The Paragon Author:John Knowles The Paragon by John Knowles — "John Knowles had written a beautiful, funny, moving novel about a young man in trouble... Knowles, who got his medals for A SEPARATE PEACE, is an intelligent man telling us things we need to know about ourselves. He tell them well.. The title is important. It's not "A Paragon". It's THE PARAGON. And Knowles' model ... more »or pattern of perfection for youth and manhood is a seeking, nonconforming, erratically brilliant and socially maladjusted college student. For Knowles the perfect model must be less than perfect... Here lies the present relevancy of THE PARAGON. Knowles shows us a young man confused by choice. THe choices are real: to love and fulfill love or to run from its risks; to kick a no-good past or to live programmed for castastrophe; to play with knowledge or to convert it to effect; to be Lou Colfax or someone society requires."« less