Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates is not a new novel, but it's new to me. I ran across it while searching for stories set in the late 50s and early 60s. Who knew that post-war suburbia had been so decadent?! Sure there were the ad men who populated Madison Avenue, those geniuses who promised Americans their Lucky Strikes would always be 'toasted', but Revolutionary Road is set outside this sphere.
The book opens with April Wheeler, the typical suburban housewife, doing a stint in community theater. The early pages aren't particularly captivating--I wondered if the book would even be worth finishing. But like a lot of great novels, I arrived at a certain point and realized I was reading something wonderful--can't remember just when I came to this conclusion either. (Much like taking Motrin for a headache and discovering, quite suddenly, that the headache left awhile ago, though the moment of its departure is impossible to pinpoint).
The Wheelers are a young couple. Frank Wheeler, husband of April, believes himself superior to other men, and his wife shares this view. She indulges him despite his affairs outside the home--likely because she has had a tryst of her own. As the novel progresses, her indulgence and flattery reach crisis and pull the couple into a moderate bleakness. The conclusion of the book is horrific. I didn't realize how dark their lives had become until very near the end. I won't give the conclusion away here, but the sum of their conjoined psychosis is paid out in tragedy.
Highly recommended!
The book opens with April Wheeler, the typical suburban housewife, doing a stint in community theater. The early pages aren't particularly captivating--I wondered if the book would even be worth finishing. But like a lot of great novels, I arrived at a certain point and realized I was reading something wonderful--can't remember just when I came to this conclusion either. (Much like taking Motrin for a headache and discovering, quite suddenly, that the headache left awhile ago, though the moment of its departure is impossible to pinpoint).
The Wheelers are a young couple. Frank Wheeler, husband of April, believes himself superior to other men, and his wife shares this view. She indulges him despite his affairs outside the home--likely because she has had a tryst of her own. As the novel progresses, her indulgence and flattery reach crisis and pull the couple into a moderate bleakness. The conclusion of the book is horrific. I didn't realize how dark their lives had become until very near the end. I won't give the conclusion away here, but the sum of their conjoined psychosis is paid out in tragedy.
Highly recommended!
3 comments:
This sounds fascinating. It sounds like the writer does a great job of building things slowly and subtly. I heard a review of this on NPR a while back and it sounded good but too depressing. Now I think I'll check it out.
Thanks for reviewing this, Bobbie! As you know, I'm obsessed with Mad Men ("No, everyone else's cigarettes are cancerous. Lucky Strikes are toasted."), and part of my obsession definitely is the period. I'll have to check this book out.
You won't regret it! Don't read any advance reviews other than mine. Several reviews reveal the ending.
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