Product Description

This is the story of Tom and Betsy Rath, a young couple with three children, a nice home, a steady income. They have every reason to be happy, but for some reason they are not. Universally acclaimed when it was first published in 1955, the novel captured the mood of a generation. It was a sensational best-seller that was made into an award-winning film with Gregory Peck, it was translated into twenty-six languages, and its title has become a permanent part of our vocabulary. Today, it is more relevant than ever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48689 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker
'Strikingly contemporary'

the Guardian
‘A novelist who documented the angst of postwar suburban America’

Time
Wilson has something to say

Customer Reviews

"All I know is that I lived on the belief that everything would be marvellous after the war..."
This starts out as a Richard Yatesian kind of novel about the pressures of life on the ordinary working man and his domestic setting. And then it turns into a novel about the difficulty of adjusting to normal suburban life after duty in the second world war (as such, it is still a remarkably relevant book today, and deserves a resurgence for that). It's clear from the introductiont hat Jonathan Franzen would rather it erred more toward the first half, but I'm not so sure. As it is, is very, very accomplished in fulfilling it's second brief. As a book about readjustment after war, about the problem of a normal man having to settle back down into his previously normal life after a massive trauma that makes all the hypocrisy and struggle seem pretty ridiculous, it is excellent. It is well-written, it is perceptive, it is moving, it is heart-warming, and it captures some relationships between people very well indeed, though some of them do seem to be too simplified - the conflicts with his wife seem to too easily resolved and glossed over; his eventual resignation to be completely honest with his boss goes too smoothly. (It would be more interesting, and realistic, if his wife wasn't so accepting (especially concerning Tom's revelation to her in the final pages) - I think there'd have been even more fertile ground if there was just a little more *struggle* and conflict for Tom, jsut to hammer home the point. But there we are. It doesn't matter.

Because even though some bits seem too easy, it's simple to understand why Wilson may have been keen to take it overly easy on a character who's already had it so hard. And it is still an excellent book, and an excellent read. honesty and justice may win out too smothly for this to be easy to swallow for some, but it's certainly overlookable, and certainly doesn't marr the work in any way. After some relentless pessimism, a little optimism is nice once in a while.

Overall, a very fine book indeed. I would recommend it very highly, and hope that it catches some kind of contemporary wave, as it deserves too.

the best 2005 read
Sloan Wilson captures the essence of a suburban commuter's life-dilemma in this poignant 1950s portrait of a WWII vet who cannot balance his past with his present. It's a story that could easily be transferred to the early 20th century in its gripping realism and compelling dramatic arc as protagonist Tom Rath learns that building a rewarding future demands that he recognize the foundation of his past.

One Of The Greatest Post WWII Tales Ever Written.
What can I say? I was shocked, suprised and most of all, Comforted by this book. A real Roller-Coaster of a ride that is incredibly memorable.

The fact that Mr Sloan Wilson is not better known is a tragedy of the first magnitude. This book stands against anything in all the ages of literature.