Ordinary People

50th-Anniversary Edition

By: Judith Guest, Amy Bloom - introduction

One of the great bestseller of our time: the novel that inspired Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning film starring Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore

In Ordinary People, Judith Guest’s remarkable first novel, the Jarrets are a typical American family. Calvin is a determined, successful provider and Beth an organized, efficient wife. They had two sons, Conrad and Buck, but now they have one. In this memorable, moving novel, Judith Guest takes the reader into their lives to share their misunderstandings, pain, and ultimate healing. Ordinary People is an extraordinary novel about an "ordinary" family divided by pain, yet bound by their struggle to heal.

Critic reviews

"Admirable...touching...full of the anxiety, despair, and joy that is common to every human experience of suffering and growth."—The New York Times

"Rejoice! A novel for all ages and all seasons."—The Washington Post Book World