A Separate Peace

By John Knowles

This story is a man's story for men. It totally left me cold.
These boys are at a private school in New England. It's WWII. The two main characters are Gene and Finny. Gene is more brainy and Finny is more athletic. Finny invents this dumb game where these fools climb up this tree and jump off the tree and out into the water below. This is a dangerous stunt because if they miscalculate, they could end up smashed on the ground below. Finny is one of those guys who don't seem to have much physical fear. But Gene isn't. Every time he has to do the jump, it bothers him.
After awhile, he starts to resent his friend's easy prowess. And he begins to think Finny in turn resents his intelligence and that Finny is trying to sabotage him. But maybe Finny really is a good guy who only wants Gene to succeed.
I don't know. All I know is that the next time he and Gene are up in the tree preparing to jump, Gene jiggles the branch, and Finny falls and shatters his leg on the ground, ending his career as an athlete. And also ending his chance of being a soldier.
This leaves Gene having to cope with his own lack of character and with his friend's blighted hopes.

If you like these sort of psychological studies, you might enjoy this book. I didn't. I really don't care for books where the main character turns out to be a creep and a coward.

Review from the Independent:   http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-separate-peace-by-john-knowles-book-review-a-forgotten-gem-of-the-us-in-wartime-9669357.html.