Do you remember reading A Separate Peace?

It is the birthday of writer John Knowles (1926), who is best remembered for his coming-of-age novel A Separate Peace (1960), which was based on his years at Phillips Exeter Academy. It was his first novel, and though he wrote many others, none ever achieved the success of the first, not even the sequel, Peace Breaks Out (1982). Who remembers reading A Separate Peace? What were your first impressions?