himself experiences a series of scarring flashbacks from the day of his brother’s drowning and from his time spent in the hospital.

I found that many of the internal conflicts described in the book are very similar to what I’ve experienced and what I’ve thought or felt. Ordinary People isn’t exactly an exciting book, but more as if it paces us through a quiet forest road like a guide. Although it is moderately paced, this novel isn’t boring. I would recommend this story to teens or older, as it does deal with some heavy issues such as suicide and deaths.
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Nov 30, 2012 Paul Berge rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Judith Guest’s Ordinary People is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Everybody in the entire world deals with issues daily. Most of the time these are not as drastic as the ones dealt with in Jarrett’s family, but they exist nonetheless. Jarrett’s family even deals with, or mentions, many common problems people have at one time or another. By doing this, a reader gains the ability to see someone else’s thoughts and thus deal with their own problems. By observing how the Jarrett family deals with problem...more Judith Guest’s Ordinary People is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Everybody in the entire world deals with issues daily. Most of the time these are not as drastic as the ones dealt with in Jarrett’s family, but they exist nonetheless. Jarrett’s family even deals with, or mentions, many common problems people have at one time or another. By doing this, a reader gains the ability to see someone else’s thoughts and thus deal with their own problems. By observing how the Jarrett family deals with problems, a reader can figure out how to deal with their own problems. Along with this, it’s an easy read and the pages just fly by. What I didn’t like about the story was the correlation of the members of the Jarrett family and an “ordinary person.” Yes, everybody deals with problems, but insinuating that a family with a child on suicide-watch, a control-freak father, and a perfectionist mother is “ordinary” just does not slide with me. As well, oftentimes the book can feel like a suggestion guide to help people deal with their problems, or to allow others to help these types of people solve their problems. When Conrad was complimented by a woman outside the library, it seemed too staged, and Conrad’s reaction seemed too genuine. I always hear about how just smiling or complimenting a depressed person can turn their life around… but this seemed like a blatant suggestion to people and I would have preferred Conrad dealing with his problems in another, less-well-known way. Nevertheless, this book is great and an easy read and I would definitely recommend it. The problems I have with it are not worth turning away this great read.
The book’s main conflict is man versus self. Through this internal conflict, however, the book touches on all of the other conflicts. Conrad and Cal are at war with society, with the each other, and they question why things are the way they are (nature). Conrad, the son, and Cal, the father, display this whenever they are mentioned. Their entire thought pattern is about how they are failing or how their failing in someone else’s problem. Conrad is always afraid of falling back into depression and that affects everything he does. He cannot help but think that even people looking at him differently signifies he’s either becoming normal as he was before the incident, or sliding back into depression. Cal, on the other hand, is always judging himself. Throughout the story, he desperately wants to be able to assign adjectives to himself. When he cannot early on, it saddens him further.
To portray the inner conflict, Guest chose to write the book with an odd mix of stream of conscious and third person type of writing style. This allows her to show how a depressed person sees the world while allowing the reader to stay aloof and observe without wanting to put the book down. In other words, it furthers the book’s greatest strength – people can use it as an example of how to cure depression and apply it to their own lives. One example from Cal’s perspective is, “They can ride home together. He had told Cal last night that he made an appointment. A good boy. Obedient. He does what he is told to” (Guest 32). By interjecting the second sentence, Guest was able to tell the reader what was going on while still showing how Cal thought with the other sentences.
The theme of the story is immediately evident as one takes it off the shelf: Everyone is like the Jarrett family. Everyone has problems. These “ordinary people” represent everyone. In the book, most of the characters that Conrad and Cal met had problems. Some were not immediately evident, as seen when the girl who seemed so happy and even advised Conrad to be happy, killed herself with poisonous gas. Some were quite evident, as seen when Cal talked with his friend, Ray, whose wife divorced him and he’s still not over it. The greatest example of all, however, is Conrad. He was a grade-A student who was on the swim team and people looked up to him, but he was the one to fall the furthest into depression. He nearly killed himself and afterwards he had to stay in the hospital for half a year. Even the people who seem like the best of society – the ones most in control of themselves – have problems. The entire book is then about dealing with those problems, and their solutions are applicable to a great many. Everyone should give this book a try. Who knows, maybe they will solve one of their own problems with it.
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Nov 30, 2012 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Juliet Guest’s simple yet suitable word choice make me grow to like Ordinary People in general. One of the most important thing is that the characters Guest created are so real that there is something I could learn from it. As a teen I could somehow understand Conrad’s feeling of looking for other people’s help and at the same time rejecting people’s help, for sometimes I think that I could just handle everything well. This book really brings me to think more about my parents, how they care abou...more Juliet Guest’s simple yet suitable word choice make me grow to like Ordinary People in general. One of the most important thing is that the characters Guest created are so real that there is something I could learn from it. As a teen I could somehow understand Conrad’s feeling of looking for other people’s help and at the same time rejecting people’s help, for sometimes I think that I could just handle everything well. This book really brings me to think more about my parents, how they care about me and pay attention to me without me even noticing it. Like Calvin, I believe my parents are always looking for a good way to communicate with me. This novel is great for teens and adults to read. Families are simple and sweet place where you can find the help you need.

About the main conflict:
Obviously, the main conflict in the novel is Conrad’s internal conflict-man vs. self-and his external conflict-man vs. society. Born in an ordinary family and have lived an ordinary life, Conrad is someone who is incapable of handling a close relative’s death. He worshiped his perfect brother Buck and tried to be just like him. Yet Buck is the one who died. Conrad is experiencing a so called “survival guilt”. He thinks that he is not worth surviving and living, that he should give up. Conrad is also afraid of the world he has to face. All the pressure coming his family and his friends is forcing his to be as good as Buck, which is something he could not accomplish. Yet on the other hand, like all people, Conrad does want approval. So Conrad is trapped in his own contradict thoughts. He committed suicide to escape from the pressure and his guilt. But I think Conrad is always hoping to be saved. Instead of taking the pills, he has chosen to cut himself, which involves bleeding, along with a greater chance of being discovered. In general, all people wish for help and attention, and suicide is just one of the method to gain the attention them want. Conrad’s external conflict starts when he is back from the hospital. He is sick of his family’s expectations for him. Conrad’s interaction with his surroundings is certainly a painful process for him. People’s connection are once so valuable to him, but the agony of losing the connections forces him to avoid forming any bonds with anyone. Beth’s attitude toward Conrad is another great factor that is affecting him. The fact that Beth is a perfectionist makes Conrad feel not being loved. To children, especially during the age of just starting to interact with the society, a mother’s caring and love are essential. Of course, Conrad’s boundary is slowly solved, thanks to Dr. Berger. Life cannot be stopped for anything. To have a good life is to maintain happiness all the time, so Conrad’s behavior of self-punishing is very unnecessary. People should live only for themselves and what they consider to be happiness. I am glad to see that Conrad picks himself up at the end. He is no longer bewildered.
