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Revolutionary road
661 pages
A beautiful, remorseless portrait of a marriage suffocating under the opulent desolation of 1950s suburban life.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like watching a slow, inevitable tragedy unfold behind the pristine curtains of a 1950s Connecticut home. The pace is steady and deliberate, anchoring you in the opulent desolation of suburban life where bright, talented people slowly suffocate. The prose is deft and beautiful, yet it operates with a remorseless clarity that strips away the characters' illusions of impending greatness. It is a deeply ironic but compassionate experience, immersing the reader in a heartbreaking atmosphere of spiritual compromise and marital betrayal. This book will captivate readers who crave masterful, realistic fiction that explores the quiet devastation of compromised dreams and the heavy cost of social conformity.
- Mood
- desolate
- heartbreaking
- opulent
- suffocating
- Tone
- ironic
- compassionate
- remorseless
- deft
- clear-eyed
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- suburban disillusionment · marital betrayal · loss of potential · spiritual compromise · mid-century social conformity
- The writing
- Deft, beautiful, and realistic, marked by an ironic yet compassionate clarity that lays bare the characters' inner lives.
- The arc
- Moves from the bright assumption of impending greatness to a heartbreaking, remorseless realization of spiritual compromise and betrayal.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate devastatingly realistic character studies and evocative critiques of mid-century suburban conformity.
Content notes
- marital strife
- betrayal
- divorce themes
About the book
"A deft, ironic, beautiful novel that deserves to be a classic." --William StyronFrom 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.In his introduction to this edition, novelist Richard Ford pays homage to the lasting influence and enduring power of Revolutionary Road.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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