REVOLUTIONARY ROAD: Published in the Gazette June 28, 2009

Recently, my family was offered the opportunity to move to France. In addition to providing a great chance to overdose on crepes and good cheese, we think the adventure would help us recharge lost dreams; we could travel the world, expose our children to multiple histories and cultures, and avoid stagnation in our overly-comfortable lives. But moving to Europe is expensive and risky in these poor economic times, and if we don’t move, money is the reason why.

While pondering this long-term trip to Europe, I picked up a copy of Richard Yates’ 1961 classic “Revolutionary Road.” I’d heard a lot about the beautiful craft in the novel, and I knew that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are stars in the film adaptation, but I didn’t know much about the novel’s subject matter. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered the two main characters, April and Frank Wheeler, are considering a move to France.

Like my husband and I, April and Frank want to give their lives a kick in the rear. They feel life slipping away and want to catch a bit of it. And like us, April and Frank tell their children about the probable move, acquire French books for the children, and begin studying the language. Our two families even consider the same Paris suburb as the place to make our homes.

Fortunately, that’s where the similarities end. Readers learn that a one-way trip to Paris is not going to solve April and Frank’s problems. The characters are too busy alternately blaming themselves and each other for life’s disappointments. They engage in extra-marital affairs and drink heavily. Plus, they have no real support system; their family members are distant or non-existent, and their so-called friends secretly rejoice at the couples’ failings.

Only one of the Wheeler’s acquaintances--John, the insane son of a neighbor--supports the couple and the move. John’s approval would seem inconsequential, except nothing Yates writes is. In fact, Yates is begging his readers to consider whether John really is crazy. The author wants us to ask ourselves whether it’s the people around John who are truly delusional.

When Frank informs John that the Paris move is cancelled because of money concerns, John says, “Money’s always a good reason. But it’s hardly ever the real reason.” These are wise words from a “crazy” man--words I’ll consider thoroughly while making my own revolutionary decisions.