About the theme:
What we see in the book is mere a ordinary family. It is true that some may say that what happened in the family is not ordinary at all-a drown family member, a husband who only cares about his wife’s appearance, a teen who committed suicide, and a mother who pay no attention to her son. Is this something extraordinarily odd about this family? I don’t think so. All families have things going on, but no one else except the family members could know what is actually on. And people in the Jarrett family are ordinary as well. Different people have different experiences, and no have the right to say anything about other people’s lives. Personalities are built based upon things people have been through. What one person consider to be ordinary can also be consider to be odd by another person. Conrad is just an ordinary teen, right? He goes to school, studies, dates girls, plays sports, and has a little issue with his parents. Calvin is just an ordinary father and husband. He has a good job and maintains his family. Beth is also not a special lady. The very inside of the family described in the book is something cannot be seen in real life. So yes, the family is ordinary. Every family we see daily is ordinary, because we can never truly understand something unless we are part of it. It’s the same with individuals. People usually can only see the surface of thing. So yes, all families are ordinary while special.

About the writing style:
All I have to say about the writing style is that I hated it. All pages are filled with pronouns that I can’t even distinguish the difference between Calvin and Conrad. I think what Guest is doing is trying to create the sense of “ordinary” for the readers. The names are giving audiences an impression that the characters are distinct, so the pronoun “he” is suppose to show the family as a whole. No matter what the author is trying show the readers by the overuse of pronouns, it goes to a completely wrong way. The entire novel ends up being very confusing. The characters’ internal motions is italicized sentences is a small part of the book I like. It leads to a much better understanding of the characters. Actually seeing the characters’ thoughts better explains their actions and their characteristics. The fact that there is no punctuation it a little disturbing, but the clattered words demonstrates the internal movement every well. (less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Irene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Juliet Guest’s simple yet suitable word choice make me grow to like Ordinary People in general. One of the most important thing is that the characters Guest created are so real that there is something I could learn from it. As a teen I could somehow understand Conrad’s feeling of looking for other people’s help and at the same time rejecting people’s help, for sometimes I think that I could just handle everything well. This book really brings me to think more about my parents, how they care abou...more Juliet Guest’s simple yet suitable word choice make me grow to like Ordinary People in general. One of the most important thing is that the characters Guest created are so real that there is something I could learn from it. As a teen I could somehow understand Conrad’s feeling of looking for other people’s help and at the same time rejecting people’s help, for sometimes I think that I could just handle everything well. This book really brings me to think more about my parents, how they care about me and pay attention to me without me even noticing it. Like Calvin, I believe my parents are always looking for a good way to communicate with me. This novel is great for teens and adults to read. Families are simple and sweet place where you can find the help you need.

About the main conflict:
Obviously, the main conflict in the novel is Conrad’s internal conflict-man vs. self-and his external conflict-man vs. society. Born in an ordinary family and have lived an ordinary life, Conrad is someone who is incapable of handling a close relative’s death. He worshiped his perfect brother Buck and tried to be just like him. Yet Buck is the one who died. Conrad is experiencing a so called “survival guilt”. He thinks that he is not worth surviving and living, that he should give up. Conrad is also afraid of the world he has to face. All the pressure coming his family and his friends is forcing his to be as good as Buck, which is something he could not accomplish. Yet on the other hand, like all people, Conrad does want approval. So Conrad is trapped in his own contradict thoughts. He committed suicide to escape from the pressure and his guilt. But I think Conrad is always hoping to be saved. Instead of taking the pills, he has chosen to cut himself, which involves bleeding, along with a greater chance of being discovered. In general, all people wish for help and attention, and suicide is just one of the method to gain the attention them want. Conrad’s external conflict starts when he is back from the hospital. He is sick of his family’s expectations for him. Conrad’s interaction with his surroundings is certainly a painful process for him. People’s connection are once so valuable to him, but the agony of losing the connections forces him to avoid forming any bonds with anyone. Beth’s attitude toward Conrad is another great factor that is affecting him. The fact that Beth is a perfectionist makes Conrad feel not being loved. To children, especially during the age of just starting to interact with the society, a mother’s caring and love are essential. Of course, Conrad’s boundary is slowly solved, thanks to Dr. Berger. Life cannot be stopped for anything. To have a good life is to maintain happiness all the time, so Conrad’s behavior of self-punishing is very unnecessary. People should live only for themselves and what they consider to be happiness. I am glad to see that Conrad picks himself up at the end. He is no longer bewildered.
About the theme:
What we see in the book is mere a ordinary family. It is true that some may say that what happened in the family is not ordinary at all-a drown family member, a husband who only cares about his wife’s appearance, a teen who committed suicide, and a mother who pay no attention to her son. Is this something extraordinarily odd about this family? I don’t think so. All families have things going on, but no one else except the family members could know what is actually on. And people in the Jarrett family are ordinary as well. Different people have different experiences, and no have the right to say anything about other people’s lives. Personalities are built based upon things people have been through. What one person consider to be ordinary can also be consider to be odd by another person. Conrad is just an ordinary teen, right? He goes to school, studies, dates girls, plays sports, and has a little issue with his parents. Calvin is just an ordinary father and husband. He has a good job and maintains his family. Beth is also not a special lady. The very inside of the family described in the book is something cannot be seen in real life. So yes, the family is ordinary. Every family we see daily is ordinary, because we can never truly understand something unless we are part of it. It’s the same with individuals. People usually can only see the surface of thing. So yes, all families are ordinary while special.

