Steven Godin's Reviews > Revolutionary Road

One of my favourite novels, and easily one the greatest ever written, Richard Yates goes right for the necessary to work out who one really is. Summer, 1955, Frank and April Wheeler are living what to many would believe is the suburban American dream, wholesome friendly neighbours, and for Frank an undemanding job in Manhattan, all appears grand. But it isn't. The Wheelers might be young, beautiful and feel full of promise to the outside world, but they harbour little affection for each other.

Both Husband and wife are bored, with each other, with their lives.

April has a plan, to escape this emptiness, one that will enable Frank to quit his job and realise his potential while she works, of course those familiar with Yates's work will know that happy and fulfilling lives are not around the corner. As Richard Yates's masterly debut novel unfolds, we see self-deception deepen, and a marriage going to the dogs.

Revolutionary Road is a work of serious moral intent, and not to be taken lightly, not that that's even possible, though there are extremely amusing moments, they don't really equate to much.
It's gripping without resorting to melodrama (melodrama is one of my pet hates in books), the story is entirely at one with the characters' dilemmas. Yates, who died in 1992 had so much in common with the people he wrote about, that's why he is so darn good as a storyteller to the flipside of the American dream. This is one of the best novels ever written about the difficulty in living life accordingly. And the narrative is simply stunning.