Ordinary People: A Novel

Front Cover
Penguin, Oct 28, 1982 - Fiction - 272 pages

One of the great bestseller of our time: the novel that inspired Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning film starring Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore

In Ordinary People, Judith Guest’s remarkable first novel, the Jarrets are a typical American family. Calvin is a determined, successful provider and Beth an organized, efficient wife. They had two sons, Conrad and Buck, but now they have one. In this memorable, moving novel, Judith Guest takes the reader into their lives to share their misunderstandings, pain, and ultimate healing. Ordinary People is an extraordinary novel about an "ordinary" family divided by pain, yet bound by their struggle to heal.

"Admirable...touching...full of the anxiety, despair, and joy that is common to every human experience of suffering and growth." -The New York Times

"Rejoice! A novel for all ages and all seasons." -The Washington Post Book World 

 

Selected pages

Contents

Section 1
1
Section 2
6
Section 3
14
Section 4
25
Section 5
36
Section 6
46
Section 7
47
Section 8
52
Section 22
140
Section 23
149
Section 24
152
Section 25
157
Section 26
165
Section 27
172
Section 28
177
Section 29
186

Section 9
59
Section 10
72
Section 11
76
Section 12
81
Section 13
86
Section 14
88
Section 15
95
Section 16
105
Section 17
107
Section 18
116
Section 19
122
Section 20
127
Section 21
130
Section 30
191
Section 31
192
Section 32
196
Section 33
201
Section 34
208
Section 35
210
Section 36
213
Section 37
221
Section 38
232
Section 39
241
Section 40
244
Section 41
252
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Ordinary People: A Novel
Judith Guest
Limited preview - 1982
Ordinary People: A Novel
Judith Guest
Limited preview - 1982
Ordinary People
Judith Guest
Snippet view - 1976
View all »

Common terms and phrases

answer anyway arms asks believe Berger Berger says Beth better body Buck can't chair Christmas close comes Conrad damn dark desk doesn't door everything eyes face father feel front girls give goddamn goes gone grins hair hands happened head hell holding hurt inside It's Jarrett keep knew late laughs Lazenby leans leave light Listen live looks mean Michigan mind minute morning mother moves never nice night Okay once play problem pulls remember says side sits smiles sorry sound stands stay stop sure swim talk tell Thanks that's thing thought told tonight tried trying turns voice waiting walks wall watch week What's window worry Yeah you're

About the author (1982)

Judith Guest won the Janet Heidegger Kafka Prize for her first novel, Ordinary People, which was made into the Academy Award-winning 1980 film of the same name. Her other novels are Second Heaven, Killing Time in St. Cloud(with Rebecca Hill), and Errands. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Harrisville, Michigan.

Bibliographic information

TitleOrdinary People: A Novel
AuthorJudith Guest
PublisherPenguin, 1982
ISBN1101042168, 9781101042168
Length272 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Fiction / Family Life / General
Fiction / Literary
Fiction / Psychological
  
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