‘RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE’ BY GRACE METALIOUS

 

After giving some well-earned praise to the classic of all classics PEYTON PLACE by Grace Metalious a few years back on this little blog of mine I was very weary of reading the sequel, RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE (1960, Dell). The main reason being I didn’t want it to pale in comparison. ‘Cause let’s face it, Metalious is no Jackie Collins. She’s a very talented lady, but compared to the queen of trash, rising to the challenge may be a difficult task for her. Well, turns out it was, for RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE is fine but overall half as fun as its prequel.

The main problem is the feel of the novel. It seems like a rushed project, as if the author just wanted to be done with it and the faster the better. There’s barely any passion in it. Sure, rekindling with the main character and most of the town’s friends and foes is fun but the excitement factor tires out very quickly when boredom settles in instead. I probably shouldn’t say boredom. Blandness is much a better word. Everything is so bland this time around.

After making a name for herself as a writer in New-York Allison returns to her hometown following the publication of her first novel and faces the hostility of most of its residents who think she has sold their secrets for a quick buck. Things go from worse to worse when the book ends up being banned from the school library and her stepdad gets fired from his job as the school principal. Moreover, it seems that once goodie-two-shoes Allison has followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a mistress herself. Mix it all with a slew of subplots involving an attempt at dissolving a marriage, the return of a slutty character (Betty) now with child, and an acquitted for murder rape survivor (Selena) trying to adjust to her new life as a business woman and you got yourself one tepid sequel that should have been so much hotter.

Yes, I may be a bit too harsh on this one. Then again maybe not. What did come out of reading RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE is the feeling of being cheated, since I was led to believe that the fun would be just as grand. Therefore I stand my ground and give this novel just a meh rating. Only those hardcore fans of the infamous town will perhaps be charmed again by this sequel. As for the rest of us, perhaps her next novel THE TIGHT WHITE COLLAR will do the trick.

Until next post—Martin 

1959 Hardcover

‘PEYTON PLACE’ BY GRACE METALIOUS

Like many of you I was introduced to PEYTON PLACE during the height of its popularity as a prime-time soap in the late '60s. I was very young then but I remember catching it quite a few times, having no idea that it was based on an international bestseller. Fast-forward to the mid-‘80s and wouldn’t you know, I ended up with a copy of the novel itself. It was right in the middle of my trashy phase and I couldn’t go on without tasting the merits of that infamous title. I made it in a jiffy, so much involved I was in it. The novel seemed barely my cup of tea in regards to the lack of glitz and glamour but it made up big time by delivering one heck of a compelling story. 

Indeed, those looking for a little change in their reading experience may have come to the right place when it comes to this 1956 soaper set in a small town during the 1940's. Protagonists Constance Mackenzie and teenaged daughter Allison lead off a colorful cast of characters whose secrets and sins end up having major consequences. Nearing the end of the novel the story verges to a legal drama, but the involvement factor still reigns as the reader gets caught up deeper into the whole scenario. Grace Metalious' narrative goes from the lyrical (any setting description) to the very real (a character's rape, among others). Some revelations seem rather tame nowadays (Constance's big adultery secret, for example), but, as a whole, PEYTON PLACE still stands the test of time thanks to a talented author and its universal appeal. 

Of course I had to catch the film adaptation after reading it. Took me a while (VHS commercial tapes weren’t as easy a grab in those days unless living near a big video rental store) but when I finally did, it was pure magic. But more on that in an upcoming blog entry, just like I plan to draw attention to PEYTON PLACE's sequel RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE one of these days. In the meantime get yourself a copy of this timeless classic and move it up on top of your reading list. It’s that good.

Until next post—Martin

The Digital Edition