About the writing style:
All I have to say about the writing style is that I hated it. All pages are filled with pronouns that I can’t even distinguish the difference between Calvin and Conrad. I think what Guest is doing is trying to create the sense of “ordinary” for the readers. The names are giving audiences an impression that the characters are distinct, so the pronoun “he” is suppose to show the family as a whole. No matter what the author is trying show the readers by the overuse of pronouns, it goes to a completely wrong way. The entire novel ends up being very confusing. The characters’ internal motions is italicized sentences is a small part of the book I like. It leads to a much better understanding of the characters. Actually seeing the characters’ thoughts better explains their actions and their characteristics. The fact that there is no punctuation it a little disturbing, but the clattered words demonstrates the internal movement every well. (less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Angel Geovonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is one of the best I’ve read. I loved the fact that it was completely relatable to the reader. The change in narrator also helped move the story along and added a nice dynamic to the story. There was nothing to dislike in the book. I would most definitely recommend this book to others. The main conflict is man versus self. Conrad, the main character, is fighting himself in the fact that he is trying to stay positive and not commit suicide. His father, Caleb, is fighting himself to stay...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Jose Calata rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a teenager is tough. We begin to lose friends, gain new ones, hate each other, but also love others. This book captures the life of an "ordinary person" very well. The characters have situations people can easily reflect, and also ones others can relate to. Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who would want to know more about people around them, and how they could be going through something big. After all, they're just ordinary people.
The main character, Conrad, though he ma...more Being a teenager is tough. We begin to lose friends, gain new ones, hate each other, but also love others. This book captures the life of an "ordinary person" very well. The characters have situations people can easily reflect, and also ones others can relate to. Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who would want to know more about people around them, and how they could be going through something big. After all, they're just ordinary people.
The main character, Conrad, though he may not be the most relate-able one, shows how someone can blame themselves for something that is clearly not their fault at all. He shows the conflict of a man against himself, and his own thoughts. The author points out that Conrad blamed himself for his brother's death, though he wasn't related to it at all. He goes through all of this until he attempts suicide, and fails. This leaves his character regretful and pretty much hating everyone around him and himself.
The writing style, though, was hard to follow. A lot of instances, I wasn't sure who was doing what. The 3rd person narrative of the story left me stumped as to who was saying what in a conversation. "He" and "She" was used loosely at the beginning of chapters. "He finishes tying the last bundle of newspapers; small, portable piles to be carried out to the streets on Monday, garbage pick-up day. He gives the knot a yank; cuts off the ends evenly with a paring knife," (Guest, 129) shows that Conrad is throwing out garbage, but we don't know it's him. The chapter starts off with the word "he" but it could either be Conrad or Cal.
The theme, to me, was that people around you, though you may not know it, are going through hard times. And sometimes, they have a hard time opening up to others because they feel they don't feel that they can relate, or they might lose them. Conrad himself tries to hide the fact that he lost his brother. For a while, he even forgets that he had died. This shows how much Conrad had wanted to forget the pain he had felt.
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Nov 30, 2012 Arianna Carrasco rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a very intriguing book, which was surprising because it is about a family going through a horrible tragedy, the death of their beloved son/brother, Buck. It is written from the point of view of a teenager, Conrad, who was the younger brother of Buck. After reading this book, you can tell that Conrad is depressed young man who does not feel at all connected with his parents after the death of his brother. Overall, Ordinary People is about a regular family trying to survive the tragi...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Larry Nguyen rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first the dour beginning of the book made me think this was another story about the arduous journey of a depressed teenager who was an outcast of society and thought he had to rectify his surroundings. However this book has a completely different outlook on a teenager's life. Expectations, bonds, family, and the constant hammering of events and information are all incorporated into this novel and everything is relatable. The constant stream of school and other dedications fill a teenager's l...more At first the dour beginning of the book made me think this was another story about the arduous journey of a depressed teenager who was an outcast of society and thought he had to rectify his surroundings. However this book has a completely different outlook on a teenager's life. Expectations, bonds, family, and the constant hammering of events and information are all incorporated into this novel and everything is relatable. The constant stream of school and other dedications fill a teenager's life and are overwhelming, very similar to Calvin's life in this book. Guest creates a perfect emulation of a teenager's life, the reason why this book as been able to make a notable presence in literature.
I liked this book because I could relate to it besides being extremely depressed. Calvin's cluttered schedule during the day is very similar to mine, classes to maintain a grade, and other extracurricular activities. Most of all are the expectations from my parents and most importantly, from myself. Calvin realized his expectations and failed to engender any resolve in order to satisfy his expectations. That was a part of why he was depressed, and so that is what is most appealing in that aspect. As for the rest of the book, observing Calvin's predicament made me think that I was fortunate enough to not be in his situation. It made me realize that I have a good life, and am fortunate enough to be where I am. The only flaw that I saw worth thinking about was that the beginning was hard to start; it gave me a difficult time to be interested in the book and almost made me stop reading. However the beginning quickly progressed and I began to enjoy the writing more. I do recommend this book to whoever picks it up and has the time to read it.
The main conflict in this novel is the general man verses himself. Calvin had seen his brother die, but instead of moving on he blames the death upon himself. Also his social life is derailed after the death of his brother and with that guilt, Calvin grows further and further depressed and his mental health is derailed. From this point on Calvin seeks help from a psychiatrist and must battle his inner demons in order to come in peace with himself. It is not a battle against society because he sees nothing wrong with society, only with himself. His carried guilt and "sin" of his brother's death is in his mind only, and so he has to fight that himself in order to regain his health and stability, therefore this is a case where it is a man against society.
Unlike other books depicting the life of a teenager, Guest makes her writing style easy to understand and read. It is short and concise with points that help a reader understand her message. The way that the book is written is similar to a teenager's thought process, at least like mine. Sentences come in short lines and are punctuated liberally such as "Sixty seconds or you haven't got it, well, he can beat that record anytime. Banging the bed. Or the shower. That is his specialty" (Guest 79). Most of this quote is in fragments, and my thought process at least comes in many broken up sentences and so this makes sense to me. Her style is simple and comprehensible therefore this book appeals to my thought process.
