The title of the book is Ordinary People and 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Ordinary People is set in the 1970s in 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. It is discovered that Conrad attempted suicide after the death of his brother. Back home, he tries to live his old daily life but seems to have some problems. His parents, Beth and Calvin, don't know how to help him. With the death of their eldest son and Conrad's suicide attempt, their marriage fails. Beth is not willing to talk about everything that happened. Conrad decides to try harder in life while his parents argue. He quit the swim team and started playing guitar again. He distances himself from his old friends because they constantly remind him of his brother. Conrad even starts dating the new girl at school named Jeannine. After being together, Jeannine tells Conrad about her past. Trouble arises at school when Conrad gets into a fight with the school bully. Calvin and Conrad's therapist think it's amazing because the emotion is finally being shown by Conrad. After all of this, Beth is still not willing to talk. With all the emotions she feels, she decides to leave. When she left Calvin and Conrad, they moved to a more suitable house and became closer. The therapist helps Conrad understand his mother's actions. Conrad decides that he is no longer going to hide from his past and befriends Joe, his former best friend. The climax of the story is when Conrad's mother leaves and this forces Conrad to see why she left and how to feel his emotions in a controlled way. Conrad is a troubled kid who blames no one but himself for his brother's death. Survivor's guilt leads him to his suicide attempt. After spending six months in a psychiatric hospital, his doctor believes he is ready to resume his life where he left off. He struggles but eventually understands his emotions the right way. Calvin is Conrad's father. He is willing to go to great lengths to help his son and will fight Beth. Beth is Conrad's mother. She will never talk about the events that happened. She leaves Conrad and Calvin to fend for themselves. Ordinary People is written in the first person. The story is primarily told through the thoughts of Conrad and Calvin. You can guess what decisions Conrad will make through his thoughts. Calvin mainly thinks about the emotions Conrad is feeling and how to help him. Judith was trying to portray family values, loneliness, blame and guilt, not being satisfied with life and new beginnings of friendships. The story of Conrad going through life also expresses his coming of age. Family values ​​play an important role in the story. Conrad's parents handled the situation in different ways and his father stayed by his side during difficult times. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The element I showed interest in most were plots. The plot of Ordinary People is intriguing. You want to see how Conrad overcomes his problems and how his journey continues./