When Grace Metalious’s debut novel about the dark underside of a small, respectable New England town was published in 1956, it quickly soared to the top of the bestseller lists. A landmark in twentieth-century American popular culture, Peyton Place spawned a successful feature film and a long-running television series-the first prime-time soap opera. Contemporary readers of Peyton Place will be … will be captivated by its vivid characters, earthy prose, and shocking incidents. Through her riveting, uninhibited narrative, Metalious skillfully exposes the intricate social anatomy of a small community, examining the lives of its people — their passions and vices, their ambitions and defeats, their passivity or violence, their secret hopes and kindnesses, their cohesiveness and rigidity, their struggles, and often their courage.
This new paperback edition of Peyton Place features an insightful introduction by Ardis Cameron that thoroughly examines the novel’s treatment of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and power, and considers the book’s influential place in American and New England literary history.
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I was in high school during the 1960’s. This was one of the most popular books around. The girls would pass it around & we would discuss it endlessly.
Peyton Place, Grace Metalious, 1956
My favorite quote: “The public loves to create a hero. Sometimes I think they do it for the sheer joy of knocking him down from the highest peak. Like a child who builds a house of blocks and then destroys it with one vicious kick.”
Notable characters: Allison MacKenzie, a young girl growing up in Peyton Place; Constance MacKenzie, her mother; Selena Cross, her best friend; Peyton Place, a small New Hampshire town, which is a character in and of itself
Most memorable scene: When the town drunk shows up at church
Greatest strengths: Its utter un-put-down-ability. Reading this book is like looking in your neighbor’s windows, but without the creepy feeling that comes with it. Not that I’ve ever done that. I just imagine it would probably feel creepy. Unless you’re a total perv. Then you might not feel creepy. Anyway …
Standout achievements: I’d say the speed with which this book worked its way up academic ladder is pretty f*cking remarkable. It went from “trash writing” to “a major landmark in American literature” in just a few decades
Fun Facts: Written at a time when debut novels were expected to sell 3,000 copies, Peyton Place sold 100,000 in its first month, making its way into the bedrooms of innumerable American housewives, next to the secret stash of vodka
Other media: A 1957 film, as well as a 1964-1969 TV show
What it taught me: A lot about the design and arrangement of plot, and a few things about the world. This book serves as a fine example that while societal views of morality may change, human nature itself never really does
How it inspired me: Peyton Place is FUN to read, and a big part of that is because of its structure. It’s written in 3rd person with multiple viewpoints, and after reading it, I decided I’d tell my tales the same way. That way, I could walk in the shoes of my characters and observe the world from various points-of-view, which is fun for me as the writer. More importantly, it lets readers glimpse the secret lives of the characters, which is fun for them
Additional thoughts: Suicide, murder, alcoholism, abortion, drunk driving, incest, and rape, this book is classic trash at its addictive best, and if you ask me, everyone should read it
My rating: 4.5 of 5
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
This book has to be one of my absolute favorites. My mother used to speak of it often and I happened to find an old copy in a thrift store. It does not disappoint, with salacious details I am sure was scandalous for the time. A movie was made, but of course it didn’t do the novel justice. Get yourself a copy and thank me later.
Best book ever
This book was so open about taboo subjects that it changed the cultural landscape of the 1950’s and went on to become a legendary film. Well written. Straightforward. In depth characters, issues and storyline.