I was feeling book-hungry at the start of this year, and this was one of those books I picked up and knew immediately I wanted to read.
I loved the characters in the story, their idealism, and their weaknesses. I willed them to act differently, I was excited with them at the possibility that they could be different. I smiled to myself at little commonalities, and then was shocked and troubled just a few pages later. I love books about people who try to do things differently, to break the mould, to swim against the tide. I thought this was a brave exploration of that sort of decision, and how our personalities, backgrounds and cultures both aid and hinder us.
I also enjoyed Yate’s exploration of insanity… and how it compared with the ’sanity’ of the characters surrounding. It reminded me of books like ‘The Bell Jar’ and ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest’, where you wonder if it is mental illness, or the society the character exists within that is actually the main issue.
A couple of my fave quotes:
“She was working alone, and visibly weakening with every line. Before the end of the first act the audience could tell as well as the Players that she’d lost her grip, and soon they were all embarrassed for her. She had begun to alternate between false theatrical gestures and a white-knuckled immobility; she was carrying her shoulders high and square, and despite her heavy make-up you could see the warmth of humiliation rising in her face and neck.”
‘ “Helen here’s been talking it up about you people for months” he told them. “The nice young Wheelers on Revolutionary Road, the nice young revolutionaries on Wheeler Road – got so I didn’t know what she was talking about half the time.”
According to the genius of Wikipedia, Yates, the author is quoted as saying: “If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy.” that makes me sad, but, emotion aside, it is a theme that is powerfully communicated in this book. I was amazed at how ‘apart’ two people could be, even when they shared the bond of marriage.
The story has been turned into a film, starring Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio, to be released at the end of Jan. I’m really intrigued to see what will be made of it, as I think one of the best things about the book is that not very much happens, but so much happens, the pace is very slow and yet things change very fast. Part of Yate’s skill is in his characterisation, and the rich description he uses. I am intrigued to see how this comes across on the big screen. I’m also quietly cynical about the kate/leo combo. I’m hoping they do the plot justice, and that it doesn’t get pushed under by the whole ‘titanic reunion’ furore.
