Return to Peyton Place
Encyclopedia
Return to Peyton Place is a 1959
novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel Peyton Place
.
, who ironically follows in the footsteps of her mother by having an affair with a married man, her publisher Lewis Jackman. In the finale of the book, Lewis is killed, which destroys Allison. The similarity of their situations bond Allison and her mother, whom advises Allison to live for him by returning to her writing, which she does.
When she returns to her hometown following the publication of her first novel, Samuel's Castle, she is forced to face the wrath of its residents, who are incensed by their barely-disguised counterparts and the revelation of town secrets in the book. Roberta Carter, a member of the school board, makes it her mission to ban the book from the high school
library
.
She also punishes Allison MacKenzie by firing her stepfather, Michael Rossi (a decision which she eventually reverses, to the anger of her former friend, Marion Partridge
); while at the same time trying to dissolve her son Ted's marriage to his snobbish bride. Roberta is eventually murdered by her scheming daughter in-law, Jennifer Burbank.
Another union in trouble is that of Allison's mother Constance
, who is shocked by her daughter's exposé, but nonetheless stands by her, and stepfather Michael Rossi, the school principal and one of the novel's only defenders.
Betty Anderson returns from New York, after giving birth to Roddy, the child she had by Rodney Harrington and, along with her co-hort and Roddy's babysitter, Agnes, moves to Peyton Place, so she can allow Leslie, Roddy's grandfather to know him.
Selena Cross, who had been acquitted of murder in the previous novel, was trying to make a life for herself and her brother, Joey. She is manager of the Thrifty Corner Apparel Shoppe, and is a success. She meets Timothy Randlett, an itinerant actor, who after attacking her, ended up getting hit with fireplace tongs, similar to how Lucas Cross was killed. She eventually decides to marry Peter Drake, her former attorney. In this book, Selena and Allison had rebonded as friends, and Allison's roommate, Stephanie, was also part of their circle.
Return to Peyton Place had many of the same soap opera
elements of the original. Although it sold well, its total sales did not equal those of its predecessor.
was directed by José Ferrer
.
A daytime drama entitled Return to Peyton Place
aired on NBC
from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974, but the soap opera was a continuation of the primetime television series Peyton Place
rather than an adaptation of the book.
1959 in literature
The year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel Peyton Place
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
.
Plot summary
After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and loves of bestselling author Allison MacKenzieAllison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in the novel Peyton Place, its sequel Return to Peyton Place, the subsequent film adaptations of both, and the primetime television series and daytime soap opera they inspired....
, who ironically follows in the footsteps of her mother by having an affair with a married man, her publisher Lewis Jackman. In the finale of the book, Lewis is killed, which destroys Allison. The similarity of their situations bond Allison and her mother, whom advises Allison to live for him by returning to her writing, which she does.
When she returns to her hometown following the publication of her first novel, Samuel's Castle, she is forced to face the wrath of its residents, who are incensed by their barely-disguised counterparts and the revelation of town secrets in the book. Roberta Carter, a member of the school board, makes it her mission to ban the book from the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
She also punishes Allison MacKenzie by firing her stepfather, Michael Rossi (a decision which she eventually reverses, to the anger of her former friend, Marion Partridge
Marion Partridge
Marion Partridge was a character in the novel Peyton Place and in the subsequent film. In the film, Marion was played by actress Peg Hillias....
); while at the same time trying to dissolve her son Ted's marriage to his snobbish bride. Roberta is eventually murdered by her scheming daughter in-law, Jennifer Burbank.
Another union in trouble is that of Allison's mother Constance
Constance MacKenzie
Constance MacKenzie is a fictional character in the 1956 novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. In the subsequent film adaptation, she was played by Lana Turner; in the sequel Return to Peyton Place, by Eleanor Parker; in the primetime television series, by Dorothy Malone ; and in daytime soap...
, who is shocked by her daughter's exposé, but nonetheless stands by her, and stepfather Michael Rossi, the school principal and one of the novel's only defenders.
Betty Anderson returns from New York, after giving birth to Roddy, the child she had by Rodney Harrington and, along with her co-hort and Roddy's babysitter, Agnes, moves to Peyton Place, so she can allow Leslie, Roddy's grandfather to know him.
Selena Cross, who had been acquitted of murder in the previous novel, was trying to make a life for herself and her brother, Joey. She is manager of the Thrifty Corner Apparel Shoppe, and is a success. She meets Timothy Randlett, an itinerant actor, who after attacking her, ended up getting hit with fireplace tongs, similar to how Lucas Cross was killed. She eventually decides to marry Peter Drake, her former attorney. In this book, Selena and Allison had rebonded as friends, and Allison's roommate, Stephanie, was also part of their circle.
Return to Peyton Place had many of the same soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
elements of the original. Although it sold well, its total sales did not equal those of its predecessor.
Adaptations
A 1961 film adaptationReturn to Peyton Place (film)
Return to Peyton Place is a 1961 drama film produced by Jerry Wald and directed by José Ferrer. The screenplay by Ronald Alexander is based on the 1959 novel Return to Peyton Place by Grace Metalious...
was directed by José Ferrer
José Ferrer
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
.
A daytime drama entitled Return to Peyton Place
Return to Peyton Place (TV series)
Return to Peyton Place is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974. The series was a spin-off of the primetime drama series Peyton Place rather than an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.The storylines from the daytime...
aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974, but the soap opera was a continuation of the primetime television series Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
rather than an adaptation of the book.