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cjrapata's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Reading a book set during the 50s written in 1961 can still cause me to reflect on my own life in 2024. I was impressed not only with the themes of the fallacy of the American dream, but even more so with the rawness and specificity of the American marriage, this almost pitiful view that Yates portrays of marriage being lonely, sad, unfullfilling. He writes Frank Wheeler so well, as this man you can completely agree would exist in real life, who thinks so highly of himself yet is deeply emotional and insecure. It’s such modern writing for its time. Yates shows that we are too hungry for the peace and certainty of the suburban nuclear family (however fake it is) that we will abandon the most truthful parts of ourselves to attain it, but we can also expect to remain restless and unsatisfied in any circumstance. A truly harrowing read. I’m awestruck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia