I saw the film, it was great. Kate and Leo Dio were wonderful and I really do appreciate the fact that their being reunited on screen could finally halt the terrible rumours that They Don't Like Each Other, and Hated Each Other While Filming Titanic - because their combined gloriousness in the film of this book is undeniable. Cheers guys.
But Richard Yates' original novel from 1961 is on a whole other level. At this stage I'll confess that I did read this book because it was set for the uni course I'm tutoring in. And if any of my students ever read this and use my blatant expressions of love for Revolutionary Road to write essays I'll agree with, I say good on ya and just remember to cite this blog correctly :)
I hate to say that I think Revolutionary Road was ahead of it's time, but it was impossible to shake that feeling whilst reading it. We're now used to existential critiques of Modern Suburban Living in the 50s and movies/ tv/ books about the terrible alienating plight of the Housewife but Yates' novel is so insightful and clear and tragic it really is amazing to think it was only published in 61, before it got groovy with capital F feminism and before postmodernity made everyone pop culture nihilists. The 50s and early 60s in most art and literature were still the celebration of the lone-wolf white guys but Yates, with an wonderfully gentle and non-judgemental touch turns his eyes towards the looming specture of suburbia in the US and a young married couple fighting it's dehumanising influence.
Most of Revolutionary Road focuses on Frank Wheeler, with illuminating interjections from a few other characters thoughts and feelings, and tellingly it is not until the devastating conclusion of the novel that the reader is given any direct insight into April Wheeler's mind. The Wheelers are very human and are drawn so perfectly that though I went through many different types of feeling about them, practically feeling all the feelings that there are, I always felt FOR them most strongly of all. And Yates keeps his characters thoughts ambiguous and their behaviour troubling, we're supposed to have a bit of distance as readers. We're supposed to feel part of the same alienation from each other and from this occasionally disappointing world as Frank and April do.
As ever I am conscious of spoilers so I won't delve further into details of the plot. There are a few very interesting and important changes between the film and the novel so don't miss out on reading it even if you've seen the excellent version on the silver screen. You should definitely read this book, whoever you are. But I guess especially if you're one of my students. Yates is a revelation to me as an American author, he's so wry, brutal where he needs to be, and has an unfailing honest and wonderful empathetic style. I wish all stories could be told this way.
*****/***** (5 stars)
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