Peyton Place (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England) by Grace Metalious Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Peyton Place (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England)
Book Review: Absorbing but...terribly written
Summary: 2 Stars
I've read the existing reviews here and, yes, P.P. is a gripping and well-paced soap opera. Yes, it was revolutionary for its era.
But, c'mon people...as writing, it stinks. The ersatz profundity of the opening paragraphs ("Ah, Indian Summer. She is a Lady") is the worst kind of amateur creative-writing exercise. The sex-scene dialogue is so bad I exploded with laughter more than once.
One example. Mike Rossi to Constance:
"Your legs are absolutely wanton! Do you know it?"
Let's keep this "classic" in perspective.
Book Review: Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
Considering the book is 50 years old this year, it's still an enjoyable book to read. It was controversial when it was released, but I do not think it is "outdated" for today's standards. I think there is a litte "Peyton Place" in all of us that we can relate to. Good read!Book Review: Banned where??
Summary: 4 Stars
It is difficult to believe that this novel was so feared and defamed in its early printings. For the reader of today, it is tame, well constructed, and totally enjoyable. Try this as a book group selection; we had a great discussion. Pair it with her biography!Book Review: Compelling; not for the faint-hearted.
Summary: 5 Stars
Arguably, this is the darkest portrayal of human nature I have ever read. And yet also the author conveys a deep, almost fathomless compassion for human frailty. Grace Metalious, I believe, had the heart of a saint. She hated the sin, but she loved the sinner. This story evokes nostalgia, revulsion, incredulity, indignation, sympathy, sexual arousal--in short, the entire rainbow of human emotion. This is not a light-hearted Summer novel. It is sobering, disturbing, and riveting. Still, in spite of its heaviness, it ends victoriously, for Allison MacKenzie realizes that grown-up children are NOT doomed to repeat the mistakes of their parents. The author's portrayal of small town life is piercingly, painfully accurate, to wit: "...in very small towns malice is more often shown toward an individual than toward a group, a nation or a country." However, I do have one criticism: Her depictions of Peyton Place strongly echo those of William Faulkner, whom I believe is the master scribe of small town infamy.Book Review: Every place has a bit of "Peyton Place"
Summary: 4 Stars
I first read "Peyton Place" when it was still considered hot stuff and just re-read the book to see how it had held up. Nobody would read it today just for the sexual frankness, when any R-rated movie or bestselling novel can use much more graphic language. But I enjoyed the book; it may not be great literature but it was a good read and not mere trash. Although the book was banned in many places in the Fifties, the kind of everyday profanity Peyton Place's citizens use struck me as pretty genuine. The book runs from about 1937 to 1944. The central character is Allison McKenzie, but there are any number of characters whose consciousness the author easily slips into: Allison's emotionally distant mother Constance, the new school superintendent Tom Makris, the town doctor Matt Swain, Allison's poverty-stricken friend Selena Cross, dedicated teacher Elsie Thornton and many others. I think it's one of the virtues of this book that Metalious creates so many believable characters, both male and female, with such apparent ease and economy.
Peyton Place the town is a major character in the book, and everyone lives in fear of it, because it demands the appearance of perfection from all its citizens and thus condones hypocrisy and condemns human frailty. But Peyton Place isn't unique; it's a microcosm of a sexually repressive society. If someone describes your office as "a regular 'Peyton Place'," you can bet that harassment follows in the path of the hijinks. Big city or small town, there's a little "Peyton Place" in us all, even in these more liberated times.
I would recommend that readers save the introduction to the novel until after they have read it because it gives too much of the plot away.