The Easter Parade tells the story of two sisters. Sarah and Emily Grimes. We first come to know them as children, with newly divorced parents and, over the next forty years, we follow the paths that make them very different women, as they both struggle to overcome their difficult family past.
Sarah is
stable and stalwart, settling into an unhappy marriage on Long Island and
ultimately succumbing to her silent despair. Emily stays in New York; she is
precocious and independent, struggling with one unsatisfactory love affair
after another. She goes through several uninteresting jobs, fails in her career
and loses herself in alcohol.
Author:
Richard Yates was born on February 3, 1926 in New York. Yates came from an
unstable home. His parents divorced when he was three and much of his childhood
was spent in many different towns and homes. Yates first became a journalist.
His career as a novelist began in 1961 with the publication of the widely
acclaimed "Revolutionary Road." Yates is known for his exploration of
mid-20th century life. He died in 1992.
My thoughts:
I think Yates is an extraordinary writer; he has a sharp eye and no mercy. This
story is moving and written with great elegance. I read it in Portuguese
translation in 2012. This is the second of Yates’s books I have read. The other one is “Eleven Kinds of Loneliness”,
a masterpiece, which I will soon review.
But for now, what made me wanted to read “The Easter Parade” was the
chemistry I felt while reading its first page.
I very quickly felt intrigued by the plot. The opening line of the novel aroused my
curiosity: “Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life and,
looking back, it always seemed that the trouble began with their parents`
divorce”. I definitely wanted to
learn more about their mother, an extravagant lady nicknamed “Pookie”, and I
remember thinking “Oh my Lord it’s going to be fun discovering all these
characters and the way they move through life”. I was right to follow my
intuition as I simply couldn’t put the book down once I had started.
I really
recommend that you discover this great author, who, by the way, used to write
speeches for Senator Robert Kennedy. If you do not fancy reading his book but
you like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, you can always see Revolutionary
Road, a film based on Yates’s novel.
Now that's a timely introduction for this book with Easter being just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteThis is just a coincidence :) Many thanks, dear!
DeleteHey coucou ma belle! Je ne connais pas cet auteur mais j'avoue que cette histoire me donne envie de découvrir. La semaine prochaine nous partons en vacances <333
ReplyDeleteJoyeuses Pâques ! Bises
OH WOW!!! Quelle chanceuse... Bonnes fêtes de Pâques, ne mange pas trop de chocolat ;-) MERCI pour tes hyper gentils commentaires.
DeleteAlways a treat when you write a book review! I have read Revolutionary Road (and seen the movie.) I loved the book, the movie not so much, though it was a good try. I look forward to reading this one. I divorced the father of my sons when they were 5 and 2. Luckily they turned out fine but my parents always worried that I had ruined their lives. So this will be an interesting (and maybe upsetting) read for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Judy. Your words warmed my heart, all the more so because I make huge efforts to write reviews that are worthy of the books. As English is not my mother tongue, this is a challenge every time.
DeleteI have seen the film Revolutionary Road, but I have not read the book.
I was deeply touched by your own story: as I follow you, I know how important your family is to you. I adore Yates and I am conscious that this book might make you sad, since "our friend" Yates does not pull any punches. The style of Richard Yates is unmistakable: cutting and uncompromising - very touching.
This sounds like an interesting , if difficult and critical, read. Given that the story deals with the unhappy lives of two women, what is the link to the Easter Parade title?
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, the title "Easter Parade" is a metaphor. The Easter Parade is an event where New Yorkers process through the city on Easter Sunday dressed in their finery, particularly ladies' hats, and strive to impress others.
DeleteThe book "Easter Parade" is sometimes a cruel novel about the love, hate and shame that is present in all families. The sort of families who'd need to save face at all costs. Thanks so much for reading.
I'm glad to hear you found yourself incapable of putting the book down :) I miss that, as I haven't read in quite a while, having been constantly distracted by my own writing. Back to the review, it really does sound interesting and I love that you've provided a background on the author too - a fascinating addition!
ReplyDeleteGabrielle | A Glass Of Ice
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Hello Gaby! The most important thing is to enjoy what you do... your true love of writing. I love reading your texts and your great collection of funny expressions that put a smile on my face. :-)
DeleteFunny but I am not surprised that this was written by a man who has the loveless manless character die in a sea of alcohol. True alcoholism is a disease and has nothing to do with a happy or unhappy life or being single or even having a bad childhood. At first I thought this was similar to me and my sister's life. Our childhood was not ideal and she was in an unhappy marriage and even lives on Long Island haha. And I have a career in publishing and work in New York. And yes I am single with no children but unlike the character in the book I am not dying in a sea of alcohol because I am not with a man. And my being single has nothing to do with my less then idyllic childhood but with cold hard reality of chronic health problems. Although the author was born in 1926 so I guess that explains that. But cover design is gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteAllie of ALLIENYC
www.allienyc.com
Hello Allie! You made a very good point about alcoholism being a disease. However, it surely finds its roots deep inside one's human soul? That said, I am not a specialist in this field.
DeleteI have to admit that I'm impressed with your testimony, and it touches me deeply. One of my best friends has a similar story to you.
Thank you very much for this insightful comment, Allie. I’m always happy when you show up!