In the late fifties and early sixties we lived the lives of Ozzie and Harriet - or we thought we should - or wished we could. The suburban dream was rampant - and according to Richard Yates, boring. His book, Revolutionary Road, paints a grim view of that life for both Frank and April McClure now reaching 30, wondering if they can still find the dream they shared 8-10 years earlier. The point of view through much of the book is Frank's - a man's view.
Shift to the other side of town (presumably) where in 1957 Betty Friedan began researching why affluent, happily married housewives with college educations were so unhappy with their suburban lives. We have in Revolutionary Road and and The Feminine Mystique, two different sides of the same coin. Within 2 years, Yates gave spark to what would become counter-culture (his book was a cult classic) and Friedan set off the second wave of the feminist movement. It was a painful transition as men weighed sticking heroically to lifeless jobs vs. opting out, and women struggled to find meaning outside of their homes and families. It would take another decade to begin to sort that out.
I am 1/3 the way through Revolutionary Road. I know that Frank and April don't stand a chance - this book is thought to be the most depressing book ever written, but I'm still rooting for them.
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