Richard Yates – Revolutionary Road (Rating: 4)
Hailed as a masterpiece from its first publication, Revolutionary Road is the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright young couple who are bored by the banalities of suburban life and long to be extraordinary. With heartbreaking compassion and clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April’s decision to change their lives for the better leads to betrayal and tragedy.
Ath Book Club comments:
Revolutionary Road is an exposé of American marriage in the 50s and also a shattering of the American dream. The main characters are not very likeable: Frank is weak, self absorbed misogynist and his wife April is irritating, manipulative and unrealistic. Frank and April’s purpose in life was to be an “extraordinary couple”, a goal they didn’t reach that well. The other characters are well depicted.
Yates has managed to write an utterly gripping novel about nobody and nothing. The character building is intricate; Yates builds and dissects their motivations and relationships and skilfully increases a sense of dread. Revolutionary Road is a wonderfully written, relentlessly depressive novel. The Ath Book Club simply loved it!
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