In theory, it doesn't take a lot to make a truly shocking work of art. All that one has to do is dig into some moral decay and comment on the grossest parts of humanity. However, there is one lightning rod that has existed over all of pop culture for over half a century now. When Grace Metalious unleashed "Peyton Place" on the world, nobody could expect the legacy it produced while portraying an innocent New England town coming to terms with unpredictable turmoil. There are so many issues that have since been covered in exhaustive detail by true crime nerds, but what makes Metalious' text so essential is how it manages to transcend the soap opera tendencies and discover something painfully recognizable. The novel is as taboo as they come, but not in the empty calories way of a salacious accusation. Instead, it's a perfect embodiment of reality, breaking apart the suburban utopia of the time and suggesting not that things are getting scary, but that they've always been.
Something that's difficult to fully capture in a review is how incredibly dense the text is. Every chapter jumps from character to character, creating this revolving evolution of character. There's chances to delve into the seediest characters' imaginations one page and revel or pity the innocence of another. It's a world where children wander into the New England woods and find a side of humanity that they're not ready for. It's full of abuse and addiction, finding any Norman Rockwell technique fading fast in favor of a grotesque Grimm's Fairytale. For as lavish as Peyton Place is, there's a horror story baked into the text that is macabre and not always evident. In order to live a greater life, everyone must escape its temporary allure. Whether it's a parent or a stranger, someone is doomed to make this town a nightmare. Metalious' ability to wade into that grey area is one of the signature elements of a story that's full of shock while also admitting that there's something, quite surprisingly, mesmerizing about wanting to give into that fantasy.
It's a novel that feels predictive of crime novels to come. Whereas most took place in seedier west coast neighborhoods, "Peyton Place" is so innocent in appearance that it makes the acts more disturbing. Some moments can even be beautiful as characters have coming of age moments that are frank and full of celebration. Not everything shocking is about misery. Some of it is more ritualistic youth behavior that builds formative memories. Even as the carousel of narratives progresses, there's a nice balance in revelations that are both good and bad. Ultimately, "Peyton Place" is a world that isn't solely evil but can also be kind. Much like Leo Tolstoy in his earlier novel "Anna Karenina," there's the profound, cosmic belief that everyone's path is undetermined and we're just doomed to follow fate's uncertain hand.
Another reason this novel works is because there is a point towards the third act that suddenly it moves into a different approach. After every character has reached a conclusion, there is one who leaves town and writes a tell-all about her days in the town. Even amid the tragedies, there is sympathy for what was lost. She envisions a world where things could be better. More than anything, Metalious' empathetic approach to characterization means that we're not just reading moral decay. For as much as it works as an addictive page-turning experience, it's about recognizing a more universal disappointment for life. Childhood is never as perfect as a Rockwell painting. No matter how much it's trying to achieve that, a child will never be freed from the terrors of the world. They could become addicts or an abused spouse. It's the pain of the truth seeping through that ultimately elevates the novel above soap operas. By having it end with a character emphasizing the characters' humanity, it reveals a moratorium of sorts that is more beautiful and provocative than any surprise twist the previous chapters held. The scariest thing is being able to move forward once the jaded happiness has faded. Can one find joy after so much pain?
Even if viewed as a work of dime-store pulp, Metalious has created the quintessential character study of small-town paranoia. Despite the 1950s being portrayed as a happy time where everyone got along, the choice for "Peyton Place" to suggest a Post-WWII was a bit more dysfunctional allowed for an honest debate to emerge, and one that was deserving of every eyebrow-raising twist. Many novels have tried to capture that same attitude in even more grisly tales, but those rarely understand why "Peyton Place" has become a cornerstone of 20th-century fiction. It may seem trashy and uncomfortable at times for how frank the character's awfulness can get, but it still looks for hope in the world. It has a subversive way of getting there, sure, but at the end of the day, it understands that these are people trying to live life. When they look back, they don't get joy from the tragedy but some formative revelations about the person they became. It's the history that's always existed in Peyton Place. It's a novel that hits every character differently, but even then the universality of the outcome lingers long after the final pages have been read.
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