In The Paragon, John Knowles returns to the New

England academic world he depicted so powerfully

in A Separate Peace-this time to tell the story of

Louis Colfax, a gifted young man trying desperately

to find his way in the world.

Back in school after a failed eight-month stint in

the Marine Corps, Lou Colfax looked forward ta

Yale. It had to be an improvement over boot camp.

He continued to think so for at least half an hour,

until he met his roommate, Gordon Durant.

Rich (Durant Chemicals spelled money), antago-

nistic, snobbish, Gordon was anticipating a roomie

who wore gray flannel and tweed and cashmere

sweaters, played a good game of squash, and could

fit in at the Stork Club and El Morocco. Lou, who

crash-landed into their room sporting a huge duffel

bag, two cardboard cartons, a Soviet flag, and an

Afro-Brazilian friend named Clement Jonaz, didn t

quite fit the biN.

~ Lou s troubles were just beginning.