Phineas

by John Knowles

From a review In Phineas; Six Stories, the character Phineas, featured in Knowles other novel A Seperate Peace is again placed in the spolight at his school. This time it is in a sequence of short stories, some involving Phineas's witty charm, others displaying his coveted athletic talents. All stories are examples of Knowles's flawless style of writing. If you enjoyed the Knowles previous books, and you like a book that offers waspy comedy and old prep school charm, this is the book of short stories to read.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, 20th Century, Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

John Knowles was an American novelist best known for A Separate Peace (1959).

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Knowles' collection of short stories, "Phineas" being one of them. All of them had a protagonist that was either currently or formerly a student at the infamous school of Devon. Phineas was an interesting story, because (for those of you who have read A Separate Peace), it is the exact short story from which Knowles' masterpiece novel is taken. The character Finny is slightly different in this one, very playful, yet, at the same time, almost a Holden Caulfield type of character. (At one point, he boasts about how often he has been carnal). If you liked A Separate Peace, I highly recommend this simply because Knowles ended this version of the story at an earlier spot, which, though the story itself did not change, influenced everything, making the outcome completely different.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 6 stories are each so powerful that I seriously sat down and read the whole thing all over again. They are short and fast moving.
John Knowles is much better known for "A Separate Peace" which is an amazing book in it's own right but these books have some of the same themes: alienation, loneliness, young men.
In fact, the character of Phineas is a young man who overshadows everyone at his small private school and ends up making one boy resent how easy everything seems to come to him.
Another story which really worked well for me was about a young boy who wants to run away when his mother who is pregnant leaves their small town to visit a city so she can give birth. He's mad at having to share her and having to give up his bedroom and not at all ready to compete for the attention of his mother.
But he's old enough to want to act like all that does not matter.
These stories capture something really special and I would say any 15 year old should make sure they read it.

[maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owe John Knowles absolutely everything. I cannot put into words the effect A Separate Peace had on me when I first read it or the many times I’ve read it since. The short story “Phineas” is great but the fact that he turned it into what I believe to be The Great American Novel is just astounding. John Knowles I love you like an old friend

[mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

each story is so powerful and why do they all end so tragic

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this thinking it was a novel (it was totally marketed as "the new work" on the super-old copy I bought at the used bookstore) and was very disappointed to find it was short stories, none of which were very good. It's no "Separate Peace."

[Mell]

I'll have to re-read a Separate Peace. Either my taste has evolved or Knowles' short stories aren't as good.

[Tess Shishido · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Separate Peace", the novel, was based on the short story "Phineas." SP is long winded and dull; "Phineas," however, is a gem of a short story. Skip the novel and read "Phineas."

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a letdown after A Separate Peace. I think I remember that this was a book of short stories in which he first introduced Finny.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since A Separate Peace is my favorite novel, I was happy to see the original short story. Of course, I could do without the brief sex talk ( though it dose prove Gene and Finny aren’t gay). There were a couple of inconsistencies, like Finny being uninterested in football, but they weren’t important. The other stories are weaker, but The Peeping Tom is the only one I disliked. My favorite ( besides Phineas) is Summer Street because it also touched on male friendship, my favorite subject in literature.

[Mystery Theater · Rating 2 out of 5]

The version illustrated here carefully avoids identifying itself as a collection of short stories. A blatant marketing money grab on Knowles name after his Pulitzer winning A Separate Peace. The stories are good in the same way that a Separate Peace is good. The title story, Phineas, is apparently the basis from which Knowles wrote the novel. I'd give it 4 stars for the writing, but the deception takes it to 2.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Knowles wrote an amazing book in A Separate Peace. Peace Breaks Out was OK, but less memorable.
I have now read Indian Summer and Phineas, neither was particularly bad, but neither was particularly good either. I don't feel robbed of my time, but I'm not getting the level of writing I expected.

[Chanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowles is usually a one trick pony, confining his stories to dorm life in a prep school. Two of the stories fall under that category, but 4 others were surprisingly different. What remains constant is that he’s always interested in probing his characters.

[Robynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat uneven collection, but not a slog

[Jonestowne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purdy good. The ending, though, was...

[lola Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

some stories better than others. many make me want to know more. Phineas was the basis of a Separate Peace, which I've forgotten. Maybe I should re-read it.

[ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[pookyonce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for work, the stories were just ok, preppy, mostly about men. the last one gave colonial.

[Hailey Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize at first that this was a collection of short stories (and that A Separate Peace, which before now was the only John Knowles work I had read and I absolutely love it, started as a short story). I don’t usually read short stories. I usually feel like I struggle to understand and enjoy them. But these I did enjoy (and maybe understood? Lol).

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much of the neurotic I'm-not-as-good-as-everyone-else bit. Probably the best one "Summer Street"--the kid who has to run away because he's getting a sister. "Martin the Fisherman" seemed to have little point. "Phineas" interesting--to compare to Separate Peace. "The Reading Of the Will" a bit of a cheat, since we never find out what was in that damned letter. He has an interesting (and labyrinthine) way of structuring stories--turning time inside out.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

i mostly just read this for the story about a separate peace (which was pretty much just a retelling of asp but with how they first met stuck in there) and the other stories were good (esp reading of the will) but it was hard to invest in them when i knew they'd be over in 20 pages. also some of the endings felt a little cut short and awkward
but a good book in general

[Shanu · Rating 2 out of 5]

note to self : struggle to remember why i gave "A separate peace" 4 stars but gave "Phineas" only two. I think it was because Knowles doesn't really goes into details in this short story -especially regarding the 2 main characters' relationship- hence, i felt less connected to them in this one.

[Mary Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories, this was the beginnings of his class "A Separate Peace."

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to John Knowles writing and each story was an interesting take on humanity.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrote a long for review to this and then accidentally deleted it off Goodreads. I'll re-write it at some point today.