Whatever it takes

This is the second time a Richard Yates revival has been heralded as being upon us, and I'm glad for the replay.
Yes, everyone talks about (or should) Revolutionary Road as being a legitimate stab at the Great American novel, but damn it, it is. Less well known perhaps are The Easter Parade and the collected short stories published years ago during Yates revival 1.0.
Britain is getting into it now, perhaps to coincide with a film of Revolutionary Road.
The story of a couple of newly minted New England suburbanites whole lives take a few nasty turns to reveal an unforgettable ending, is going to look great on screen (if the principals stay true to it) and should introduce Yates to a time that's kind of looking made for him if John McCain and Stephen Harper win the next elections. Uh, he's pretty dour, you know.
As an aside, I wish I liked Nick Hornby's books more than I do. The first couple were fine, and then I didn't think much of the rest. But he has excellent taste and the Guardian article is worth following through to get his thoughts.
Some of the finer stuff is here.

Posted by Dave