When it was released in 1956, PEYTON PLACE, the debut novel by French Canadian Grace Metalious, caused quite a stir. Since its release, "Peyton Place" has entered American vocabulary as a term for something scandalous, and after reading the novel, it's easy to see why it is still well-known by readers of all ages today.
The novel chronicles the goings-on in a small New England town called Peyton Place (incidentally, named for a former slave). Peyton Place is a town of exactly 3675 individuals, where old men sit on wooden benches in front of the courthouse and the streets are all named for deciduous trees. There are three churches--one for the Protestants, one for the Catholics, and one for the "fire and brimstone" worshippers. Metalious' novel begins in Indian summer, with a detailed description of the town's layout--and, of course, the picture I formed of Peyton Place in my head looked a lot like those calendars you see with photographs of New England in autumn.
Of course, I didn't have to read too much of the novel to realize that this was Metalious' intention, and that New England was the perfect locale for her scandalous, brave story.
In PEYTON PLACE, readers soon learn, things are not as perfect as they appear. Underneath the peacefulness of the town lies a world of secret scandal. This novel is one with many protagonists, from the noble town doctor Matthew Swain to Constance MacKenzie, a seamstress desperate to hide her shady past. Through Metalious' omniscient narrative voice, readers are privy to a bevy of the townspeople's secrets, from the daily enemas given to Little Norman Page by his mother, to the child abuse of the worst kind occurrring in the Cross shack across town. Metalious tackles issues in PEYTON PLACE that are still relevant today: abortion, child abuse, physical and sexual mistreatment, alcoholism, infidelity, murder.
But don't let my description of the novel mislead you: PEYTON PLACE is no soap opera on paper. Metalious' discussions of these controversial issues are deftly rendered, sympathetically written; it is clear she was trying to do more with her tale than produce a piece of writing that was indecent for indecency's sake. The sex scenes, for instance, are written so differently from the rest of the novel that it's obvious Metalious was making a point about the course of women's fiction in the '50s. Her characters are a delight to discover; this novel, despite some opinions to the contrary, is actually well-written. The novel's heartwrenching, serious discussion of issues that other novelists of the time dared not touch, as well as its social commentary that is still relevant today, will secure it a place as one of America's most groundbreaking novels far into the future.
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The Book that Shocked Hollywood
In 1957, I played the role of 8 year old "Joey Cross" in the controversial box office smash Peyton Place. During the filming of the movie, the book's author (Grace Metalious) gave each cast member a signed hard copy of her best selling novel. As a child actor under the stage name of Scotty Morrow, the book became a treasured keepsake along with the original screenplay script. Unfortunately, both of those treasures were among other memorable items I lost in the devastating 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Being able to obtain a used book club copy of the classic novel in very good condition is a victory. Although it's not the original signed copy I had in my possession for so many years, the used book I recently acquired brings new comfort and satisfaction knowing that I've regained an important item from that memorable time period.
Top reviews from other countries
Cara Bennett
Highly recommend this narrow but universal examination of small town life and the complex lives of the individuals that live the
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2017
Susan Dacre
And yet it managed to be the number 1 best seller for an unprecedented 56 weeks
Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2016