Frank and April Wheeler and How They Changed My Life

I was ecstatic a few weeks ago when, in a sudden rush of joy, I realized that I had
1. Applied to college
2. Paid to apply to college
3. Finished my Physics homework
4. Asked to borrow a certain novel from a certain friend entitled: Revolutionary Road

Though I hate myself for it, I had to take a rather lengthy break from regular reading. Applying to ten colleges took me several weeks and eventually sent me into a downward spiral of self deprecation and exhaustion but..ENOUGH ABOUT ME! I am here to write about the book that pulled me out of my rut and simultaneously pulled itself to the top of my Literature Favorites list:

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates


April and Frank Wheeler live in a perfect suburb in the perfect state of New York. They are the parents of perfect children, the owners of perfect clothes, and the patrons of their perfect, 1950's inspired stereotypes. But April and Frank's marriage is far from the self deluded, cookie cutter of a perfect existence that they seem so fulfilled by. April thinks Frank never "found himself" when he was younger. Frank thinks April lacks the foundational discipline that a parent is supposed to instill in a young child. April thinks getting pregnant at a very young age kept her from being a famous actress. Frank thinks April cannot see anything outside of her own, overinflated head.

A truly honest story analyzing the emptiness of the American Dream, Revolutionary Road is startlingly realistic as millions of married Americans speak through the increasingly vulnerable characters. I am dangerously fond of this genre of strong literary humanism so, as of right now, I deem this novel my favorite.

A word on the author

Richard Yates was born in Yonkers, New York in 1926 and died in 1992. Revolutionary Road was Yates' first novel and a finalist for the National Book Award. He has been endorsed by authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Tennessee Williams. His parents divorced when he was only three and he spent most of his life as a nomad, moving to different residences. Yates taught a writing course at Columbia before his big break in 1961 when he published Revolutionary Road.

For those who enjoyed..
The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman




What do yoooouuuuuu think I should put on my list? Tell me! (Comment on my page, guyz)