The theme of this book is that a seemingly ordinary person has their own problem, their own demons to fight within themselves. Though they might seem well on the outside, the fact is that they're not. They might be fighting an internal battle or trying to cope with their life in general, is it school or an outside activity. Each person has their own problem, but they are not alone. There is help and all a person needs to do is to go find that help and find a solution for their internal conflict. Ordinary people have their problems too, and every person needs help at some point in their life.
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Nov 30, 2012 Sarah Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ordinary People, the novel, describes a family that is suffering from the loss of a beloved son and brother, Buck. The story is told from a third person point of view but the author took the novel a step further and included the character’s thoughts and explains more on their motives as well. The novel focuses on the youngest son, Conrad, who just tried to kill himself and the family is additionally suffering from the stigma that is accompanied from that. The book is involved with a lot of emoti...more Ordinary People, the novel, describes a family that is suffering from the loss of a beloved son and brother, Buck. The story is told from a third person point of view but the author took the novel a step further and included the character’s thoughts and explains more on their motives as well. The novel focuses on the youngest son, Conrad, who just tried to kill himself and the family is additionally suffering from the stigma that is accompanied from that. The book is involved with a lot of emotions and you are explicitly told the motives of the characters and the plot reveals how the family has lost one son and experienced the near loss of another and the overall strain it puts on the members. I like the use of explaining emotion throughout the novel yet at times it was over done and became boring. The plot is not banal and does keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book to others.
I believe the conflict faced within the story is internal. Conrad, the son who tried to take his life, emulated his lost brother so much that when the brother died be lost his sense of self, his suicide has a plead for help and his way to cut away the remaining parts of his brother from him because it became to hard for him to continue on trying to fill the place of his brother and act as if he had not lost someone so close. After his manifestation of his perceived inadequacy, Conrad has to return to the world that he tried to escape from. Now his is beginning an internal battle if he can ever become “normal” again and find a place and an image for himself.
In order to expand upon the presentation of emotion and motives in the novel the author uses short sentences. “‘A very simple story. About this perfect kid who had a younger brother. A not-so-perfect kid. And all the time they were growing up, this not-so perfect kid tried to model himself after his brother, the perfect kid. It worked too. After all, they were a lot alike, and the not-so-perfect kid was a good actor. Then, along came a sailing accident and the impossible happened. The not-so-perfect kid makes it. The other kid, the one he patterned his whole life after, isn’t so lucky”(Guest 206-207). The short story describes how Buck, the brother, was lost and the overall emotions that Conrad his having from being the survivor. Each sentence is short and allows for the emotions to be directly and concisely presented to the reader. The story makes you understand how the sailing accident happens but on a deeper level it allows the reader to understand the guilt that Conrad is facing and his actions afterwards allows us to understand his motives as he redevelops himself as a person after the loss of his brother and reentry into society after his attempted suicide.
I believe that the theme of the novel is that experiences in our lives fundamentally change us but the actions that we take afterwards are what define us. I see this present in the overall change in Conrad’s psyche and character over the novel. In the beginning of the novel we see that Conrad is unsure of himself and he does not want to concern his parents but he also wants to be able to live his life with out the restraints of being a person so hurt that he attempted to commit suicide. From the flashbacks and the overall revealing nature of the novel we learn that Buck and Conrad were extremely close and Conrad modeled himself to his brother. When Buck died Conrad had to fill his brother’s shoes as the perfect child of the family and was crushed by the pressure and attempted suicide. His attempts to reenter society after this define his overall change as a character. He did not attempt to take his life again and was deeply disturbed when one of his acquaintances from the hospital when he stayed there for mental treatment succeeded in her second attempt. This is one of the main experiences that pushed him to redevelop himself as an individual and grow and learn from his attempt to take his life. At the end of the novel he has a definite idea of his self and his while worth independent of his brother.
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Nov 30, 2012 Alex Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Simply put, Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a good book. It has believable characters, common themes, and connections to other works in literature and the real world. Conrad Jarrett is a teenage boy who is grief-stricken by the loss of his big brother Buck. Unfortunately, this leads to depression and attempted suicide. Conrad then goes under the care of Dr. Berger so that he can be happy again and try to find some meaning in his life. This certain point and how it relates to theme and story i...more Simply put, Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a good book. It has believable characters, common themes, and connections to other works in literature and the real world. Conrad Jarrett is a teenage boy who is grief-stricken by the loss of his big brother Buck. Unfortunately, this leads to depression and attempted suicide. Conrad then goes under the care of Dr. Berger so that he can be happy again and try to find some meaning in his life. This certain point and how it relates to theme and story in general is why I truly liked this book: it is relatable. As I mentioned before, the characters are very relatable and can even be connected to someone we know or ourselves. I would gladly recommend this book to any teenager. Not only does it have an easy, not-so-complicated story, but it can connect with each and every teenager going through the struggles and pressures of school, parents, and societal norms.
Every person goes through their teenage life as a victim of pressure and stress brought on from getting into the best colleges, making the right friends, or simply deciding what to wear in the morning. What I found interesting about Ordinary People is that it directly portrays this situation. It is truly a book about “ordinary” people. Also, because of the different perspectives from different characters (like Conrad’s mother and father), readers can gain an insight into how other people perceive teenagers’ attitudes towards these stresses and pressures. Readers (specifically teenage readers) learn from these insights to learn how to react to others’ opinions.
Another aspect of Ordinary People that I especially liked was Judith Guest’s writing style. She really emphasizes on the emotions and opinions of each character. “He crosses his legs; uncrosses them, tries to relax. God, he has never been so nervous. He surveys the room: its windows are oil-streaked; cloudy with dirt. An overpowering air of disorder dominates, weighs him down. The bookcases are tightly packed with dark, musty-looking volumes” (Guest 133). Judith Guest explicitly shows how uncomfortable Conrad is during his session with Dr. Berger. You can really feel the tension building up in Conrad as he tries to express his feelings with Dr. Berger. I really enjoyed this style as I read through the rest of the book.
