Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Easter Parade by Richard Yates



"Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life, and looking back it always seemed that the trouble began with their parents' divorce"

After finishing this novel I wanted a stiff drink and a lie down. To say Sarah and Emily's life is unhappy is an understatement of King Kong sized proportions. Identifying with the protagonist made this an even more difficult read. Nevertheless, as I sit here thinking about the tale which I devoured in about an hour on a flight to Adelaide, I'm mindful of just how expertly crafted it is. Yates is the master of real life Disaster. The small mundane everyday disappointments that fill a life are engrAined in his pages. Here is an author who tugs mercilessly at your emotions with the skill of a master manipulator and storyteller. The follies of youth, the harsh realities of middle age and death and abandonment Are all richly explored within.  If you can stomach feeling despondent for an hour or two, this is an amazing Novel. 4 out of 5 Perfect marriages are a lie.

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