Book Chatter

I know many of you got another taste of winter this past weekend but here, it’s a glorious 85 degrees. The flowers are blooming so with every breeze I am greeted with the wonderful smells of spring. With that, comes sneezing so I dosed up on allergy meds and took it easy today. The Girl and I hit the library. She came home with a full bag of books whereas all I found was a copy of The Old Man and the Sea.

I love to read with The Girl because with her, it’s all about cozy. She opened up her windows and we flopped onto her bed and dove right in. She chose a mystery, and I chose to continue with Heft by Liz Moore. At first, it seemed a little slow but now…about 100 pages in, I am unable to put it down. Along with that, I am also reading some other books, one of which is A Visit From the Goon Squad. I don’t know why but when the weather gets warm, all I want to do is kick back with a book. Outside, or inside by a window. Warm weather equals reading to me.

I have a lot of reviews to write as I have been a reading machine, but with work being so crazy and me, unable to shut my brain down after work, writing the reviews has been a challenge. No worries though, they will all get written. I am just trying to figure out the best use of my time these days. Balance has always been a concern with me and lately, it’s been more difficult to juggle it all. Between play rehearsals (yep, another show) and basketball playoffs and school stuff, I am just wiped out. I know many of you go through the same thing and knowing that there are others like me, trying to keep it all together and remain sane, makes it a lot easier to deal with.

On another note, the gym is going well. I am really enjoying the early morning workouts, but I have gained 5 lbs! I seem to recall this happening before when I worked out, but it’s not supposed to work that way. After a month of hitting the gym, I expected to see something. Anything, but not 5 lbs. I am just going to keep plugging along and hope it all evens out soon.

This evening, we are picking up take-out and plan to watch The Help. I’ve seen it, but The Hub hasn’t so that’s the plan. Hope you are all well and that you are out enjoying your Sunday.

Revolutionary Road
By Richard Yates
(Vintage, Paperback, 9780307454621, November 2008, 368pp.)

“I’m only interested in stories that are about the crushing of the human heart.”
― Richard Yates

The Short of It:

An intimate glimpse of a marriage in ruin.

The Rest of It:

Sounds appealing, doesn’t? I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I ate it up and although far from being a happy tale, it was satisfying in ways that I may have trouble describing here.

Although it was originally published in 1961, this story has timeless elements that appealed to me. Frank and April Wheeler are young and in love. Caught-up with one another and their mutual quest to live the American dream, they marry and buy a house on Revolutionary Road. Not just any house. A perfect house in the middle of suburban splendor. The story alternates between the present and the past and it becomes apparent to the reader very early on, that the marriage is falling apart. As Yates takes us through their years together, we begin to see the decline that they see, but choose to ignore until it’s too late.

The writing blew me away. It was poetic without going over your head and Yates somehow manages to deliver characters that you can’t stand, yet can ultimately relate to. I did not like these people. They were selfish and blind to what was in front of them, and they were miserable and suffering (often from their own doing) yet… there was something about them that I loved. It was if I knew these people personally.

Every time I opened the book, I was like a voyeur, pushing the curtains aside to get a peek at this disastrous couple. It felt wrong, but it also felt so right. It was tragic and honest and unflinchingly real. I absolutely loved it.

I know there is a movie tie-in, as evidenced by the cover photo, but I haven’t seen the movie yet. Have you?

Source: Borrowed
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Chatting with friends about books and life…