The main themes of man versus man and man versus society are highly prevalent in Ordinary People. Conrad is fighting with himself; he wants to get better, he wants to make himself happy again. And, like the typical teenager, Conrad struggles with the pressures of society and his parents. He tries to connect and identify with, but it seems like can’t do so until the very end. I enjoyed how Guest wrote this seemingly simple story to have the readers delve into the deeper themes of society, inner struggle, outward struggle, and even depression.
Overall, I really enjoyed Ordinary People. It gave me a rather simple story to wrap my head around while also giving me ideas to think about and how those ideas can connect to my own teenage life. I highly recommend this book to any teenager so that they may also see their own lifestyle in the viewpoint of other characters. We, as teenagers, struggle with this constant pressure of finding out who we’re supposed to be in life. Ordinary People by Judith Guest emphasizes this and explores how that struggle can drastically change a person’s life for better or for worse. If you want insight into these aspects, read this book.
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Nov 30, 2012 Mayahillel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found the novel Ordinary People by Judith Guest to be a very interesting novel. This novel cleverly illustrates how the Jarretts' family falls apart do to the death of their eldest son, Buck, in a boating accident. I found the first chapter to be a little bit mundane and tedious, but I did like the way Guest openly talked about Conrad's emotional insecurities. The author showed how Buck's death depressed and saddened Conrad to a point where he would want to commit suicide and end his suffering...more I found the novel Ordinary People by Judith Guest to be a very interesting novel. This novel cleverly illustrates how the Jarretts' family falls apart do to the death of their eldest son, Buck, in a boating accident. I found the first chapter to be a little bit mundane and tedious, but I did like the way Guest openly talked about Conrad's emotional insecurities. The author showed how Buck's death depressed and saddened Conrad to a point where he would want to commit suicide and end his suffering. What is brilliant about the way Guest wrote this novel is the way that she made all of the characters very relatable. I could connect in some way with potentially every character in the novel. Although she was portrayed as a very indifferent and uncaring character, I really did feel a connection with Beth, Conrad and Buck's mother. In the novel, she is depicted as a cold hearted mother who seems to be indifferent about her son's death, and her other son's suicide attempt. I feel that people misunderstand her; I think that she is more in denial than she is uncaring. I saw her indifference as her distancing herself from the problems in her life instead of facing them; she most likely couldn't handle all of these things and chose to remain oblivious instead. She is the exact type of character that could be the saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover". What I enjoyed the most about the novel was how ordinary the story was. Suicide, family struggles, a death in the family, etc. are all things that exist in society today, and because of this the novel felt that much more realistic.

I feel that internal conflict plays a major role throughout the novel. Conrad is an emotionally unstable teenage boy as it is, and the death of his brother simply puts his emotional spasms over the top. He blames himself for his brother's death and is shocked by his mother's indifference about it. His inability to forgive himself and to find someone that can share his pain essentially overwhelms Conrad. In the end he decides that death would be less painful than the life he is currently living.

Guest has a very philosophical and deep writing style. I enjoyed the way she really attempted to dissect the human psyche of an individual that is going through the things that the characters go through in the novel. She shows the human thought process and impulsiveness when it comes to things that they cannot control. "The thing that hurts you is sitting on yourself. Not letting yourself connect with your own feelings. It is screwing you up, leading you off on chases that don't go anywhere" (Guest 225). Just by including Dr. Berger as a character in the novel, Guest gives herself and the readers an opportunity to think about what they would do if they were put in the same situation as Conrad. Additionally, any readers that have experienced Conrad's struggles will be able to use this book as and outlet and a way to explain and understand their own emotions.

I believe that throughout the novel Ordinary People, Guest mainly tries to deliver the message that life goes on and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Throughout the entire novel Guest addresses the Jarrett family's emotional struggle and how they try to overcome it. There are characters that succomb to their depression and suffering and there are those who decide to stay strong and keep moving forward. In the beginning Conrad's thought process is very negative: "Nothing's new, nothing's on my mind. I don't think anything. I don't feel anything" (98). But as his time in the hospital and his therapy progresses, he begins to discover that there are things worth living for and that life ultimately goes on.(less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Suspenseful, mysterious, touching—Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a story that will keep one at the edge of their seats. This story was incredible in the way it describes a perfectly ordinary family in such a way that anybody can connect with find ways in which they are similar. Throughout the entire story, there is constant description of the tensions between Calvin and Beth, the main character’s parents. It is when the couple separates that really touched my heart. After the separation, Cal...more Suspenseful, mysterious, touching—Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a story that will keep one at the edge of their seats. This story was incredible in the way it describes a perfectly ordinary family in such a way that anybody can connect with find ways in which they are similar. Throughout the entire story, there is constant description of the tensions between Calvin and Beth, the main character’s parents. It is when the couple separates that really touched my heart. After the separation, Calvin spoke with Conrad, the main character, and explained how his mother would be gone for an indefinite amount of time. He then proceeds to explain how the separation was not Conrad’s fault and the two exchange the words, “I love you” to each other. Father-son dynamic, the resilience of family, and compassion and love—this event explained all of this. This event describes the family love that everyone should feel when being with their loved ones, and it is because of this connection that this story is a mirror, reflecting the very essence of my life through the words of another. The characters are, in fact, ordinary. They do not exemplify anyone or anything beyond the everyday person, and is because of this that this story was so enjoyable to read.
Conrad Jarrett, an emotional wreck and the story’s main character, lives in isolation, but is attempting to reintegrate into the everyday world. He wishes to have control to lessen his life’s chaos and to seem “normal” in his own society. However, it is only he that stands in his way of being a truly beneficial member of society. As a teenager, Conrad believes the only way to truly normal is to conform to social standards. He believes that control and bottled emotions are the keys to get closer to any sense of normality. Conrad does not understand that it is because of his uniqueness and his lack of control that he is a critical part of society, a simple ordinary person. Nobody has control over their lives, nor over what people think of them. He does not comprehend that it is because of every person’s unique characteristics that our society becomes rich in culture instead of a bleak existence of stale and “perfect” peoples.
