Revolutionary Road

By: Richard Yates

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • Frank and April Wheeler are a bright, beautiful, talented couple in the 1950s whose perfect suburban life is about to crumble in this "moving and absorbing story” (The Atlantic Monthly) from one of the most acclaimed writers of the twentieth century.

"The Great Gatsby of my time...one of the best books by a member of my generation." —Kurt Vonnegut, acclaimed author of Slaughterhouse-Five

Perhaps Frank and April Wheeler married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank's job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to unravel. With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.

In his introduction to this edition, novelist Richard Ford pays homage to the lasting influence and enduring power of Revolutionary Road.

©2000 Richard Yates (P)2008 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A powerful treatment of a characteristically American theme, which might be labeled ‘trapped.' ... A highly impressive performance. It is written with perception, force and awareness of complexity and ambiguity, and it tells a moving and absorbing story.” —The Atlantic Monthly

"The Great Gatsby of my time ... one of the best books by a member of my generation." —Kurt Vonnegut, acclaimed author of Slaughterhouse-Five

"Beautifully crafted ... a remarkable and deeply troubling book." —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Outstanding!

What an amazing story and gripping depiction of two people in the 1950s. The movie was only moderately interesting, but the book adds such rich depth to the characters and their desires and frustrations. Highly recommended.

I don't normally listen to fiction, but this book and Mark Bramhall's perfect narration have been a complete joy. His voice modulation and dramatization are truly delightful. It felt like I was watching a stage presentation.

I'm eager to listen to another book by Yates and will certainly purchase more titles narrated by Bramhall.

Fascinating!

The book is great. The plot is touching. Till the very end you hope everything will be fine, and it's really hard to keep yourself from drawing a parallel between the heroes' lives and that of your own. Indeed, what happened to the heroes could have happened to Romeo and Juliette had they not died.
A special tribute must be paid to the narrator. Due to his unsurpassed skill the heroes and even their voices are so vivid. The book has lots of dialogues, but due to Mark Bramhall you can not only recognize who's talking immidiately, but also feel the finest nuances of their mood!

amazing

great book about gender roles, the american dream, conformity, entrapment, impact of the past, and dissatisfaction.

Very engaging and brilliantly written

Yates is a beautiful writer--descriptive in a way that deeply involves the reader. One of the things I appreciated most about this book, a runner-up for the National Book award in 1962, is the accuracy with which he represents the 1950s, everything from work cublicles, the dawning age of computers, suburban life, the rise of psychotherapy (and its oppressive authority) and of course the pressure to conform and the difficulty of taking a different path (a "revolutionary road"). A major theme of this book, which I think is surprising for its era, is the nature of masculinity and its perils--how very hard it was to be a "real" man in the 50s. Yates has great skill at using metaphor and does a wonderful job with character development. This book is also beautifully narrated. Not only is the narrator's voice a pleasure to listen to, but his representation of each character very talented. Yates's depiction of the 50s gives great insight about why the 1960s became "revolutionary."

Infidélité à L'illusion Américaine

Richard Yates' debut novel, published in 1961 and set in mid-1950s suburban Connecticut, especially stands out for its stark portrayal of infidelity to, and an act of revolution against, the flock mentality of 1950s America. Yates said after the novel's publication that he meant it as an indictment of the era's "general lust for conformity all over...--a kind of blind, desperate clinging to safety and security at any price." The book shows the authentic underside of family life in suburban American life contrasted with the glittery smiles on the dial in the weekly shows of TV's golden age. See, e.g., Ozzie and Harriet, and the Cleavers.

The story begins with Frank and April Wheeler, early 30s, married with 2 young children, engaged in a heated marital spat, brought on by melancholy, malaise and perhaps a bit of mental illness suffered by one or both. Shortly thereafter, April comes up with the "brilliant idea" to uproot and move the family to Paris, where she would be the breadwinner and thereby allow Frank to discover his true talents after being stifled for years as a salesman for a business machine company. They both agree, proceed accordingly, and their marital distress is eased. A kink arises however in their grand plans; the neighbors visit with their son, a mental ward patient who stirs things up (with unspoken truths); and, both spouses stray, all of which leads to an explosive argument and tragic consequences.

It's generally recognized that Yates' novels expertly examine the "tattered remnants of the American dream." I'd say these are more like the "shattered shards" of the suburban male's "self-myths": his personalized legend made up, subconsciously or not, during his teenage years, in which:

He meets and marries a beautiful, dutiful wife, who bears him perfect children to live in a happy home, then departs on a journey to conquer all in his path and take tons of treasure, and on his return, maybe he's forced to stop at a place where he's seduced by a gorgeous goddess that goes by Circe after which he's shipwrecked on an island where he's enslaved for a time to service the sensual needs of a nymph named Calypso; once back on course though, he's admirably withstands the many songs of several Sirens and escapes sea monsters, before arriving back to his college-age children, reared by his wife, just in time to slay her numerous suitors, and live happily ever after.


REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is a blunt and, frankly, VERY depressing look at an act of rebellion in post WWII suburban America.

This is my favorite book

Loved the story and narration. Listened to the audiobook after seeing the movie, and wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, what a masterpiece the book is.

Very Close to Movie Depiction

This story was really good. good narration. the movie stayed very close to book however the book gives more background on each character. there were some parts I felt dragged on or wasn't needed but other than that a very good read.

Soul-crushing...but in a good way!

Yeah, yeah Kate and Leo reunited on the big screen for the adaptation of Revolutionary Road, and while I enjoyed the movie, please don’t let it put you off or replace your reading of Richard Yates’ tremendous novel. Sure it’s depressing – it’s about realizing your life has become everything you never wanted it to be – but in Yates’ words, in Mark Bramhall’s narration, this is a powerful depressing: the kind of thought-provoking, heart-wrenching literature that we all need every once in a while.

*love*

This was my first audible download. Oh, I loved it so. Mark Bramhall's narration is pitch perfect, and gives texture and shade to the novel and energy and life to the characters. The novel itself is utterly compelling in it's incisive and sometimes disturbing bisection of the melancholies and discontents of suburban life. Download it if you love Mad Men! But also if you're a fan of mid-centuty American fiction (one of my favourite novels is the far more forgiving Man in the Grey Flannel Suit).

Fantastic

Best read in years. A true classic. As timeless now as when written almost 40 years ago.