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A Tree of My Own: The Platypus Reads Part L


This post marks a full fifty literary musings here at "The Platypus of Truth." Since this all started with a wave of nostalgia, it seems apropriate to turn to a book that I read in tenth grade and just finished teaching to my tenth graders: "A Separate Peace."

I attended a New England prep-School, though nothing near as fancy as Philips-Exeter. When I first read this book, it resonated with me on a deep level. I read it once, and never had a chance to pick it up again. It was with a mix of eagerness and trepidation that I put it on this year's reading list for my students. I was worried that the magic would be gone. It wasn't.

I don't particularly agree with Knowles' conclusions about the nature of life, but there are just too many gems in "A Separate Peace" for it to lose its power. Furthermore, it had a marked affect on my students; even though the world of a New England prep-school is as far off from them as Mars. Being from that part of the country myself, I did everything I could to make it work for them, and it did.

If even for a moment, that makes me feel just a little less lonely.
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Comments

K-W said…
Good to hear you think it's worth re-reading. I could count on one hand the number of books that I truly loved in high school English class, and A Separate Peace that was one of them. I've been wondering if I would still like it now. Sounds like I should pick it up during break.
1:34 AM
James said…
Very much worth it. Again, I think he's off on some things, but it's still a got a lot worth hearing.
4:52 PM
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