Guest’s writing style is interesting, and it reinforces her theme. She says, “And television. Merely bright patterns of color that jump around of the screen and do not soothe or settle his brain. He wonders what it would look like inside his brain. All brown and dusty from disuse” (Guest 108). Her use of fragments and the connection of one’s surroundings to themselves further emphasizes the idea of ordinary people. As ordinary people, every human being finds connections or patterns between themselves and their surroundings. They often find many literal connections, like the disorganized function of a television to the chaos that inhibits someone’s mentality. Everyone creates these connections; it is what makes them human beings. It is the social norm.
Although not everybody experiences the turmoil that the Jarrett family faces, each person does experience something that can relate to such event. Guest conveys how everyone has their own “guilty secret” that they do not want others to know about. Everyone has something they feel ashamed of or something that they believe will bring judgment upon them. This is what makes each person ordinary. It is the fact that they are not perfect, but instead, ordinary is the realization that everyone has flaws. If one is looking for a book that takes them back to an understanding of adolescence and teenage mind frame, this is the perfect book. Although it focuses mainly on teenagers, it also teaches many things on the everyday person in society. This book is an absolute must read, and though not a classic, it is an important work of self-realization.
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Nov 30, 2012 Mitchell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Extraordinarily Ordinary People
This book, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, is easily a recommendable book. But I did not love it. It had its ups and downs, not like a great book should, but like a good book that caught my interest. The main characters might have been ordinary people, but so many extraordinary things happen to that family, which elevates the Jarrett family past the level of normal. It is with a skeptical air with which I view this book, both in the duration of the reading and af...more Extraordinarily Ordinary People
This book, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, is easily a recommendable book. But I did not love it. It had its ups and downs, not like a great book should, but like a good book that caught my interest. The main characters might have been ordinary people, but so many extraordinary things happen to that family, which elevates the Jarrett family past the level of normal. It is with a skeptical air with which I view this book, both in the duration of the reading and after finishing the book. It is astounding how many tragedies befell the Jarrett family and Conrad Jarrett, the main character, especially. First, Conrad’s brother Buck dies. After Conrad Jarrett fails at committing suicide in response to Buck’s death, whether from a desire to fail and get help, or from actually failing in his effort due to some mistake, which is not made clear, his life becomes a timeline with which to display all different tragedies. His family falls apart as his parents deal with the recent events in their own separate ways, he loses his friends, one friend, Karen, who came to see Conrad after his failed suicide attempt, ends up committing suicide herself, and his mother leaves on an extended leave of absence. Despite all the tragedy, Conrad heals from his suicide attempt and the loss of his brother, and moves on past all that.
The overarching conflict in Ordinary People is that of man versus man, where Conrad meets resistance to life not only in himself, but in those he has known for all his life like his friends and family. Some would say committing suicide takes bravery, but it takes only copious need for escape. When Conrad’s attempt failed, he was forced to live knowing that he was still there and knowing that he had attempted to take his own life. From there, people, himself included, could never treat him the same. Guest’s book is about how Conrad learns to cope with what he did with the aid of Dr. Berger, and the reactions of his parents, especially Conrad’s mother Beth after Buck’s death and Conrad’s attempt. Beth had always been a perfectionist at heart, ingrained with the idea that her family should be perfect no matter what the cost. So she cannot handle Conrad’s presence, because it reminds her constantly of his time of weakness as well as Buck’s death, which she needs to talk about but cannot. Conrad constantly comes into conflict with his mother, with Guest showing that under the family dynamic, many events and fights go unseen by the rest of the world that change families and tear them apart. One interpretation of the title Ordinary People is that the Jarretts are trying to find a way to get back to being normal after what they went through, that they covet the idea of being normal and not having to worry about all the sadness that has affected them. However, the man versus man conflict so quintessential to Guest’s plot creates a barrier between the Jarretts, and so tears them apart. This is the cliché part of the story: emotional and mental problems taking hold and renting apart established bonds, it has all been done before. While Guest brings it up in a new fashion, which is technically old because of when the novel was first published, it is still the same problem that is seen all over literature.
Guest’s writing style was quite plain, indicating that her audience was the “ordinary people,” some of whom were probably touched more by the story than others. With that writing style, Guest was able to put the main conflict in terms relating to the general populace, which evokes strong feelings dislike or complete agreement based on being able to find similarity. Guest’s diction may be easily consumed and understood words, but they carry a power that cannot be compared to other works of fiction. “You didn’t expect to win. Maybe that’s it. You get what you expect” (Guest 233). No long, hard to understand words, just short words that flow together, and yet mean more than any long word could in a situation like this. This is one of Guest’s highlights: no matter how cliché the conflict, she has the ability to get out what she wants in the most efficient way while retaining meaning. This is what made the book bearable because Guest’s writing style makes the plot easy to follow and strengthens the impact of the text.
Guest’s theme also follows the pattern of her writing style: easy to grasp but truly deep in meaning and context. For Ordinary People, Guest provides this theme: The trick is getting through things, not getting over them. The only reason the Jarretts had so many problems was that they could not get through the death of Buck. Instead, they were trying to find ways that would allow them to forget about the past and move on, when the answer lay when conversing about their feelings. This is why Guest’s character Dr. Berger is such a powerful character. Berger is the perfect vessel for Conrad to bring his troubles to light, not because Berger is putting thoughts into his head, but because Berger has a way of saying just the right thing to make Conrad open up. In one of Conrad’s visits, Berger actually goes to state that getting through things makes all the difference, a fact that turns Conrad’s recovery to the better. Berger is Guest’s embodiment of her theme, and allows her to present it in a quirky way that strengthens the story.
I recommend this book solely for the character Berger. He is definitely no Lee from East of Eden, but his dampened intellect still struck a balance within the novel and myself, and goes beyond that of a normal psychologist. The story itself was not so bad, but Berger made the book as good as it is. Guest sure knows how to make her psychologists.
