Revolutionary Road (1961)by Richard Yates

 1001 Novels: A Library of America

Revolutionary Road (1961)

by Richard Yates

Revolutionary Hill Estates, Connecticut

Connecticut: 8/9

     That's a wrap for Connecticut- the last book- On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong- I've already read- so Revolutionary Road  closes out non-Massachussets New England.   The 2008 movie version had me thinking that the book was of more recent vintage- something from the 80's or 90's so I was mildly surprised to learn, after I finished the book, that it was written in 1962, putting it in the literary vanguard of American critiques of suburban ennui, rather than a second generation effort references that earlier period. 

     The book is about a suburban, married couple who meet as young bohemians in New York City, he a GI Bill college student fresh off his World War II service (in France, which becomes a major plot point), Frank Wheeler has artistic aspirations- ill defined, to be sure, but in existence. April Wheeler, who comes from a troubled background with dilletante parents who seemed uninterested in raising their daughter, marries Frank in the hopes of bringing regularity to her disordered life.  The book picks up with them in the suburbs, adopting the now familiar pose of disgruntled urban intellectuals forced to compromise their artistic-intellectual pursuits- well familiar now, but probably a bit of a novelty in the early 60's American literary scene.

  Frank acts like a down-market Mad Man at work- having an affair with a co-worker and drinking his lunches while struggling with writing business-speak brochures for the same company his Dad worked for as a salesman.   It's all pretty familiar terrain in 2023, but of course, the publication date of 1961 is a whole different story.  I've never seen the movie, figure I probably will if only to see DiCaprio portray Frank.