Peyton Place (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England) by Grace Metalious
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Book Reviews of Peyton Place (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England)
Book Review: A Great Piece of Pop Culture History
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book for a class I took on pop culture fiction and was pleasantly surprised. The book is set in a small New England town mysteriously called Peyton Place after a castle set high above the village. The book follows a wide array of the inhabitants of the town, from the upper crust that bring to mind images of southern gentlemen to the 'shack dwellers' straight out of hicksville, to the run of the mill guys and gals of the teenage set. The main message of course, is that nothing is ever quite as it seems...
With that in mind, the book is very much the predecessor to the soap operas of today. There are several main characters, but every character whether mentioned over a few scant pages or in every chapter, resonates in some way to the various climaxes sprinkled from start to finish. If you are a fan of soap operas, or even dramatic television, romantic novels, or chick lit, you'll find this book and its twisting and turning storylines extremely entertaining.
What the book is notorious for is its 'naughty bits', that were quite shocking for the time period it was written and distributed in (the 50's) and even moreso for the time period the book is set in (30's-50's). I can tell you the book doesn't disappoint in the sense that it is very willing to deal with sexuality and taboo subjects in a blunt matter - made even more interesting by the knowledge we have today of life for women in the 50's and 60's.
Overall this is a great book - there are far too many plot lines to delve into in a simple review like this, but you will not be disappointed if you are looking for a nice summer read or a engaging soapy page turner.
Book Review: Peyton Place - Still Scandalous
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book on the recommendation of a good friend. I was very sceptical since I don't love "soap operas", but this is so much more than a soap opera.
Peyton Place is a small New England town where everybody knows each other and their business. There are the very poor shack people, the middle class and the wealthy. Peyton Place is a place to be feared - gossip will ruin you and nobody apologizes for it.
What amazes me is that nobody escapes this book unscathed. There is rape, child abuse, drinking, spousal abuse, rumor spreading, abortion, cover ups, a murder trial, lovers dying, lovers leaving and even incest. No skeleton is hidden for long in Peyton Place and everybody will know about your troubles.
I was impressed actually by the frank discussions that were had regarding sex. For the time, it was certainly considered progressive and scandalous, but I liked that it was honest and out in the open for those few people who spoke of it. I kept hoping against hope that all would be righted in the end, but true to small town form, that was not the case.
While this is not a great piece of literature, it is well crafted with believable characters. Reading this book today is not completely shocking, but it still holds an element of scandal. Kudos to the author for writing this book under her own name and paving the way for other female authors to do the same.
Book Review: Only consider this book in the context of the times
Summary: 4 Stars
People who trash this book as 'not a big deal' forget that society was eager to believe itself 'wholesome' in the 1950's. If they existed, the 'bad' people were supposedly easily cordoned off into separate areas of town--instead of being your friends, neighbors, or even yourself. What is not very shocking today was the mid twentieth century eqivalent of having to slow down and gawk at a traffic accident.
In her short career, Grace Metalious held up the proverbial social mirror and forced people to confront two very critical truths about themselves. They LOVED material like this, and they also led very closely simmilar lives to the characters in this book. Whether it was intended or not, the book helped people in simmilar sittuations see they were not alone, and the fictionalized characters also went through their own trials.
Book Review: still relevant, still scandalous
Summary: 4 Stars
I became interested in this book after viewing a documentary on the 1950s entitled "Let's Play House." The story seemed very intriguing, a stark contrast to the typical portrayals of the fifties seen on "Leave it to Beaver" and "Ozzie and Harriet." While this book is no literary classic, I found myself drawn into the lives of these characters. I wasn't sure this book would still be as shocking by 2004 standards, but I was surprised to find it still rings true. Obviously, it's not AS taboo as it would have been in its day, when people only mentioned it in hushed voices to their closest friends. The author clearly HAD something with this book. I was glad to curl up with it each night, and would recommend it to almost anyone, except perhaps some younger readers.Book Review: HUSH-HUSH
Summary: 4 Stars
Those seeking glitz and glamour will have to look elsewhere than in this 1956 soaper set in a small town during the 1940's. Protagonists Constance Mackenzie and teenaged daughter Allison lead off a colorful cast of characters whose secrets and lies end up having major consequences. Grace Metalious's narration goes from the lyrical (any setting description) to the very real (a character's rape, among others). Some of her secrets seem rather tame nowadays (Constance's big revelation, for instance), but, as a whole, PEYTON PLACE still stands the test of time thanks to a talented author and universal appeal.-----Martin Boucher