Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a sad portrayal of a young couple married in the 1950s. They married too young and probably never should have married. It is what marriage looks like when you settle because you don't think you can do any better. The characters in the book are April and Frank. April is a housewife and is miserable, looking for a way to improve her life. Frank is a businessman who hates his job and his life. They appear to do everything in their power to continue to be miserable. While living in the suburbs, a chain of events happen that sends their already unhappy life raveling out of control.

The book is well written and it kept my interest. I had great compassion for the characters, but at times, I hated them too. The plot and storyline was heartwrenching. What a sad portrayal of how unhappy a marriage can be. I walked away from the book wondering if that is really how men and women feel about their spouse. Do married people really look at their spouse and pick out every flaw or wonder how they could have found someone better, more sophisticated, prettier, etc.?