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135th out of 291 books
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271 voters
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Peace Breaks Out
by
John Knowles
With the unforgettable power and simplicity that made A Separate Peace into a modern classic, this masterful companion volume by John Knowles takes us once again on a warmly nostalgic journey through the poignancy of adolescence and gives us another landmark portrayal of the dark side of the human heart.
Mass Market Paperback, 192 pages
Published
March 5th 1997
by Bantam
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Overall, the novel is not nearly as compelling and the characters are not nearly as believable as Finny and Gene were from "A Separate Peace." However, I believe that the concepts that the author is asking his readers to consider are not only much overlooked and worth pondering, that the semi-weak backdrop of the novel excuses it. Of all the war novels, none I have ever read contends with the boys who were a year or two young to fight what had been indoctrinated to believe was the good...more
I read John Knowles book which is A Separate Peace last summer, also this book wrote by John Knowles. This story has some similarity of setting with A Separate Peace therefore I was compare with A Separate Peace and this books when I read a story.
The setting of this story is World War II which is same as A Separate Peace. The main character is Pete Hallam who is the hero of athletic war.
I felt boring when I was reading this book, and I think A Separate Peace is better than this book....more
The setting of this story is World War II which is same as A Separate Peace. The main character is Pete Hallam who is the hero of athletic war.
I felt boring when I was reading this book, and I think A Separate Peace is better than this book....more
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This book is darker than A Separate Peace. For me, it is not as lovable, but it is still as interesting. Peace Breaks Out is the closing bookend to World War II while A Separate Peace is the opening. I love how Knowles addresses the aftermath effects of war: the boys in the book are the senior class just when the war has ended, so they have just missed it. Yet their internal issues are no less significant than those found in A Separate Peace. As always, the writing is excellent.
Even though this is a sequel, you can fully enjoy this book without ever reading A Separate Peace. The setting and themes are the only things that carry over.
A soldier's perspectives of life after the war are juxtaposed with those of the young boys who never fought. It addresses what makes a hero, what makes a villain, and the concept of a war to end all wars. It’s very good, I recommend it.
A soldier's perspectives of life after the war are juxtaposed with those of the young boys who never fought. It addresses what makes a hero, what makes a villain, and the concept of a war to end all wars. It’s very good, I recommend it.
This was a disappointing book after reading John Knowles other book A Separate Peace which was phenomenal. The first 120 pages were basically setting up the conflict which only occurred during the last 30. I read it for a school project and would definitely not read it again.
Jacqueline
marked it as to-read
I love John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace, so I guess that I should read the companion novel. Although the ratings and reviews are pretty low, I will continue to hope that when I read this, it will blow me away just as his wonderful novel A Separate Peace did.
I picked this up on a whim, because I loved _A Separate Peace_ so much. Not even in the same ballpark. I couldn't get into any of the characters and the plot was pretty meh. Although I was happy that it made references to _A Separate Peace_.
A Separate Peace is much better, but this is a moderately interesting psychological look at the generation who just missed being sent to war.
Joy
marked it as to-read
I didn't know there was a sequel to A Separate Peace (one of my favorite books from high school) so I'm happy to see this.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles is my favorite book, so it's hard to have his follow up match that. Still a good book.
I know I read this several years ago, but just re-read it. Interesting decision to use omnicient POV.
The Muse touched Sir John once. and this book was not it. The skiing accident is tragi/comedy
although less subtle and more predictable than "a separate peace," i liked this book just as much if not more. interestingly, knowles' themes of internal war and 'in the absence of an enemy one is created,' are more stirring set in the so-called post-war 'peace.' The fact that the book was published in 1981 also gave the author the useful tool of hindsight and the knowledge of the conflicts that brewed and blew up in the decades after WWII, making the story more resonant for readers b...more
They make a reference to Finny in this book!
Not quite as powerful as A Separate Peace, but the ending haunted me. Good book for the summer.
Not quite as powerful as A Separate Peace, but the ending haunted me. Good book for the summer.
A decent follow-up, but not as classic as the first.
Not as good as A Separate Peace. Disappointing
Peace Breaks Out by John Knowles (1997)
Katlyn
marked it as to-read
Need to reread
This book is the sequel to A Separate Peace which is basically bomb. This book has the same great aspects -- descriptive writing, poignant setting, the inquisition into the human heart -- which is exactly why it was ho-hum. It was a lot like the first book, even down to the climax of an "accidental" death. I got the point of A Separate Peace. Peace Breaks Out had a different point which I didn't get. Also it ended on a down note, a short essay on how the world's really horrible people ...more
A Separate Peace by John Knowles is one of my favorite books. I read it many years ago and after reading this book by Knowles, I remember why. Set in post world war II at the same private school, Devon, that was in the first book, A graduate of Devon returns from war and takes a teaching position at Devon. In this masterpiece, Mr. Knowles demonstrates the making of a despot. The concept is so astute, so subtle, so well done, and the writing so pristine that I am astounded. Briliant! Brilliant! B...more
i remember 'a separate peace' probably better than this one, having read it years ago. ought to give this another whirl, given time. curious.
Nicole
is currently reading it
BORING
I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I wasn't compelled to compare it to A Separate Peace, which is to say that there's no comparison.
most people don't even know that knowles wrote another book. this book only peripherally mentions what happened in A Separate Peace, but it is strikingly familiar. i read it the first time with a notebook, to write down my favorite passages - it ended up incredibly long. his writing matured in this book, and it's too bad the story isn't more well read, because it truly is excellent.
Sequel to A Separate Peace, boy returns as teacher after the war, teaches history, gets involved with a fight between two boys, one a Nazi sympathizer, the other an unpopular ambitious boy. The one sets up the toher and lets other boys assume the Nazi boy damaged a window in remembrance of WWII alumni deaths. Boy dies of weak heart.
The sequel to A Separate Peace. In this book, the war has ended and all of these boys who are graduating are really confused as to where their lives are supposed to go. They spent their entire adolescence planning on going to war and serving their country and now that this plan has been thrown out, they feel lost. Fantastic book.
This is the sequel to A Separate Peace. Gene returns to Devon School years later and revisits some of the events that haunt him from his time there. It's an adult's perspective on childhood events that teen readers will enjoy but that adult readers will find even more poignant.
I was a little disappointed, as I really enjoyed "A Separate Peace" - this one just wasn't quite as engaging or quite as "coming of age" as the previous one. Might also add that I read the first one 6 months to a year ago.
Martha De Los Reyes
marked it as to-read
A little boring but somewhat intresting.
Chris
marked it as to-read
I've heard this is not as good as A Separate Peace. But I love that book, so I'll eventually read this one.
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John Knowles (September 16, 1926 - November 29, 2001), b. Fairmont, West Virginia, was an American novelist, best known for his novel A Separate Peace.
A 1945 graduate of the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Knowles graduated from Yale University as a member of the class of 1949W. A Separate Peace is based upon Knowles' experiences at Exeter during the summer of 1943. T...more
More about John Knowles...
A 1945 graduate of the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Knowles graduated from Yale University as a member of the class of 1949W. A Separate Peace is based upon Knowles' experiences at Exeter during the summer of 1943. T...more
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“This is a school,' said Pete in his level voice. 'All views can be expressed and considered here. We're not indoctrinating you.'
Yes, well,' Hochschwender replied coolly, 'that's a matter of point of view.”
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4 people liked it
Yes, well,' Hochschwender replied coolly, 'that's a matter of point of view.”
“Most of the students there, he said, don't know what they think. You tell 'em, they'll think it. I plan to tell 'em.”
—
2 people liked it
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