The Writer of A Separate Peace
The great writer George Orwell once stated, “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not.” (Orwell). Knowles had this same struggle, and like Orwell used it to his advantage. The novels of John Knowles reflect his personal background and frequently explore the time period in which he lived through WWII. Throughout his life he reflected on his childhood, nurtured his love and ability of writing, and was rewarded for his great works in literature.
In the beginning, John Knowles was just like any other child, but just like many other children in America he had an unexpected sight into adulthood due…
He received a Bachelor or Arts degree from Yale which he used in his writing career. Some of his first jobs included a reporter for the Hartford Courant and a movie critic(Higgins). He was an associate editor for Holiday magazine meanwhile doing some freelance writing (Honan). Although, when Knowles went to American publishers to review and possibly print his book they sent him away. He did not lose hope though, he instead went to British publishers who loved the book, printed it, and put him on the path to being an author of an American Classic. About a year after A Separate Peaces publication in the UK, American publishers realized the books popularity and by the spring of 1960 created the New York Ed. of A Separate Peace...
Although this is true, he was not recognized for his brilliance until his adulthood. Many critics agree, “the best novel written by Knowles was his first, A Separate Peace” (Higgins). The novel tells the story of a boy named Gene, who is based off of Knowles, and his friends at a boarding school during WWII, based off of his time at Philip Exeter Academy. Knowles deep affinity towards this book and its anomalous take on friendship may be a reason why it has done so well. He has written other novels and short stories but, the only other novel that is still printed is A Separate Peaces companion novel titled Peace Breaks Out (“John Knowles”). This novel returns to the setting of Devon School, the fictional Philip Exeter Academy, after WWII and talks about a new teacher and the relationships he sees in his…
