1. By Judith Guest Source: enotes.com
Ordinary People
By Judith Guest
Source: enotes.com

2. INTRODUCTION Published in 1976 by Viking Press
First unsolicited manuscript published by VP in 26 years
Remained popular for over 30 years among both adults and teenagers for sensitive characterizations of a troubled teenager and his confused father

3. Story of a teenaged boy’s struggle to recover psychologically from a suicide attempt following his older brother’s death in a boating accident
Conflict: family is torn apart by grief and guilt
Instant best-seller
Award-winning film (R-rated)
Timely themes: alienation, search for identity, coming of age

4. Author criticized by some for using a tightly controlled structure and for having a contrived ending
Author’s universal insights into grief and complex family relationships will probably assure the popularity of the book for years to come

5. The Author: Judith Guest
Draws from personal experience
White, middle-class, suburban background
Married with 3 sons
Public school teacher
Delayed writing career while raising family but drew heavily upon her ordinary family experiences

6. Based on her own family experiences as a child, developed an interest in cold, emotionally-distant characters
Ordinary People instantly successful
Selected by 4 book clubs
Serialized in Redbook
Paperback rights sold for $635,000
Award-winning film in 1980 made book even more popular

7. Also wrote Second Heaven (1982), Killing Time in St
Also wrote Second Heaven (1982), Killing Time in St. Cloud (1988), and Errands (1997).
All books are about ordinary people enduring extraordinary circumstances, dealing with loss and grief while struggling to maintain connections with other people