John Knowles
John Knowles
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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John Knowles was born as John Knowles Jr., but he is more commonly known by his pen name, John Knowles.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: 16 January 1926, Brooklyn, New York City, United States
Died: 29 November 2001 (aged 75), Lee, New Hampshire, USA
Nationality and Profession(s)
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John Knowles was an American novelist. Throughout his career, he wrote over a dozen novels, short stories, and essays.
Early Life and Background
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Knowles grew up in a wealthy family in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, John Senior, was a successful businessman who worked for the Singer Sewing Company. After graduating from Princeton University at 18, Knowles enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
During his time as a bomber pilot, he served over Europe and witnessed the devastation firsthand. This experience profoundly affected him, shaping his perspective on life, death, and human nature.
Major Accomplishments
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Knowles' most notable work is A Separate Peace, which was published in 1959. The novel gained critical acclaim for its poignant portrayal of adolescence during World War II. It remains one of the most widely read and studied novels of all time.
Notable Works or Actions
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A Separate Peace (1959) - a coming-of-age story set in an American boarding school during World War II
The Ephemeral Self (1966) - a novel exploring themes of identity, morality, and human nature
Impact and Legacy
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Knowles' writing has had a lasting impact on readers worldwide. His novels often tackled complex themes like war, loss, love, and the human condition. By sharing his experiences and perspectives through his work, Knowles encouraged others to reflect on their own lives.
His legacy extends beyond literature; A Separate Peace has been translated into numerous languages and remains a staple in many school curricula worldwide.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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John Knowles' quotes are widely referenced due to the depth of emotion, insight, and wisdom he infused into his writing. His unique perspective on life, shaped by war experiences, has inspired countless readers to reevaluate their own lives.
Knowles' impact extends beyond literature; A Separate Peace has been translated into numerous languages and remains a staple in many school curricula worldwide.
Quotes by John Knowles
John Knowles's insights on:
Young people in my generation were sort of in lockstep, and it wasn’t just the ’40s, either. In the ’30s and in the ’50s it was the same. No one ever dropped out unless he got sick or got kicked out.
So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all- plus c’est la meme, plus ca change.
Gene, on the desire to be Finny: “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas.
Dr. Stanpole’s car was at the top of it, headlights on and motor running, empty. I idly considered stealing it, in the way that people idly consider many crimes it would be possible for them to commit.
You know what? I’m almost glad this war came along. It’s like a test, isn’t it, and only the things and the people who’ve been evolving the right way survive.
There are just tiny fragments of pleasure and luxury in the world, and there is something unpatriotic about enjoying them.
Because, unfamiliar with the absence of fear and what that was like, I have not been able to identify its presence.
It wasn’t the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace.