The title of the book is Ordinary People and it was written by Judith Guest. There are a total of 245 pages in the book. It was published in July 1976 by Viking Press. Viking Press is located in New York. Ordinary People is a psychological novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ordinary People is set in 1970s Lake Forests, Illinois. The novel begins a year after the Jarrett family lost their son Buck in an accident. Their other son, Conrad, has just been released from a psychiatric hospital. We find out that Conrad attempted suicide after his brother's death. After returning home he tries to live his old daily life but seems to have some problems. His parents, Beth and Calvin, are confused about how to help him. With the death of their eldest son and Conrad's suicide attempt, their marriage is failing. Beth isn't willing to talk about what happened. Conrad decides to try harder in life while his parents argue. He leaves the swim team and starts playing the guitar again. He distances himself from his old friends because they are a constant reminder of his brother. Conrad even starts dating the new girl in school named Jeannine. After they are together, Jeannine tells Conrad about her past. A problem occurs at school when Conrad gets into a fight with the school bully. Calvin and Conrad's therapist thinks this is surprising because emotion is finally shown by Conrad. After all this, Beth still isn't willing to talk. With all the emotions he feels, he decides to leave. When he leaves, Calvin and Conrad move to a more suitable house and become closer. The therapist helps Conrad understand his mother's actions. Conrad decides he will no longer hide from his past and becomes friends with Joe, his former best friend. The climax of the story is when Conrad's mother leaves and forces Conrad to understand why she left and how to feel his emotions in a controlled way. Conrad is a troubled boy who blames no one but himself for his brother's death. Survivor's guilt leads him to attempt suicide. After spending six months in a psychiatric hospital, his doctor believes he is ready to pick up his life where he left off. He struggles but ends up understanding his emotions well. Calvin is Conrad's father. He is willing to put in the effort to help his son and will fight Beth. Beth is Conrad's mother. He will never talk about the events that happened. He leaves Conrad and Calvin to figure things out on their own. Ordinary People is written in the first person. The story is told primarily through the thoughts of Conrad and Calvin. You can understand what decisions Conrad will make through his thoughts. Calvin thinks mostly about the emotions Conrad is feeling and how to help him. Judith was trying to portray family values, loneliness, blame and guilt, dissatisfaction with life and new beginnings of friendships. Conrad's life story also expresses his coming of age. Family values ​​are an important part of the story. Conrad's parents handled the situation in different ways, and his father remained by his side through difficult times. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The element I showed interest in the most was plot. The plot of Ordinary People is intriguing. You want to see how Conrad overcomes his problems and continues his journey. With his father supporting him and his mother not caring, this story has its ups and downs./