by Richard Yates
(chosen by CH)
Theme: All that glitters is not gold
CH chose this after several friends agreed that it was a great fit for the theme. Initially she had read Jonestown as an option, but decided that it didn't fit the theme all that well.
About the author:
Richard Yates was born in 1926. The author of several acclaimed works of fiction, including Revolutionary Road, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness, Disturbing the Peace, and The Easter Parade, he was lauded during his lifetime as the foremost novelist of the post-war "age of anxiety". He died in 1992.
(general biographical detail from the publisher's website)
What the publisher says about the book:
From the moment of its publication in 1961, Revolutionary Road was hailed as a masterpiece of realistic fiction and as the most evocative portrayal of the opulent desolation of the American suburbs. It's the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright, beautiful, and talented couple who have lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.What we discussed about the book:
- Is this an anti-suburban book?
- To what extent is it autobiographical?
- Is Yates bitter about the suburban life? What does he show as being particularly nasty?
- Why did the Wheelers only have one good set of friends? Were they really 'friends' when they were constantly criticising them?
- Were the characters well-developed? Rounded?
- Did Frank love his job? Why was he happy to have an easy life and coast?
- What did this say about employment in that era? A
- Was the Paris idea an escape plan for April from a domestic wasteland?
- Did April suffer from a mental illness?
- What role did her failed career play in her future life?
- Did Frank have any self-reflection when he read the note?
- How skilled the writing is that when Frank goes back to the house the reader can hear April's voice.
- And then when Frank reads the note, he can no longer hear her voice.
- Was Yates' talent not fully-recognized during his lifetime?
- Why are so many books written about the suburban malaise? Who do they appeal to? And why?
- Is this book a fair representation of suburban life?
- Are people different in the city from the suburbs? Do they same any/all of the same issues?
- Are there still workplaces like Frank's? When did workplaces change?
- Can women whose mothers reject them ever fully love anyone else?
- The life for women in that era who were unhappy or unfulfilled by the stereotypical housewife role. What options were there for them?
In other news, we discussed:
- Greek school. Why do kids go to it? What do they learn?
- Juggling work/travel/kids/husbands...the modern day malaise!
- New York shopping
- Formal dresses...formal partners...formal hairdos...formal make-up...formals...
- Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Range: 5 to 9
Average: 7.75
Next book: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (chosen by Elster)
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