Revolutionary Road (Zeiten des Aufruhrs)

German translation by Hans Wolf

"Nobody thinks or feels or cares any more; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little God damn mediocrity."
 
It’s 1955 and April and Frank Wheeler have moved to an idyllic American suburb with their two children. On the surface, their lives hardly seem to differ from the conventional and tediously routine existences of their neighbours, with only occasional entertainment to relieve the monotony; they have adapted to their milieu to the point of being indistinguishable. Yet in the eyes of others, they emanate glamour and charm, and are special, which also affirms the way they see themselves. The Wheelers don’t want to let their youth slip away, or to miss out on all the life’s possibilities. When April’s aspirations to become an actress are dashed and rifts appear in their marriage, she formulates a romantic escape plan – to emigrate to Paris as a way of fulfilling their yearning for freedom and, above all, to give Frank a chance to "find himself". For a while this plan reignites their relationship, but Frank is increasingly alarmed by the prospect of change. Meanwhile he has settled into his job and begun an affair. Their arguments become more frequent, painful revelations and accusations are followed by fragile reconciliations, until the couple eventually abandons the plan to move. Having reached this decision, their lives begin to spin out of control over the course of a summer, and the story hurtles towards a tragic end.
 
In dispassionate but intense snapshots of everyday life, Richard Yates’ brilliant novel from 1961 shows that fulfilling social conventions can blunt our deepest yearnings, and how in times of peace, the battleground shifts to interpersonal relationships, poisoning our dreams and aspirations.