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Nov 30, 2012 Aida rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book allows readers to understand the concept of disguises. Many individuals have a smile on their face and make it appear to the world that they have everything going for them. However, very little know about the fact that there are a few loose screws in the mechanics. I liked this book. I enjoyed the fresh perspective Guest shows. In addition I liked how this book had characters that readers can see themselves in. It is relatable in a sense that situations such as the ones presented in th...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Nichole Ando rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a captivating novel concerning the Jarrett family. Personally I thought the book was ok. I thought the message was important and good. The story line however I just could not get into. I felt I could not relate to the characters or plot. Overall though I felt Ordinary People was a good book. I liked the characters progress throughout the book. Conrad's journey is emotional and speaks to a lot of people. Hundreds of thousands of people attempt suicide every yea...more Ordinary People by Judith Guest is a captivating novel concerning the Jarrett family. Personally I thought the book was ok. I thought the message was important and good. The story line however I just could not get into. I felt I could not relate to the characters or plot. Overall though I felt Ordinary People was a good book. I liked the characters progress throughout the book. Conrad's journey is emotional and speaks to a lot of people. Hundreds of thousands of people attempt suicide every year. It is one of the most leading causes of death. In the beginning Conrad has attempted suicide but failed. He starts to get treatment and begins seeing a therapist. Throughout the course of the book Conrad encounters a difficult time in his life. With a perfectionist mother and a concerning father Conrad has no reason to live. He become severely depressed and shuts out everything that once meant the world to him. Conrad is having a hard time grasping reality. His older brother drowned and he feels responsible. Buck was a huge part in Conrad's life and was always there for him. Whenever someone loses a close relative or a loved one it tears them up. Losing someone is tragic and unfortunate. When they die a part of you dies. That is why Buck's tragedy was so hard for Conrad. He could not prevent it or helped him. It was one of those unfortunate events. Conrad had a hard time coping with his brother's death. His older brother's death was the start of the Jarrett family falling apart. After the incident Conrad was never the same and soon fell into a depressive state. Even though I thought the book was ok I would highly recommend it. The story is inspiring and a good book. Ordinary People tells a compelling story about ordinary people. It discusses problems that most every family goes through. Everyone eventually deals with a loss. How to cope with it varies and Conrad's reaction is understandable. The main conflict is man vs. self. Conrad had a lot of internal problems that he had to deal with. All the characters main problem was with themselves and internal. Calvin, Conrad, and Beth all had inner emotional problems that prevented them from being happy. Calvin had trouble grasping the fact that he lost his eldest boy, but that he almost lost his last child. He grew up very differently than how Conrad has. He was not as privileged and had no real parents. In a way he feels as if he has failed his family. All he wanted was to give them everything he never had. He felt if he did that then the boys would have a better future, but look where it got them. Beth is a perfectionist and merely did not know how to handle the situation. It was too much for her and the only way she knew how to keep things ok was to escape and try to hide the pain. Pushing it away only made things worse. The Jarrett family encountered a lot of problems that people go through in life making the title appropriate. Conrad says, “You’re all right kid. Ordinary."(Guest 199). There was nothing special about Conrad or his family they were ordinary people with ordinary lives. He went through what many teenagers go through. The book is really descriptive and gives a lot of detail. I would say the writing style is descriptive. "Turning, he follows the disappearing taillights, two red eyes in the darkness"(199). Guest really gives a lot of detail and does not leave one single word out. S goes into depth about not only the scenery but what exactly is going on so no one is confused or left out. One main theme from Ordinary people is forgiveness. Conrad main problem is to forgive him because it was not his fault his brother died. Conrad was given a second chance and dealt with the hard facts of life. Forgiveness is not easy and can be one of the hardest things to do. Yet, it has to be done because dealing with all those emotions can ruin a person. I would definitely recommend this book because it is much more than an attempted suicide story.(less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Mayank rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ordinary people, in my opinion, is one of the best books I’ve read all year. The climax was gripping and the morals hit home perfects. The only downside, for me at least, was the dull opening. When the book picked up, however, I loved every second of it. I think this is due in part to the masterful imagery behind the descriptions of the conflict within Conrad. His struggles within himself are beautifully shown by Judith Guest’s words, and this is the best portrayal of a man vs. self conflict I...more Ordinary people, in my opinion, is one of the best books I’ve read all year. The climax was gripping and the morals hit home perfects. The only downside, for me at least, was the dull opening. When the book picked up, however, I loved every second of it. I think this is due in part to the masterful imagery behind the descriptions of the conflict within Conrad. His struggles within himself are beautifully shown by Judith Guest’s words, and this is the best portrayal of a man vs. self conflict I have ever seen. I also think that the therapist was a wonderful character, who helped Conrad settle his conflict within himself in a way that hit home with many readers.

I also liked the writing style that Guest used. The way she can delve into the inner workings of Conrad’s head and put them into words is a truly unique aspect rarely seen in books. A perfectly good example of this is in the climax of the book, in his therapist’s office. “He looks down at his hands, at his fingernails, bitten to the quick again. He doesn’t remember doing that. Narrowing his eyes, he blends everything to gray- the curtains, the walls painted with huge, atomic grapevines and leaves, and the dark, gorilla-like man across the table from him” (Guest 208). Passages like these exemplify the unique aspect of Guest’s writing that is to not only talk about what Conrad does, but what goes through his mind while doing it.

I also think the theme was beautifully portrayed. By use of her unique writing, she shows beyond a doubt that ordinary people also have problems in their life, even if they don’t show it. This theme is supported throughout the book, perhaps most strongly in the climax, where Guest finally puts a definition to the word depression: “Depression is not sobbing or crying or giving vent, it is the plain and simple reduction of feeling”. This proves her theme, showing that reduction of feeling is easily hidden, and that even the most ordinary people can have the most extraordinary problems.
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Nov 30, 2012 Brian Nicholson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ordinary people sometimes are forced to go through extraordinarily bad circumstances. This is the theme Guest tries to illustrate in her book, which is appropriately titled Ordinary People. The story follows the lives of the Jarret family, particularly Conrad and Calvin Jarret. Conrad, the protagonist, is an emotionally unstable teenager who blames himself for the death of his brother in a boating accident. The story focuses on him and his development after attempting suicide. The main conflict...more Ordinary people sometimes are forced to go through extraordinarily bad circumstances. This is the theme Guest tries to illustrate in her book, which is appropriately titled Ordinary People. The story follows the lives of the Jarret family, particularly Conrad and Calvin Jarret. Conrad, the protagonist, is an emotionally unstable teenager who blames himself for the death of his brother in a boating accident. The story focuses on him and his development after attempting suicide. The main conflict is man vs. his emotions. Everyone in the Jarret family has to control their emotions, mainly anger, in order to avoid fights and tension in the family. Conrad has to stop feeling responsible for everything that happened and stop blaming himself. However, with the condition their family is in, they often let their emotions get the better of them.
