Ordinary People

Perfect!

This has to be my absolute favorite book of all time. Anyone can relate so well to this, it is such an adaptable book. I feel that the author talked about and explained psychiatric and social problems so honestly that it wasn't exploiting anyone. The characters are so real and relatable, Judith Guest is an excellent author.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I don't usually like to read...but,

I read this in high school, and actually liked it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

powerful story

The Jarrets struggled to heal after the elder of two sons, Buck, died in a tragic boating accident. The younger Conrad, being the only witness to the death, couldn¿t help but blame himself. The death in the family caused the typical family life to go awry. What had previously been an ordinary, functional family transformed into something else the tidy mother, Beth Jarret, subjected her troubled remaining son, Conrad, to the brutal suggestion that she didn¿t love him. Conrad claimed that he could feel her hatred toward him. He constantly compared his mother¿s cold, aloof behavior to her previous affectionate treatment of the late Buck. The warmhearted father, Calvin, became unable to blame Conrad for just about anything because he observed Conrad¿s persistent, albeit unwarranted, guilt. Seeing that Conrad was so hard on himself pained Calvin, although Conrad actually pined for some discipline from his father. Conrad¿s shame grew to be so unbearable that he attempted to commit suicide. Suspected to be dangerous by some, he tried to get better in a hospital and then later working with a psychiatrist, Berger, who helped him discover that he was innocent to survive the boating accident despite his brother¿s failure to do so. Secretly angry with his brother for letting go and drowning, Conrad accepted that he didn¿t let his brother down ¿ that he was not responsible for his death. He realized that he survived only because he was physically stronger. At first sharing his feelings only with his doctor, Conrad gradually learned how to express his emotions. He used this new skill in developing a relationship with Jeannine,with whom he shared a special, romantic bond. As they became closer, she asked him if his attempted suicide hurt. In his response he admits that she was the first person to ask him about it, besides doctors of course. As Conrad continued to make progress with the psychiatry, his volatile emotions became a problem in his relationship with his friends. Judith Guest¿s Ordinary People reveals several beautiful messages through Conrad¿s journey to forgive himself. Conrad breakthrough occurs only after he uncomfortably lets people in. He develops new relationships, and he also develops the ability to express his feelings honestly and passionately. The variety of realistic feelings and reactions produce a certain profundity in the dramatic novel. Both Calvin and Conrad grow tremendously by learning to accept reality rather than to hide from the pain. The novel entertains the reader by use of an unfolding plot and convincing yet simple dialogue. The book begins ¿en media res¿ leaving the reader constantly curious. Being a picky reader, I was (naturally) apprehensive about trusting my father when he recommended Ordinary People to me. To my delight, it surpassed my expectations At times it was hard to become enthusiastic about picking up where I had left off, after engaging in the material for only a few minutes, I became absorbed again by the plot and the characters.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Extraordinary!

This is such a deeply moving book! I really enjoyed it. The way Guest wrote it reaches into your very soul, into the very things that bind humanity together and make it whole. Most of all, it is real. It isn't some imagined joke of some sort, it is fact. The things that occur in Ordinary People are not, in society normal. Neither, however, are they abnormal. I think that is where the true heart of the book lies, in challenging normality. Who, the reader asks, is to decide what 'normal' is? Who can? No matter what, each individual has their own opinion of 'normality' crafted by experience and those around him/her. Ordinary People explores an 'ordinary' American family and shows that nothing is what it seems- that NOTHING is normal, that no one is perfectly sane. I highly recommend this book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A very bipolar book

This book was hard to follow due to the constant switching of perspectives, point of view (1st and 3rd), and present to past tense. Also, there was not very good character building at all. On top of that, the book is overly, unnecissarily descriptive when it comes to unimportant details. I don't recommend this book at all and give it a zero of five stars, though i gavebit a one above just because it wouldnt let me post if i didnt give it a rating.

The Best Book I've ever read

I decided to read this book for my Language Arts book report, because I had seen the movie, and fallen in love with the story. This book made me cry and truly think about how often one tries to create and exemplify the perfect lifestyle. I fell in love with the Jarrett Family, and I will always remember this book as being the first book that I had ever read that made me feel like a better person after reading it. Please do yourself a favor and read Ordinary People by Judith Guest!

Simply excellent

Judith Guest is amazing as she creates this seemingly normal family that has so much dysfunction. Whether or not you have gone through the same thing every family has its problems and this book touches on that. How normal and perfect some may seem on the inside and how tortured they are on the outside. You fall in love with the characters! I love this book

A Great Read

I chose to read this book for my English class book club. It sounded like something I would enjoy, I just didn't expect that I would enjoy it so much! It was a very quick read for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. This story was touching; it made me laugh and cry; over all, this book was frigging awesome. I can't say enough about it. Read it.

a book that makes you reflect

This is one of the best books i have ever read. It makes you relate to the characteres and reflect on your life.

Healing

A great story. The Jarrett's go through alot of pain and sorrow. They deal with death and suicide. It's hard for the family to connect. They just want to start over and be ordinary people, but don't know how to begin. Conrad feels guilt over his brother's death. He goes through depression. The family has lost touch with one another. It's hard to say goodbye to someone you love. Healing is what this family needs. A good story. I couldn't put this book down.

ordinary people

To be honest i really did not like the book maybe because i didnt relate much to what was going on. But i think people should still read the book it just wasnt my taste, but maybe it could be yours.

Really Great Book!

This a book that helped me in my life problems too.It tells me that how everyone is trying to fit in this world.

Good book

I thought this was a good book. Very touching and this is my second time reading it in high school. I can relate to Con's anger and depression and fear throughout the whole book. Good believable characters.

Great Book!!

Ordinary Poeple is an extraordinary novel about an ordinary family divided by pain and suffereing. In our world today, there are so many people still trying to live in this 'perfect' world and fit in, but in reality we are all just ordinary people.

Great Book

This book really means something to you if you have 'cheated death' life like Conrad did and it really makes you feel so much better about how positive life can be and that when you put your mind to it and think about it there really is people who love you and care about you!

A Classic

This was an extraordinary book.One of the best that I've ever read. I can't even explain it in words. You'll never want to put the book down once you've begun to read it.

A Must-Read!

This is a truly great book. Every person can draw something from the story.

Good Book

Ordinary People is a good book. Anyone that has had to deal with death, suiccide, and devorce should be able to relate to this book. This book made me realize that everyone has problems in life and that everything will adventually work out. The author made me feel really connected with the characters in the book. I would recomend this book to anyone that likes drama and can relate to any of these problems in life!

More than ordinary

The Jarretts lead an air conditioned life-pure, perfect, and artificial. The Jarretts never connect as a family because of their addiction to secrecy. This is the story line of a truly exceptional book. The themes and characters are excellently written by Guest. The characters are able to reflect their thoughts in this book which reveals how they feel towards different tragedies. I reccommend this book for any one to better themselves and realize how bad things are in different situations. I will definately read this book again.

This is a good book

I really thought this book was going to being boring but after 3 chapters i really go into it. I recommened this book for anyone that likes family issues.