A Rave Review for "Revolutionary Road"
Rachel Oberstadt
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Entertainment
For some, marriage can be one of the greatest relationships a person could ever hope to be in, but what if that beautiful sanctity is something that does not empower you but rather imprisons you? Richard Yates' novel "Revolutionary Road" captures the heartbreak of a married couple trying to cope with the pressures of everyday life. The same viewpoints shared by two people at the beginning of the relationship become increasingly different as time goes on, and the fiery passion that had once burned between the two dwindles to a haze of smoke.
Yates introduces the two main characters in the book, Frank and April Wheeler, who seem to have it all. They have the looks, the intelligence and they seem like the perfect couple. In fact, these two characters are imaged after the typical 1950s suburban-American family. However, while trying to raise their two children, the Connecticut couple comes to a crossroads and decides they can no longer handle the stresses of everyday life. It is time for a change.
April suggests that living outside the country is just what their family needs. She persuades Frank to start a new life in France, where Frank was stationed during the war. Eventually, Frank gives in and leaves his boring desk job to set out for France with his family. April seeks rejuvenation; she is worn from being a domesticated housewife. To her, France holds all the solutions to their problems.
The couple is so young and na've to think that the move to France will change everything for the better. They do not realize that marriage takes a great deal of hard work and dedication, which the two just cannot muster up.
The problem with the Wheelers is that they have rushed too quickly into marriage. Before they spent their lives together, they had whimsical thoughts about how problems would simply work themselves out. Now they find themselves stuck in a horrible rut which neither one of them is prepared to pull their marriage out of. Frank struggles to find his passion in life. He seems to be unable to find his niche in society. April never sees herself being a domesticated housewife, yet every morning finds herself making her family breakfast and sending the children off to school. She tries to give up her dream of being an actress, but because of her immaturity, never really lets it go.
"Revolutionary Road" is a splendid read. Its story cautions readers on the drawbacks of marriage, and how it ought not to be rushed into. Yates wants readers to realize the importance of knowing who you are before you enter a commitment with another individual. Yates' novel is so spectacular that it has recently been made into a major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Overall, "Revolutionary Road" is truly a well-written masterpiece that is sure to please any reader.
5/5 stars
Yates introduces the two main characters in the book, Frank and April Wheeler, who seem to have it all. They have the looks, the intelligence and they seem like the perfect couple. In fact, these two characters are imaged after the typical 1950s suburban-American family. However, while trying to raise their two children, the Connecticut couple comes to a crossroads and decides they can no longer handle the stresses of everyday life. It is time for a change.
April suggests that living outside the country is just what their family needs. She persuades Frank to start a new life in France, where Frank was stationed during the war. Eventually, Frank gives in and leaves his boring desk job to set out for France with his family. April seeks rejuvenation; she is worn from being a domesticated housewife. To her, France holds all the solutions to their problems.
The couple is so young and na've to think that the move to France will change everything for the better. They do not realize that marriage takes a great deal of hard work and dedication, which the two just cannot muster up.
The problem with the Wheelers is that they have rushed too quickly into marriage. Before they spent their lives together, they had whimsical thoughts about how problems would simply work themselves out. Now they find themselves stuck in a horrible rut which neither one of them is prepared to pull their marriage out of. Frank struggles to find his passion in life. He seems to be unable to find his niche in society. April never sees herself being a domesticated housewife, yet every morning finds herself making her family breakfast and sending the children off to school. She tries to give up her dream of being an actress, but because of her immaturity, never really lets it go.
"Revolutionary Road" is a splendid read. Its story cautions readers on the drawbacks of marriage, and how it ought not to be rushed into. Yates wants readers to realize the importance of knowing who you are before you enter a commitment with another individual. Yates' novel is so spectacular that it has recently been made into a major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Overall, "Revolutionary Road" is truly a well-written masterpiece that is sure to please any reader.
5/5 stars
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