I liked the diversity of the characters in the book. Calvin, the husband and father in the Jarret family, tries to be a good Dad to Conrad and makes sure not to push him over the edge. Beth, Conrad's mother, wishes to continue their lives and forget the whole thing ever happened. She begins to act coldly toward Conrad after his attempted suicide. He does not fit in with her image of a "perfect" family. Dr. Berger is my favorite character. He is the psychiatrist that Conrad goes to see. Unlike most psychiatrists we see on TV or in literature, Berger actually connects with Conrad and treats him more like a friend than a patient. By asking questions, he leads Conrad into thinking about his problems instead of giving him answers. To a certain extent, Berger actually saves their family from completely breaking apart. The only thing I disliked about the book was the topic of death and suicide, and how it negatively affected the characters.
Guest's writing style is by far not my favorite. For me, it was often hard to follow exactly what she was talking about, especially at the beginning of a chapter. She tries to incorporate what the characters are feeling or thinking at the time, and she interjects their thoughts into the middle of her paragraphs. I found this confusing at times and hard to follow.
Overall, I liked the book because it had an interesting plot. I was able to connect to all of the characters at different times in the story and I would recommend it to teenagers.
Everyone has problems in life. Most of us can deal with our problems. Some, like the Jarret family, go through so many bad things that they lose control. The truth is that it can happen to anybody. We are all ordinary people, but sometimes the hand we are dealt in life makes us into the people we are.
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Nov 30, 2012 Kristina Stephenson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, is one of a few books that make me contemplate the world around me and the interactions I make with others. The story of the Jarrett family is far from ordinary yet real and powerful. Guest writes about a sensitive topic that is eye opening and relatable. The Jarrett family finds themselves trying to return to their previous happy lives after the loss of their first son, Jordan, and failed suicide of another, Conrad. Judith Guest’s story of self forgiveness and...more Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, is one of a few books that make me contemplate the world around me and the interactions I make with others. The story of the Jarrett family is far from ordinary yet real and powerful. Guest writes about a sensitive topic that is eye opening and relatable. The Jarrett family finds themselves trying to return to their previous happy lives after the loss of their first son, Jordan, and failed suicide of another, Conrad. Judith Guest’s story of self forgiveness and guilt is saddening. Conrad feels guilt and believes that he is the reason Jordan drowned and tries to punish himself for it. As Conrad tries to rebuild his life and return to normalcy, his parents’ marriage is falling apart and readers are able to examine their family dynamics.
The main conflict I found throughout the novel is man vs. self. Each member of the Jarrett family each feel they have done some wrong action to lead to their crumbling family. Conrad feels as though he could have prevented Jordan from drowning. He punishes himself through suicide and isolating himself from those who love him. His father, Calvin, feels as though he was not involved enough in his sons lives. Calvin feels guilty for not foreseeing any possible signs of problems in both Conrad and Jordan. His attempts to make amends with his guilt result in his constant smothering of Conrad in questions. His wife, Beth, is a flat character who does not develop. Even so, she is selfish and must bring each topic back to herself. She runs away from her problems because she does not know how to deal with them. She feels as though she is not a good enough mother and would rather move on than fix problems. Each of these characters harbors guilt inside and need a way to release it. They all must look inside themselves and be open to expressing their pain to others.
Judith Guest’s message is one of self forgiveness for guilt. People do not control the fate of others. They may try to shape or aid in another person’s fate, but they will never control it. Everyone struggles with the ability to control an aspect of some other person’s life. Guest emulates this idea through each of her characters. Beth is the one character who can not come to terms with this fact so she leaves. While she may be selfish and vain, Beth is the most relatable. In today’s materialistic society, Beth is someone who cares heavily about what others think of her and would fit in perfectly. Characters such as her keep this story real and believable. Guest finishes the novel with open ends, leaving readers unsure of if Beth will ever return to her family. Even so, that is life because nothing is ever set in stone. This is one aspect that I really appreciate in Ordinary People: we are never really sure of anything in life and Judith Guest provides this realistic view. This is not a happy ending but that is fine because it is not a cliché story either.
Through the first half of the novel, I found myself lost and confused. The author is unclear in which point of view the story is being told from. While Ordinary People is an easy read, I found it hard to visualize scenes due to Guest’s unclear writing. Each chapter changes perspective and readers are introduced to whichever character’s perspective with “he” rather than names. Perspective is only clarified at the point when the character engages with another. Another confusing but interesting part about the author’s writing is that she does not give the background of the Jarrett family until the end of the novel. From the beginning of Ordinary People, the Jarrett family had already experienced a tumultuous past. It is unclear to readers the events that had occurred but Judith Guest fills in the story like a puzzle. Piece by piece, readers are clued in until everything makes sense. Unfortunately Guest’s style of “mystery” was too extensive for me. I truthfully wanted to stop reading before the halfway point of the book but continued on out of curiosity. Reading past the halfway point of the novel was a huge turning point for me. My attitude towards everything turned around. “Because it has always been easier to believe himself capable of evil than to accept evil in others” (Guest 211). It seemed that as began to make sense of the story, the characters made sense of their lives. Each of the author’s words became insightful and filled with meaning as the Jarrett’s problems were revealed. Conrad’s problems began to make sense as his flashbacks were written into the story. I began to understand why each of the Jarretts act the way they do; they are trying to move on from a past that keeps a heavy hold of them. When everything made sense, I found a great appreciation for the novel was really satisfied.
I definitely would recommend this book to both adolescents and adults. Judith Guest creates and amazing and eye opening novel that allows people to contemplate their place among peers and in society. Even though people live far different lives, we are all ordinary people who have their own problems: no one is perfect. Guest leaves readers with an amazing message that everyone can learn from.
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ORDINARY PEOPLE vs CATCHER IN THE RYE	1	16	Jul 30, 2012 10:33am
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